Episode 1 of *Tulsa King* Season 3 picks up precisely where the previous season left off, plunging viewers back into the high-stakes drama. After being abducted in the dead of night, Dwight awakens to find himself in custody, his world turned upside down. Meanwhile, Margaret remains at the ranch, seemingly unscathed for now, but Dwight's attention is immediately diverted to a new nemesis: Special Agent Musso.
Musso is seething with rage over Dwight's execution of their informant, Ripple. The agent had spent two painstaking years cultivating Ripple as a valuable asset, gathering critical intelligence that has now evaporated into thin air. With his case in ruins, Musso harbors a deep-seated vendetta against Dwight, determined to make him pay.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, Dwight is reluctantly coerced into collaborating with Musso to safeguard his business and protect his friends. He strives to maintain control over his empire, but when Musso demands a "favor," Dwight finds himself at the mercy of the agent's whims. Refusal, he knows, could mean the catastrophic collapse of everything he's built.
After being released and returned home, Dwight extends a heartfelt apology to Margaret. Desperate to rectify the situation, he attempts to distance himself from her, believing her to be "too good a person" to endure the chaos that lies ahead. Yet, Margaret, ever resolute, refuses to abandon him, choosing instead to stand by his side through thick and thin.
However, Dwight's troubles are far from over. He receives a summons to meet with Quiet Ray in New York. Alone and vulnerable, Dwight is presented with an enticing offer: his own territory and a new family in a different state. But Dwight, having painstakingly constructed his business from scratch and still nursing the wounds of his initial betrayal and exile, is unwavering in his decision to remain in Tulsa. The prospect of retirement holds little allure for this formidable figure.
Ray, a man not to be underestimated, does not take kindly to Dwight's rejection. He insists that Dwight share a piece of the pie "with his real family," his words laced with veiled threats. The meeting concludes on a sour note, the air thick with tension as every syllable exchanged hangs in the balance, foreshadowing the brewing storm to come.
Back in Tulsa, the local business scene is abuzz with activity. The car dealership is chugging along, but Mitch's charm isn't quite cutting it. He lacks Donnie's knack for winning over customers, and it's quite entertaining to witness him botch even the simplest of deals.
The root of Mitch's dilemma, however, lies deeper. His heart simply isn't in this line of work. He's far from content at the dealership, but salvation arrives in an unexpected form. Cleo, one of Mitch's former flames, makes an appearance in Tulsa for a mini-reunion, presenting him with a bottle of liquor. Cleo's father is a master distiller who's currently in the process of selling his business. Mitch seizes upon this as a golden opportunity for Dwight to expand their enterprise—and Dwight is sold on the idea after sampling the booze.
Dwight sets up a meeting with Cleo's father, Theodore, but the old man is unyielding. He's already struck a deal to sell to a man named Jeremiah Dunmire. When Dwight offers to double Jeremiah's bid, Cleo's dad is momentarily swayed, yet he remains bound by his word. It seems his "fate is intertwined" with this deal, hinting at darker, more sinister undercurrents at play. Curiously, Jeremiah also has a son named Cole, who exudes an air of arrogance and is undoubtedly destined to stir up trouble.
Meanwhile, the Casino and Weed Shop are humming along, though not without their share of drama. Bodhi finds himself in a precarious situation, tasked with delivering weed to the notorious K.C. crew—the very same individuals responsible for Jimmy's demise. The journey necessitates a road trip, and as they set off alongside Tyson, tension hangs thick in the air.
En route, their electric car runs out of juice, forcing them to alter the drop-off location. The hilarity ensues, particularly when Bill Bevilaqua, already on edge, learns of the change. The drop-off spirals into chaos when Bodhi mistakenly grabs the wrong duffel bag and "forgets" to bring the money. He leads the crew back to the weed shop, where Bodhi's true nature surfaces. He brandishes a gun in his office, confronting the man who took his best friend's life. Though he doesn't pull the trigger, the message he sends is unmistakably clear and chilling.
That night, Bill calls Dwight to vent his frustrations over the threats. He's livid about the turn of events, but Dwight is uninterested in entertaining his complaints. After all, Bill still receives his 15% cut, leaving little room for further discussion.
When Dwight pays Theodore another visit, suspicion gnaws at him—he's convinced that Dunmire is orchestrating a trap, luring him into a perilous deal. Adopting a strategic, long-term approach, Dwight pledges to safeguard the distillery's interests and vows to eliminate Dunmire as a threat on Theodore's behalf. Eventually, Theodore is swayed and consents to exclude Jeremiah from the arrangement.
Yet, this maneuvering stirs the hornet's nest with a vengeance. Word of the deal reaches Jeremiah's ears, and he is far from pleased. Bursting into Theodore's presence, Jeremiah ostensibly "bestows his blessings," though in reality, it's a brutal display of power—he subjects Theodore to a beating and reduces his home to ashes.
The situation spirals further into chaos when Musso calls Dwight, instructing him to clear his schedule for the upcoming days. A new assignment, shrouded in mystery and likely danger, awaits Dwight's attention.
