'Tulsa King's Returning Original Character Is This Season’s Biggest Threat

Published Oct 15, 2026, 11:49 AM EDT

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Season 4 of Tulsa King is premiering this week, and Dwight Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone) might have finally met his match. It takes a lot of brains and brass knuckles to build something for yourself in Tulsa, Oklahoma, especially after being disgracefully dismissed by the New York Mafia. Dwight already has plenty to deal with in Tulsa King Season 4, but one returning character could threaten to bring his empire down.

Who Is Cal Thresher in 'Tulsa King'?

Over the past three seasons of Tulsa King, Dwight has built a literal empire from nothing, including a marijuana dispensary, a car dealership, whiskey and bourbon investments, a cabaret, a casino, and even a wind turbine project. Naturally, the New York Mafia back home has heard about his profits and wants a piece of the pie. But Dwight’s success has also upset the people who built their businesses in Tulsa long before he arrived. One of them is the “richer than God” Cal Thresher (Neal McDonough). Introduced in Season 2 through Dwight’s love interest, Margaret (Dana Delany), Cal is an oil tycoon with interests in the medical marijuana business.

When Dwight launches his own operation in Tulsa, Cal sees him as the competition he needs to eliminate. But unlike your ordinary criminal, Cal prefers to keep his hands clean, seeking power without bloodshed. He threatens Dwight but relies on others, including the Triads, to do his dirty work. However, when their violence gets out of hand, Cal grows nervous. In Tulsa King Season 3, Cal decides to step back from his already thriving businesses and run for governor of Oklahoma. With help from Margaret’s political savvy, he wins. If there’s one thing crime thrillers have taught viewers time and again, it’s that politics and business make a deadly combination.

Cal Thresher Could Be Dwight's Biggest Threat in 'Tulsa King' Season 4

Cal and Dwight may be rivals in Tulsa King, but their relationship has always been more complicated. Despite Cal repeatedly sabotaging Dwight’s expansion plans, he’s the one who asks Dwight to save his business when the Triads force him to sell it for next to nothing. Dwight also helps Cal secure Attorney General Sackrider’s (Tim Guinee) support, all while advancing his own business interests, and saves Cal and his guests just seconds before a bomb explodes at a campaign event. The two may dislike each other, yet the nature of their endeavors forces them to work together from time to time.

That said, their dynamic could be heading for a major shift in Tulsa King Season 4. Cal may no longer need Dwight in his life because they're no longer equals. As Oklahoma’s governor, Cal technically outranks Dwight and can target him through legal channels. That puts Dwight in a much tougher position, especially with local politician Amanda Clark (Gretchen Mol) pushing for a crime-free Tulsa without the mob. Things may also get trickier with Margaret, whom Cal promised a position in his administration, considering she’s the reason he got elected in the first place. Cal could use her agenda and Dwight’s personal feelings for Margaret to dismantle Dwight’s empire, turning their rivalry into a political battle that threatens everything Dwight has built. Still, whether he actually turns against Dwight depends on what he stands to gain.

'Tulsa King' Season 5 Is Already in the Works

Image via Paramount+

Premiering on Friday, October 16, Season 4 of Tulsa King follows Dwight as he fights to legitimize his expanding business. Unfortunately, he’s being hit from all directions. As the trailer shows, each of Dwight’s businesses has been seized, leaving him with next to nothing. Whether he’s dealing with corrupt politicians or old ghosts from his past, Dwight must do whatever it takes to protect not only what he’s built but also the crew that stood by him when he had nothing.

Tulsa King Season 5 is already underway, with the series filming in New York City as the story makes a major shift. Meanwhile, the spin-off Frisco King is also in the works, starring Samuel L. Jackson as Russell Lee Washington Jr., a former hitman and Dwight’s accomplice. Stallone himself has already confirmed that he'll appear in "two and a half episodes" of the upcoming spin-off. Although Dwight’s empire in Tulsa King has hit a major roadblock, Taylor Sheridan’s thriller franchise shows no signs of slowing down.

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  Dwight 'The General' Manfredi

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  Lawrence 'Bodhi' Geigerman

Tulsa King follows New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Stallone), just after he is released from prison after 25 years and unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma.