Tulsa King season 1 episode 2 recap & review: Center of the Universe

In episode 2 of Tulsa King, Dwight gets the lay of the land in the city and comes to terms with the changes in the world while he was in prison. The episode is now streaming on Paramount+.

Recap

Dwight looks up his daughter online on a public records website but to get more information about her, he needs a credit card. When he tries to send a package to New York, they tell him that they need a card as well since they don’t accept cash.

The agent that Dwight slept with is finding out more about his past. His rap sheet includes two murders and the fact that he never once turned to the authorities in 25 years.

Dwight is walking around the city when he comes across a tourist attraction. A homeless woman nearby tells him that it’s called the center of the universe and anyone who stands in the middle cannot be heard by the outside world no matter what they say.

The agent is in a session with her therapist who asks her how she’s doing. He also asks her about her dating life since it’s been a year since she separated. She mentions that she slept with a criminal but doesn’t plan to see him again.

Vince meets with Chickie and demands some sort of compensation for having his jaw broken by Dwight. Chickie says he’ll see what he can do.

Tyson picks up Dwight who tells him that he needs a credit card but when he realises that he needs to show records of a regular income, Tyson suggests getting a debit card instead.

He visits Bodhi to collect some cash for the debit card and also tells him that he would like to meet his weed supplier. Dwight and Tyson get to the bank but the employee says that he can’t accept Dwight’s licence as an ID because it expired in 1998.

A man named Armand who noticed Dwight earlier gets confirmation that he’s in Tulsa. He’s worried because he thinks that Dwight is in town to kill him.

Dwight takes a driver’s test to renew his licence and has to wait a few weeks for an on-road test but after bribing the woman at the desk, he gets an earlier date and his learner’s permit which he uses as the ID to set up the account and get his debit card.

Chickie calls Dwight to check in and then lets him know that he has to make amends for punching Vince and tells him that 100,000 dollars will make the problem go away.

Dwight gets a visit from the agent who introduces herself as Stacy Beale and tells him that she’s an ATF agent. She asks him why he’s in town and he says that he doesn’t have anything left in New York so he needed a change of scenery.

She tells him that he needs to think about his daughter before getting into any trouble and Dwight says that he hasn’t spoken to any family in 18 years. She tells him that she won’t be able to help if things get complicated and he says he doesn’t expect her to.

Tyson is washing the car at home when his father tells him that he should be in college but Tyson says he’s working for a businessman and could learn a lot.

Dwight, Bodhi and Tyson drive out Bodhi’s supplier’s farm out in the middle of nowhere. His supplier is Jimmy, a Native American. Dwight brokers a big deal with Jimmy and then they all relax and get high together.

On the way back, Dwight continues to smoke a joint while rambling on as Bodhi and Tyson listen on.

Manny calls the Mayo Hotel since it’s the fanciest one in town and confirms that Dwight is staying there. Tyson’s father has a worried look on his face when he sees Tyson return home late at night.

Dwight gets his debit card and uses it to find out his daughter’s phone number. He calls her house and her husband picks up. He asks if he can talk to her but she’s not so reciprocal. She agrees to let him hear her voice but when he asks if they can meet, she hangs up.

Dwight goes back to the center of the universe and says that he asked his daughter to stop visiting him in prison because it was too hard for him. He apologises for quitting on her and also says that he loves her very much.

Review

  • It’s very much early days and the premise is still establishing itself as Dwight acclimates to his surroundings. This episode feels introductory in more ways than one without too much progression.
  • It is quite funny watching Dwight go through mundane tasks like getting a debit card or renewing his licence and you can see the exasperation on Stallone’s face as his character faces one roadblock after another.
  • The beauty of the city is in how understated it is. There are many jokes in the series so far about how boring and uneventful Tulsa is and that is portrayed perfectly on screen.
No schema found.

Also Read: Tulsa King season 1 episode 1 recap & review: Go West, Old Man

More from The Envoy Web