Tulsa King Season 3, Episode 6 Review: Stallone’s Mob Drama Slowly Finds Its Footing

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WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Tulsa King season 3, episode 6.

Season 3, episode 6 of Tulsa King, titled “Bubbles,” shows the show starting to recover after some recent weak episodes. While the season still feels a bit cluttered with too many side stories and villains, “Bubbles” is much more focused and well-executed than the previous two episodes.

James Russo’s character, Quiet Ray, played a bigger role in the latest episode of Tulsa King, making things much more intense and exciting. The relationship between Mitch and Cleo continues to be a fun, wild ride – and now Mitch is facing an even more serious charge for assaulting a police officer. Meanwhile, there’s a growing connection between Bodhi and Grace, and Cole Dunmire is increasingly desperate to impress his unstable father.

This season of Tulsa King continues to struggle with its uneven storytelling. The episode “Bubbles” offers some genuinely funny moments, briefly recalling the show’s stronger first season. While the episode features lots of scenes of driving and phone calls, it reveals that Special Agent Musso has arrested Bevilaqua for unknown reasons, and Armand, absent all season, is reported to have died by suicide – a reveal that doesn’t quite land emotionally.

Quiet Ray Proves To Be A More Formidable Threat Than Dunmire

Brian Douglas / Paramount+

The episode became much more exciting when Dwight met with Quiet Ray. They initially bonded over a joke about a gangster award, but quickly turned on each other, especially after Cole and his crew started shooting. Now, Ray believes Dwight betrayed him, making him a far more dangerous enemy than the Dunmires, who have gone from arson to simply making nuisance calls to health inspectors.

A frustrating thing about Tulsa King is how Dwight always seems to avoid any real consequences. Throughout the series, it’s hard to remember a single time he actually faced any harm. When Quiet Ray confronted him directly and threatened him, it was the first time Dwight truly seemed vulnerable. Despite the Dunmires firing guns at the end of the episode, Quiet Ray is the one who really has power over Dwight.

The Dunmires are quickly becoming frustrating villains. Cole, in particular, is deeply unlikeable, and his constant desperation is just sad. It’s easy to overlook his one good deed – saving Spencer, who unfortunately hasn’t been used much in the show – and the strange, soap opera-like romantic storyline they tried to create.

I’m Still Rooting For Tulsa King Season 3 To Get It Together

Brian Douglas / ©Paramount+/Viacom / Courtesy Everett Collection

Initially, Tulsa King was an enjoyable, classic mob drama, but recently it’s become difficult to watch and disappointing. If it wasn’t for the strong performance of Quiet Ray as a compelling villain at key moments, I’d be worried about whether the show could even finish its planned four seasons.

Episode 6 of Tulsa King season 3 was a step in the right direction, focusing more on the characters we already know and care about. The show wisely sidelined Musso, who hasn’t made much sense so far, and Thresher, a compelling villain in season 2 who feels unnecessary now, especially with the series already juggling two major antagonists and a smaller, irritating one.

Ideally, the last four episodes of Tulsa King season 3 would see the conflict between Dwight and Quiet Ray escalate dramatically, truly pushing Dwight to his limits. While the Dunmires are causing trouble, they aren’t a real threat to Dwight’s power—they’re more of an annoying distraction.

Dwight keeps repeating that his bourbon business is the opportunity of a lifetime, and it’s starting to sound like a broken record. Someone like Quiet Ray could really bring him down to earth and help him focus. It’s also disappointing that, after working so hard to reconnect with his daughter last season, she’s absent this season.

If the show maintains its quality, Quiet Ray will immediately pursue Dwight’s daughter, Tina, when he returns to New York. This feels like the most logical and interesting direction for the story, even if it means abandoning the current storylines about whiskey and the Dunmire family. Another episode filled with travel and unimportant chatter won’t be enough – the upcoming episode of Tulsa King will likely determine whether this series succeeds or fails.

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2025-10-26 20:58