Faith Roswell is a Senior Writer on Screen Rant’s Classic TV team. Since earning her degree in Creative Writing over a decade ago, Faith has written articles on film and TV from a variety of different angles. Faith now combines her knowledge of psychology with her love of monster movies to give more insight into what makes the best ones.
You may have read her Screen Rant lists and features covering horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, or read her Amazon Top 10 book, “Movie Monsters of the Deep.”
Faith has had an extensive career as a writer, appearing on BBC live radio, researching true crime for Rotten Mango podcast, and writing for publications including Mental Floss, Atlas Obscura, and The Daily Jaws before beginning here at Screen Rant.
Sylvester Stallone’s hit crime comedy show, Tulsa King, stands out among all of Taylor Sheridan’s TV shows. Sheridan made his name in the Western genre and while Tulsa King has elements of a western, it has a different tone, incorporating comedy and excellent character acting. Many of Sheridan’s shows can be compared to soap operas, with an ensemble cast and wild plots that drive the story. On the other hand, while action movies defined Sylvester Stallone’s career, Tulsa King is driven by his excellent and nuanced performance as the displaced Tulsa-based crime boss Dwight “The General” Manfredi.
That said, Dwight is not the only crime boss in Tulsa. The Lowdown, created by Sterlin Harjo (Reservation Dogs) is another crime show set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and it was an immediate success, with its first season getting an impressive 98% positive critics’ review on Rotten Tomatoes. The Lowdown stars Ethan Hawke as a disheveled journalist seeking the truth about a powerful family dynasty, with the story being loosely based on the real life historian Lee Roy Chapman. With a more interesting premise and another season coming, The Lowdown is the real Tulsa King.
While Tulsa King has all the expected beats and moments viewers might expect from a crime show, this can make the series feel predictable at times compared to other masterpiece crime dramas. The Sopranos introduced viewers to one of the most complex antiheroes of all time, and Sons of Anarchy’s crime storylines took on the tone of a Shakespearean tragedy. Tulsa King’s “fish out of water” storyline is funny, and the show has some standout scenes, but it is Stallone’s performance that makes the series worth watching rather than his characters’ journey.
The Lowdown is also a blend of genres, but the story is less predictable, without being chaotic. The Lowdown has some hilarious scenes but it carries some serious emotional weight too, often within the same episode. This may not surprise fans of Reservation Dogs, as both shows have a similar tone at times, and are set in the same universe as shown by a cameo from Willie Jack. Mixing crime with drama and giving the show a biopic angle makes The Lowdown a more interesting show that can appear to viewers who wouldn’t ordinarily watch a straightforward crime series.
While not all of Sheridan’s shows are set in the same universe, The Sheridan-verse is centered around Yellowstone and incorporates some of his other series. With the Reservation Dogs cameo in The Lowdown, it is possible that Harjo is setting up his own Harjo-verse, and there could be more crossovers in the show’s future. The Lowdown has been renewed for a second season, and while not much is known about the plot, there have been some exciting casting updates.
The Lowdown has cast Betty Gilpin for season 2, with her confirmed to be playing a character called Ginger. After her intense performance in American Primeval, it will be interesting to see what role she will play in The Lowdown, which is also going to star Austin Amelio (The Walking Dead.) As the show has the potential to expand its horizons and genre mix, the next season could grow even more ambitious. Production is set to continue throughout the summer of 2026, with a possible release date for late 2026 or early 2027.
While there has been no official release date announced, Sylvester Stallone has confirmed that Tulsa King season 4 has finished filming, and if the series follows its release pattern, it should return to Paramount+ in the fall of 2026. The series sets up even higher stakes for Dwight after season 3’s explosive ending. That said, while Tulsa King clearly has a winning formula, it should introduce some twists and turns if it is to compete with The Lowdown, currently Rotten Tomatoes’ reigning Tulsa King.
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Duffy Boudreau, Scott Teems, Sneha Koorse
The Lowdown follows the gritty exploits of citizen journalist Lee Raybon, a self-proclaimed Tulsa “truthstorian” whose relentless pursuit of the truth constantly lands him in troublesome situations.