As the curtain rises on Episode 5 of Tulsa King's third season, the gang stands victorious, having secured the illicit liquor and poised to unleash it upon the masses. A bevy of critics are at their beck and call, eager to spread the word that Montague Distilleries is open for business, ready to drown the nation in their finest concoctions.
Dwight's mind is a tangled web of emotions over Grace and Thresher's delicate situation with Margaret. She presses him to attend the event, believing it to be a public relations goldmine, but Dwight's reservations loom like a dark cloud. Meanwhile, word of the impending launch reaches the shores of Brooklyn, where Vince reaches out to Bill in a bid to muscle his way in through his influence. Bill, unyielding, suggests Quiet Ray take the direct approach with Dwight if he has an issue. In fact, Bill turns straight to Dwight himself, warning him of the impending danger that New York could pose, and urging him to take action before they're plunged into a full-blown war.
But while Bill worries about the potential conflict with Brooklyn, the Dunmires are equally eager to seize their share of the pie. "Fortune favors the bold," Bill intones, as if a mantra. The Dunmires are not ones to take a lie down without a fight, and while Cole is dismissed by his father with little ceremony, Jeremiah takes a different approach. He sits down with the attorney general to plot their strategy, determined to send a health inspector to shut down Montague Distilleries before things turn truly ugly – not just for Dwight but for the General as well.
Unfortunately for Dwight, bad timing is as relentless as it is unforgiving. Deacon, the "watchmaker," rings him with an unexpected meeting request, making for the worst possible timing after the grand opening fiasco. Deacon offers Dwight five minutes to reconsider his initial refusal, but Musso's immediate call adds urgency to the situation.
It turns out that Musso has been secretly eavesdropping on his phone all along, which explains how he knows everything. Unfortunately for Fwight, there's no choice but to depart immediately, headed straight for Bred 2 Buck Saloon. Dwight meets with Deacon, who makes it clear that he's done his homework and knows all about him. Deacon demands the target and the bomb specifications, and without hesitation, Dwight mentions Jeremiah Dunmire's name. However, Dwight also needs to come up with 250 million right now, followed by another 250 million when the job is done.
With little choice, Dwight raids the safe and loads up the money. After handing it over, Deacon asks if he's a fed, and it's tough to tell if he's joking or not. More serious, however, is the arrival of the HSE inspector, Mr. Leery. He's serious as a heart attack, and clearly a plant from Jeremiah. Without Dwight, the group is reeling and has no choice but to acquiesce to his demands. Of course, he finds plenty of "violations" in the barrel room downstairs.
Bigfoot has had enough and tries to knock the guy out - or at least that was the intention. In reality, he accidentally kills the guy when heavy barrels topple on his head. Mitch sees what's happened and decides they should frame it as an accident and get away with it, given there are no witnesses.
Without a word from the health inspector, Jeremiah is on edge and decides to send his guys over to Montague Distilleries for a more personal touch. Fortunately, Dwight manages to make it back with Tyson before he shows up.
Jeremiah arrives and makes a big show of it, claiming that the bourbon was cooked up with Cleo and even has Cole take an axe to one of the barrels as a show of strength.
Jeremiah and his gang soon leave, but the Attorney General is not amused. He brings up the fact that without proper evidence, this stunt may have actually done more harm than good. Jeremiah doesn't care and is ready to come back and cause more trouble if need be.
The reviews for Montague Distilleries are bound to be dismal, a dire consequence of their botched launch party. Yet, Jeremiah's journey is just beginning, with no intention of stopping. Dwight harbors a belief that they still have a chance to right the wrongs and echoes Mitch's earlier sentiment regarding the health inspector, opting to defer the matter until dawn before making the necessary call.
That very night, Bill pays a visit to Dwight, determined to confront him about the boss's recent activities. With a hunch that Dwight had met with Deacon, Bill accuses him of being a rat, his tone laced with disdain.
Dwight, unfazed by the accusation, pulls out a gun, reminding Bill of the potential consequences of his greed. As Bill inches closer to the truth, the tension in the air thickens. As he exits Dwight's premises, Bill is met by a contingent of armed guards on the road, his arrest imminent.
