Tulsa King stars Sylvester Stallone as a mafia boss relocated to Tulsa. Entertaining fish-out-of-water comedy with significant language and violence. 42/100 Caution.
Tulsa King (Paramount+, 2022-present) represents an unlikely late-career win for Sylvester Stallone — his first major television role, and one that plays to his strengths while adding unexpected dimensions. Dwight Manfredi, a New York mafia boss who spent 25 years in prison for refusing to betray his boss, is relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma upon release to establish new criminal operations in unfamiliar territory.
The fish-out-of-water premise — a 70-something Italian-American mobster navigating Oklahoma culture — generates genuinely funny moments as Manfredi encounters American heartland culture he doesn't understand. The show's affection for both its protagonist and its Oklahoma setting is authentic rather than condescending.
Tulsa King is TV-MA for pervasive language (the mafia setting makes profanity pervasive and realistic), violence, and sexual content in some episodes. The moral framework — organized crime as the protagonist's world — requires comfort with moral ambiguity. Manfredi's occasional moments of genuine honor and loyalty are appealing but exist within a criminal context. For mature Christian adults who find Stallone's late career compelling: Tulsa King is entertaining with significant content concessions. Not appropriate for teenagers or most Christian family contexts. Available on Paramount+. See our Christian TV Reviews hub.
GodlyScore evaluates every show across nine signal categories grounded in Scripture: profanity (Ephesians 4:29), sexual content (1 Corinthians 6:18-20), violence (Psalm 11:5), LGBT normalization (Romans 1:24-27), spiritual darkness (Ephesians 5:11), glorification of sin (Romans 1:32), deception mechanics (Proverbs 12:22), virtue strength (Philippians 4:8), and redemption arc. The score reflects not just whether content is present but how it's framed — depicted critically, neutrally, or as aspirational. Tulsa King scores 42/100 Caution.
See our Christian TV Reviews hub for comparisons. For episode-level content breakdowns, Plugged In and Common Sense Media complement GodlyScore's biblical framework. Age recommendation: older teenagers and adults.