Stallone plays a "General" in the New York Mafia who spent the last 25 years in prison for murder. Upon his release, his "family" of gangsters order him to leave the city of New York and head out west to Tulsa, Oklahoma to start new business ventures. He reluctantly leaves New York and his family for a new start, and upon the first day of arrival, he gets off to a great start spotting crime running free in the streets of Tulsa and making money from side hustles in the legalized marijuana trade. Keep in mind that Stallone does not play a physical monster in this series, instead he's in a role where his leading character is a thinker and planner, outsmarting all of the potential & established criminal competition and law enforcement agencies in the city. To make things even worse, he's pissed off members of his old mafia family back in New York and they want him dead.
THE GOOD - Stallone carries the series well. There are several story arcs in TK that help develop supporting characters and they are performed brilliantly by some talented new actors. Most of the scenes in the series are actually filmed in Tulsa, OK and a tons of scenes are filmed at outside locations, giving the series a broad look at the local territory. Sheridan even takes the time to add a little Native American zest to the series and develop a plotline where [of course] a gambling casino will be eventually involved. I know that none of this sounds brand new or overly interesting, but with the addition of Stallone still settling his feet with the idea of slowly developing characters with patience and precious time on his side, his acting prowess is starting to promote a better way of him delivering his performances.
THE BAD - There are times where the series makes Tulsa seem like a small town, with people who think backward from a time long gone. The addition of Delany was a little weak; her character hasn't developed well and she is mostly seen hanging around the horses at a stable. Giving Delany top billing for a small role seems a little like "big name dropping." She plays her mysterious role well, but he real energy of the show should be spent elsewhere. Action scenes are too sporadic and some of the motions of the story are filled with long speeches and drawn out dialog. Plus it doesn't help that Stallone still mumbles his line from time to time. The final episode of the season was a little too transparent and seemed a little rushed, but I am sure that Sheridan strongly felt that the rushed ending to the first season just meant that a second season was gong to be approved.
POST MORTEM - This is another fantastic edition to the powerful line of Taylor Sheridan writings that are building up an impressive universe of drama, murder, intrigue, and of course, action. The series has already been approved for a second season and I am sure that Stallone is more than happy about that.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ [4 of 5 Stars]
