Summary
Taylor Sheridan’s crime dramaTulsa Kinghas added a few new characters for season 2, and it seems to have learned from a greatYellowstonecasting trick.Tulsa Kingseason 2has promised to be even bigger and more exciting than the first installment, and the show has made a few moves to ensure that happens. As the new season approaches, two major new actors have been added toTulsa King’s cast of characters, and they’ll both add quite a bit of talent to the show. One of them, however, could mirror a trickYellowstoneused to great effect.
SinceYellowstoneseason 5, part 2will see the end of the series, many viewers have wondered which one of Sheridan’s shows could replace it. Sheridan has written a wide variety of acclaimed shows, such asMayor of Kingstown,Lawman: Bass Reeves, andall theYellowstonespinoffs. The competition is quite steep, butTulsa Kingmay have given itself an advantage by copying a casting trick used byYellowstone. IfTulsa King’s new character proves to be as good asYellowstone’s was, it would makeTulsa Kingseason 2 even better than the first season.
The Sheridanverse Explained: Which Taylor Sheridan Shows Take Place In The Same Universe
Taylor Sheridan has multiple popular television series in addition to Yellowstone, making him one of the most prolific screenwriters in Hollywood.
Tulsa King Season 2’s Villain Casting Copies A Brilliant Yellowstone Trick
Tulsa Kingseason 2 added Neal McDonough as a villain, a move that seems to come straight from theYellowstoneplaybook. He played Malcolm Beck, the antagonistic head of the Montana Liquor Board inYellowstoneseason 2. It’s a brilliant move forTulsa King: McDonough is fantastic as a villain, and he should be able to bring his talent of portraying evil, unlikable characters toTulsa King.The similarities run even deeper, too, as McDonough will be joiningTulsa Kingin its sophomore season, and he’ll likely significantly raise the show’s stakes, just as he did withYellowstone.
What We Know About Neal McDonough’s Tulsa King Season 2 Character
WithTulsa Kingseason 2 still a few months away, not much is known about McDonough’s character in the show. It has been confirmed that he’ll be playing a character named Cal Thresher, who was described as “a powerful and extremely territorial businessman in Tulsa,” (viaVariety).Based on that description, it seems clear that Cal will be on a collision course with Dwight and his criminal empire. As Dwight’s gang continues to expand, Cal will likely attempt to stop anyone from cutting into his profit margins. Cal’s status as a businessperson also, interestingly, makes McDonough’s characters inTulsa KingandYellowstoneeven more connected.
Yellowstone
Cast
Yellowstone follows the Dutton family, led by patriarch John Dutton, as they defend their expansive ranch against external threats from land developers, an Indian reservation, and America’s first national park. Released on August 18, 2025, this series examines the complex dynamics and violent conflicts surrounding the largest contiguous ranch in the United States.
InYellowstone, McDonough also played a ruthless businessperson in the form of Malcolm Beck, with an emphasis on ruthless. Beck, along with his brother, was absolutely diabolical inYellowstone: he used a militia group to openly attack both the Duttons' and Dan Jenkins, he had Tate kidnapped by white nationalists that permanently scarred him emotionally, and he had two of his men attempt to sexually assault Beth, among many other crimes. The Beck brothers were awful people, and if McDonough can play such an easy-to-hate villain again,Tulsa Kingseason 2 could be very interesting indeed.
Tulsa King
Tulsa King follows New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi, who, after 25 years in prison, is exiled to Tulsa, Oklahoma, by his boss. Faced with the possibility of betrayal, he assembles a crew of unlikely characters to establish a criminal empire in unfamiliar territory.
