When I first heard that Sylvester Stallone was starring in a show called Tulsa King – a fish-out-of-water streaming series about a former mafia henchman who is released from prison and sets up shop in Tulsa – I had high hopes it would follow the lead of recent set-in-Oklahoma hits like Watchmen and Reservation Dogs, and provide a rich look at Oklahoma people and culture, void of the traditional and kind of accurate tropes, stereotypes, and flat, two-dimensional characters that always seem to portray us as small-time, slow-witted country-folk who race street cars, chase tornados and own tiger zoos.
Well, that's what I get for hoping.
Earlier this month, the first trailer for the filmed in OKC and set in Tulsa series debuted on YouTube and... well... check it out.
I don't want to judge a book by its cover here, but – yeah – that looks pretty awful. Granted, I'm also a culture snob and think most mainstream movies and TV shows are unoriginal, generic, and boring, but I was expecting better. You know, something semi-original where the lead actor doesn't look like he's being fed lines through an ear piece by Bruce Willis.
I wonder if Stallone feels the same way. When he first got off the plane to start filming the show, he was super excited and said Oklahoma was "The Paris of The Southwest." But when he wrapped up filming a few months later, he seemed dejected and angry and said his stay in Oklahoma prepared him for a "Life in Hell." That's probably not the best sign.
Anyway, although Tulsa King looks like it's going to suck, hopefully I'm wrong and I'll end up being pleasantly surprised. At the very least, it will be cool to see some local Oklahoma City sights and sounds in a show that's set in Tulsa. That's always good for the turnpike rivalry.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We'll keep you advised.
