Episode 3 of Tulsa King Season 3 opens with the tension from last week still hanging heavy in the air. Dwight “The General” Manfredi is facing heat from every corner; Jeremiah Dunmire is tightening his grip on Tulsa’s business scene, and his team is struggling to stay in line. The calm before the storm doesn’t last long, because in true Dwight fashion, chaos comes calling almost immediately.
A Brewing War at Montague Distillers
The episode begins at the Montague Distillers, where Dwight gathers his crew: Tyson, Joanne, Mitch, Grace, Bodhi, Goodie, and Bigfoot for a serious huddle. The bourbon business may be back in operation, but Jeremiah’s shadow looms large. Cleo, meanwhile, is missing from the meeting, busy fighting off realtors trying to buy the Montague estate for peanuts after her father’s mysterious “accident.” Everyone knows those realtors are just Jeremiah’s pawns.
Dwight doesn’t sugarcoat the situation. Jeremiah’s move is an open challenge, and Dwight plans to keep calm and keep the operation running, especially the bottling process. He reminds the team that pressure is exactly what Jeremiah wants them to crumble under. They must stay sharp and stay loyal.
Just as things start rolling, Dwight gets an unexpected call from Musso, the federal agent who’s been keeping tabs on him. Last time, Dwight ignored Musso’s call, but now he’s out of excuses. Musso insists he gets in a car sent for him, or he’ll make sure Dwight lands back in federal custody. Reluctantly, Dwight hands control of the distillery to Joanne and heads out.
Dwight and Musso Hit the Road
Dwight’s ride turns out to be a driverless car something that sends him into a full-blown panic. Watching him stare suspiciously at the AI-controlled vehicle is one of the episode’s lighter moments. When he finally reaches Musso, the two men immediately start bickering, their uneasy partnership showing cracks.
Musso claims they’re heading to Texas to deal with a man named Dexter Deacon, an explosives expert with a reputation for terrorising women and children. Dwight assumes Musso wants him to rough the guy up, but Musso corrects him, he wants Dwight to go into business with Deacon, not fight him. The plan sounds sketchy, but Musso insists it’s the only way to gather evidence against Deacon.
During the long drive, Musso keeps prying about Armand, one of Dwight’s old associates. Dwight brushes him off, claiming Armand is happy with his family in Colorado, but his vague answers don’t fool Musso. Their back-and-forth grows heated until they’re interrupted by a highway patrol officer who pulls Musso over for speeding. Musso tries to wave his badge, but Dwight steps in, smooth-talks the officer, and slips him a bribe saving them both from trouble. Musso, oddly impressed, starts to see Dwight’s street charm as an asset.
When they finally meet Deacon, Dwight poses as a potential client, testing the waters. He makes it clear that he’s no snitch and that Deacon should “do his homework” before crossing him. On their way back, Dwight can’t shake his discomfort — Musso’s personal vendetta against Deacon doesn’t sit right with him. It feels off-the-books, dangerous, and all too convenient. Dwight’s instincts tell him that when things go south, Musso will save his own skin and leave him hanging. It’s a thought that lingers long after the drive home.
Cleo’s Fiery Gamble
Meanwhile, back in Tulsa, Mitch visits Cleo. He’s worried she’s a walking target for Jeremiah’s men and urges her to stay low. But Cleo, restless and angry over losing her family’s legacy, has other ideas. To lighten the mood, Mitch takes her for a drive in the same car they once made memories in years ago. Ever the free spirit, Cleo insists on driving, a decision Mitch instantly regrets once she starts speeding through the streets like a daredevil.
As they drive, Cleo starts to question whether aligning with Dwight was a smart move. Mitch assures her that, despite his criminal past, Dwight has loyal and honest traits that are rare in Tulsa these days. His words comfort her for the moment, but Cleo’s temper soon takes over. After stopping to grab snacks, she impulsively shoplifts, dragging a shocked Mitch into her reckless behavior.
Then, Cleo does something far more dangerous. She drives straight to Jeremiah’s mansion, douses the entrance with stolen liquor, and prepares to set it on fire, mirroring what Jeremiah did to her own home. Mitch barely stops her in time. Instead of retaliation, Jeremiah watches them leave unharmed. His calm reaction is more unnerving than rage; it’s the move of a man plotting something bigger. Perhaps he’s realised that provoking Dwight any further might cost him everything.
Later, Mitch scolds Cleo for her impulsiveness. Her stunts could ruin Dwight’s slow, careful plan for revenge. Mitch reminds her that patience is Dwight’s weapon; he builds pressure until his enemies crumble. Cleo promises to behave, but it’s hard to believe she’ll keep that promise for long.
Tyson’s Terrible Idea
Back at the distillery, not everyone follows Dwight’s orders. Tyson, full of misplaced confidence, decides to do some “recon work” with Grace and Bodhi, thinking they’ll impress the boss with intel on the Dunmires. Despite Goodie’s warning to stay put, Tyson drags his friends into his half-baked mission, and their first target is none other than Cole Dunmire, Jeremiah’s hot-headed son.
They follow Cole from his gym to an old warehouse, only to discover he’s hosting a bingo tournament for senior citizens. It looks harmless at first, but Goodie soon arrives, summoned by Grace, and discovers the truth: it’s a scam. The Dunmires are swindling the elderly to keep their cash flow alive. Goodie plays the game, wins fairly, and calls out Cole’s rigged setup, forcing him to pay up to avoid a scene. It’s a small victory, but it doesn’t last.
Later that night, Tyson and the gang celebrate their winnings at a strip club. The carefree vibe turns dark when a dancer named Serenity lures Tyson into a private room, where Cole ambushes him. Tyson is beaten and kidnapped, dragged to a shipping yard where Cole demands information about the $150 million bourbon stash. Tyson refuses to talk. When Cole threatens to kill Serenity, Tyson breaks, giving away the bourbon’s location to save her life.
Cole orders his men to shoot Tyson and leave his body in the trunk of his own Cybertruck. But what Cole doesn’t know, and what Tesla probably loves, is that the car’s bulletproof body saves Tyson’s life. The bullets bounce off, leaving Tyson bruised but alive.
The Fallout
As the Dunmires raid the bourbon storage unit, Dwight is seen unwinding with Margaret briefly, peacefully, before chaos strikes again. A call from Goodie shatters the calm: the storage has been cleaned out. Dwight rushes to the scene, furious. The $150 million worth of bourbon — gone.
Tyson’s mistake has cost the crew everything. Yet Dwight, ever the pragmatic leader, knows firing people won’t fix it; his team is small, and trust is fragile as it is, it must hold. Still, the disappointment in his eyes speaks volumes. The episode closes on Dwight standing amid the empty storage unit, silently seething. His empire, once reborn, is bleeding again, not from enemy fire, but from the carelessness of his own people.
Closing Thoughts
Tulsa King Season 3, Episode 3, is an intense slow burn mixing tension, betrayal, and dark humour. The pieces are moving fast: Musso’s hidden motives, Jeremiah’s eerie restraint, Cleo’s recklessness, and Tyson’s disastrous curiosity. Dwight’s empire may be cracking, but as history has shown, that’s when “The General” is most dangerous.
Read more: Tulsa King Episode 3
