Center of the Universe

Not sure how the rest of the season is going to go, and it's well written it's very strong, however 1% of this episode that was written was not done very well. I believe that it was very much rushed, when the conversation came in written much better. This steps Over The Line in verges into ageism, and disrespect in a huge way to the general population of the Modern Age of the current adults of early adulthood. It seems like the scene in the car was rushed, and or was written by a different writer, writers, and or there was somebody at the top that really felt they just want to stand on a soapbox and yell but nobody's listening to them. So unfortunately it seems like they use the show just event their own frustrations as opposed to actually writing something educated. Unfortunately hopefully this won't Bode as the future for the series.

I am trying to like this show as it is "set" in my home town. But I don't. I don't love Stallone, I never really have. His delivery is very canned and like he is just reading a cue card. So much of it is portraying my city as a podunk cow town filled with a bunch of hillbilly or native morons. I love Taylor Sheridan and his other shows have been absolutely stellar, but this one is insulting. I am hoping it will get better. We don't have horses wandering around downtown. There is more than one really good hotel. AND one simply CANNOT put footage of Oklahoma City in and call it Tulsa, they are nothing alike.

A 37 minute episode? C'mon guys, try harder.

I said last week my jury was out on this new series and it still is. There are some great lines. Stallone is fantastic. The concept is original. But, already they are dealing with too many potential storylines-too many threads. Already we have the main storyline of fish out of water, but we add to it: the daughter; the po'd Capo; the supplier; the guy in WITSEC; the ATF agent; and the father/son relationship with the driver.

We've also completely overlooked the fact that he would be on parole and all of the restrictions that would entail.

I subtracted a rating point from last week due to the very short episode. But, I look forward to next week to see where this is going and if the too many plot threads will swamp it.

After a terrific opener, "Tulsa King" lets us get to know a likable cast of characters in "Center of the Universe", a laid-back, extremely amusing look at our modern Rip Van Winkle adjusting to the peculiar world of Tulsa. Actors including Andrea Savage and Jay Will provide fine support.

Stallone's street smarts are irresistible as he reacts to odd people in this strange land. Sheridan exploits his amazing ability to react to offbeat dialogue and oddly real people. Along the way, the groundwork is laid for future adventures and most importantly we get to know the sad, subtle pathos hiding behind his character's natural bravado.

Compared to the first episode, which was good but didn't quite grab me, I truly enjoyed this one. The second episode, "Center of the Universe," effectively establishes the show's tone and style. It's somewhat unrealistic, but I think that is precisely what the creators intended. The tone feels lighter compared to Sheridan's other work, yet the grit is still present. It's a blend of Drama and Comedy, and the result largely works. Seeing Sly's character "Dwight", trying to find his way in an unfamiliar world and come to terms with being exiled by the man he gave up the greater part of his life, all while trying to repair his relationship with his estranged daughter is what makes the "Tulsa King" intriguing. Sylvester Stallone delivers his best performance in quite some time, and this mix is enough to set the show apart from the cookie-cutter nonsense.

Rating: 7.5/10 (Good)