Pete, Dwight’s brother, had set him up as the gang thought he had flipped (which he hadn’t, of course). Armando now owes protection money to Dwight and he works again for him. Dwight goes to get new suits tailored in the city. He gives his ring to Tyson, who now works his security detail as well. The plan is all set to sell the balloons at the fair that night. Mitch has been able to procure the nitrous and Dwight puts Bohdi, his friends, and Tyson in charge of selling them. Little do they know that the Black Macadam, the local biker gang introduced in the last episode, sells stuff in the territory. When they confront Dwight’s men, they simply lay claim to the stall, and the bikers back down without a fight. Manny’s wife suggests to her husband that they move from the place. She thought the family had left Manny’s past behind in New York but now that Dwight has come back into his life, they are not safe. Waltrip lambasts his men who conceded the territory and gets them beaten. He instructs the men to go back and get the space back. Manny tries to dump an old antique on Dwight to pay off the money he now owes him every week but the old horse is not biting it. Mark, Tyson’s father, is still concerned about his son when he sees the ring Dwight gave him. The family is impressed but the old man knows the kind of mess his son is getting into. Dwight tries contacting his sister, Joanne, to persuade Tina to talk to him. But she turns him down and reveals that their brother, Joe, has contracted lymphoma. Waltrip’s men do exactly what their boss tells them and beat Dwight’s men black and blue. Tyson is hurt badly and Mark loses it when he sees him. He rues the fact that Tyson does not appreciate the opportunities his parents have given him by sacrificing so much. Dwight says they will take their tanks and money (that Waltrip’s men took) back from them. Stacy hooks up with a stranger (called Colton) at the bar after her friend at work encourages her to go out more. This simultaneously runs parallel to Dwight and the gang going to take revenge on Macadam. Mark joins in too as he tracks down Tyson through GPS. Dwight has brought a bag full of bats with him. Despite being outnumbered, they pull off a victory and get their money back. Like a truly united group, they drink beer together and Dwight rewards the men with proceeds from the sales of the balloons. Although they are beaten quite badly, they endured and that is what matters. Mark offers one more opportunity for Tyson to come back home, leaving him a tough choice to make. Joanne calls Dwight from the hospital. Their brother Joe is shutting down as cancer cannot be treated now. He cannot say anything but can still hear. Dwight starts narrating an incident from their childhood when they went to a bakery shop on Easter to get cookies. Dwight says if Joe sees God, he better go with him and that Dwight will see him later in heaven. The teary-eyed phone call ends and Dwight sinks into his chair, a heartbroken man. Manny once again finds his neighbor’s dog’s business. But this time, he takes the very shoe he stepped into the poop with and rubs it in the neighbor’s face. The incident has filled him with renewed energy and he tells his wife that they are staying. Tyson picks up Dwight the next day and the boss tells the young pupil “to be himself” when he mentions he might color his hair.
The Episode Review
Sheridan is going for a sense of the familiar and it is working so far. Dwight was sent to Tulsa to leave his own mark and as the title of the show suggests, he will become the city’s king in no time. This episode was all about showing the bravery the old man still has. His mob of untrained softies rallied behind him like soldiers behind a general on the battlefield to oust Waltrip’s Macadams. This rivalry is temptingly set up to take center stage with Stacy and the ATF being caught in the middle of it. Along with the present-day story in Tulsa, there were notable representations made by Manny about the time in Boise. Did Pete really cheat on his own brother and got him thrown into jail? If that is in the affirmative, add another party to the gang wars that can explode any time now in Paramount’s Tulsa King.
