Tulsa King Season 3 Episode 10 Review: Jesus Lizard
Dumire makes his worst and final mistake on Tulsa King Season 3 Episode 10, “Jesus Lizard.” Kidnapping Joanne and using her to get to Dwight isn’t the smartest move. If Dunmire thought he would get away with it, he was wrong.
Instead, Manfredi fulfills a promise he made to Dunmire the day they met. One way or another, Dunmire would feel what he made his friend feel the night he burned him alive. Lo and behold, Manfredi burns Dunmire alive.
By organizing his people, being part of the take down, and killing Dunmire, Manfredi proves once again why he is the General. It seems people keep coming for him and underestimating his power, when he has never once backed down from a fight.
From the moment Tulsa King Season 3 started, we knew Cole would inevitably get tired of his father and betray him. “Jesus Lizard” proves exactly that.
Even though he had previously warned Manfredi’s people of the bomb in the hotel, he now brings the biggest downfall to his father. By telling Manfredi where Dunmire is keeping Joanne and drawing a sketch of the house, Cole is handing him the key to his father’s empire, knowing that it will be the last nail in his coffin.
There are two factors that help Cole realize he is never going to win in his father’s eyes. The first one is Spencer. Ever since meeting Spencer, there has been something in Cole telling him he deserves better and he should be doing better.
She is the connecting piece that allows Cole to get close enough to Manfredi to help him defeat his father. Maybe Dunmire’s death isn’t what he was expecting, but he knows he can’t let his father get away with Joanne’s kidnapping.
The second factor is his father kidnapping Joanne behind his back and ensuring he has no access to her. While Cole is smarter and finds a way to Joanne, he feels completely shut down by his father.
Maybe if Dunmire had trusted his son more, he would still be alive. Nevertheless, Dwight owes Cole.
We are begging Tulsa King to take a chance on Joanne, given how they have been teasing all season. This character has so much potential, and it becomes even clearer with this season finale.
Joanne shows absolutely no fear in front of Dunmire. She holds her own, stays calm, and even attacks him back with a comment or two. This is because she understands the world she finds herself in.
Joanne isn’t just Manfredi’s sister. She can stand tall among these macho men who think they are so much tougher than her and knows how to handle them (which proves smart since it keeps her alive).
While she knows Dwight won’t let her kidnapping slide and he will avenge her, she also knows how to stay calm, cool, and collected through it all. This is, once again, the proof we need to know that she can be as powerful as her brother if given the chance.
Tulsa King Season 4 needs to let women like Joanne and Grace shine as their own people, outside Manfredi’s shadow. This decision would only enrich the show and push it further.
While the entire episode is strong as a whole, there is one particular moment that stands out the most. The “Bad to the Bone” song playing as Manfredi and his crew take down Dunmire’s people is one of the best scenes we have seen on the show.
The rhythm of the music pairs perfectly with the rhythm at which the team is moving. Each explosion, gunshot, and death fits a specific note in the song, making this moment iconic. It will probably be one of the most memorable takedowns the show has ever given us.
Tulsa King Season 3 is probably the strongest season of the show, and with Tulsa King Season 3 Episode 10, “Jesus Lizard,” it ends on the highest of notes, leaving viewers only wanting more for this family of misfits we have come to love.
What did you think of this episode of Tulsa King? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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Tulsa King airs Sundays on Paramount+.
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Lara Rosales
By day, Lara Rosales (she/her) is a solo mom by choice and a bilingual writer with a BA in Latin-American Literature known as a Media Relations Expert. By night, she is a TV enjoyer who used to host a podcast (Cats, Milfs & Lesbian Things). You can find her work published on Eulalie Magazine, Geek Girl Authority, W Spotlight, Collider, USA Wire, Mentors Collective, Instelite, Noodle, Dear Movies, Nicki Swift, and Flip Screened.