Garrett Hedlund's Bigger Role In Tulsa King Season 2 Is Exactly What The Show Needed

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Mitch Keller (Garrett Hedlund) smirking in front of an Oklahoma landscape in Tulsa King Custom image by Yeider Chacon

Mitch Keller, played by Garrett Hedlund, got a much bigger role in Tulsa King season 2, and he just proved why he was exactly what Sylvester Stallone's crime show needed. Mitch is just one of the many Tulsa King season 2 characters who have gotten more screen time lately. The show has always focused on Sylvester Stallone's Dwight Manfredi, but Tulsa King season 2 has had more time for the individual members of his gang as well. That has opened up a lot of opportunities for interesting character moments and even one of Tulsa King season 2's best new characters.

Though the supporting characters of Tulsa King have had more of a chance to stand out, one of them is shining a bit brighter: Mitch Keller. The former convict and current singer, songwriter, and future car dealership manager is doing quite a bit in Tulsa King season 2, and Garrett Hedlund has proven that the show's creators made the right choice. One scene in particular really highlights why Mitch is such an important part of Tulsa King, and how he is helping the second season surpass the first.

Mitch’s Talk With Tyson In Tulsa King Season 2, Episode 7 Showed Garrett Hedlund’s Acting Prowess

Garrett Hedlund Delivered A Great Speech & Highlighted Why Mitch Deserves To Be A Main Character

Mitch Keller (Garrett Hedlund) in Tulsa King season 2, episode 6

Towards the ending of Tulsa King season 2, episode 7, Mitch got a chance to talk to Tyson Mitchell (Jay Will), who was concerned about his father, Mark (Michael Beach), who had been injured in a car bomb meant for Dwight. Tyson wanted to kill Bill Bevilaqua (Frank Grillo) because he thought the Kansas City gangster was responsible, so Mitch had a stern talk with him about what it means to kill a man. It was a great scene that really highlighted just how good of an actor Garrett Hedlund really is, and it proved that he deserves his bigger role in Tulsa King season 2.

Tulsa King Season 2 Star Discusses Mitchs Expanded Role

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Mitch's talk with Tyson was an intense moment, and both Jay Will and Garrett Hedlund were responsible for it. Hedlund, however, had a bit harder task than Will, as Mitch had to deliver his lines with just as much fire as Tyson but with infinitely more compassion. Hedlund did a great job of showing how worked up Mitch could get, but he also managed to infuse his furious words with a compassionate core, and he really sold the idea that Mitch was worried about Tyson's soul. Without Hedlund expertly toeing the line between rage and kindness, Mitch's talk with Tyson wouldn't have been nearly as compelling.

Mitch’s Bigger Role In Tulsa King Season 2 Is What The Show Has Needed

Mitch Let Tulsa King Season 2 Be About So Much More Than Just Dwight Manfredi

Hedlund's acting abilities are a big part of the reason Mitch is exactly what Tulsa King season 2 needed to outdo season 1. His talk with Tyson proved he can deliver those emotionally intense scenes, but he's also capable of something even more important: tying the gang together. In Tulsa King season 1, most of the individual characters only really interacted with Dwight, and the entire show revolved around him. Now that Mitch is such a central character, the gang can interact with one another, which leads to some great character moments and interesting subplots that wouldn't have been possible if they all had to involve Dwight.

Tulsa King Season 2 Release Schedule

Episode #

Date

Title

1

September 15

"Back in the Saddle"

2

September 22

"Kansas City Blues"

3

September 29

"Oklahoma v. Manfredi"

4

October 6

"Heroes and Villains"

5

October 13

"Tilting at Windmills"

6

October 20

"Navigator"

7

October 27

"Life Support"

8

November 3

TBA

9

November 10

TBA

10

November 17

TBA

Mitch has already done quite a bit to flesh out the other characters in Tulsa King. Nobody else could have let Tyson express his rage and thirst for revenge like Mitch did, and Mitch's shooting lesson with Tina (Tatiana Zappardino) also let her start being more independent of Dwight and defining herself as more than just the main character's daughter. On top of what he allows other characters to do, Mitch also creates new opportunities that Tulsa King wouldn't have been able to explore without him, like Donnie Shore's car dealership and the nightlife at the Bred2Buck.

Dwight Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone) with the rest of his gang in the background in Tulsa King

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Tulsa King season 2 is already making a big improvement over the first season of Sylvester Stallone's show: it's letting Dwight's gang have fun.

Mitch's greatest strength is letting Tulsa King expand, both with its characters and with its plot. Tulsa King season 1 was great, but it was essentially the Dwight Manfredi show. Because of a handful of characters - mostly Mitch - Tulsa King became so much more than just Sylvester Stallone's television series. Tulsa King season 2 has expanded into an epic story about an entire gang filled with colorful personalities, and while Dwight still has the spotlight, having an entire cast of interesting characters to back him up only strengthens the show.

Mitch Should Continue To Be A Core Part Of Dwight’s Gang In Tulsa King Season 2

Mitch Could Take An Even More Involved Role In The Rest Of Tulsa King Season 2

Garrett Hedlund's Mitch Keller has already proven that he can handle a bigger role on Tulsa King, and the show should let him handle an even bigger portion of the show. A lot of the opportunities Mitch has made for other characters this season have also given him a chance to be the second most important person in the gang after only Dwight. His advice for Tyson, for example, perfectly set up a way for Tulsa King season 2 to make Mitch a sort of surrogate father. Tyson's entire family is mad at him, and Mitch's advice could make him a perfect replacement until he can make amends.

Dwight Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone) in a suit standing in front of a clock and two remotes in Tulsa King

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Sylvester Stallone's time as an Oklahoma gangster is set to continue in Tulsa King season 2, and the new season is set to begin in September.

On top of how important he could be to Tyson, Mitch could also become a central character in another family dynamic: the Manfredis. If Mitch does start a relationship with Tina, as the ending of Tulsa King season 2, episode 6 suggested, then he could have a chance to grow closer to her and her father. Dwight already likes Mitch, so his relationship with Tina would be the perfect way to have their friendship grow into something more familial. Letting Mitch's relationships with other Tulsa King characters grow would also be the perfect way to set up an even bigger project for Garrett Hedlund.

Mitch Could Be Written Out Of Tulsa King - On One Condition

Mitch Could Be The Tulsa King Spinoff Show's Main Protagonist

Tina Manfredi (Tatiana Zappardino) and Mitch Keller (Garrett Hedlund) flirting at a shooting range in Tulsa King season 2, episode 6

Even though Mitch should continue to have a big role to play on Tulsa King, there is one way he could be taken off the show entirely that would still give him the screen time he deserves: a spinoff show. In September, Tulsa King writer Terence Winter hinted at a spinoff show set in New Orleans, Louisiana. As Winter mentioned, the show is still in the talking stage of very early development, but if it does eventually get confirmed, Mitch would be the perfect star. Hedlund has already starred in big films like Tron: Legacy, and Mitch is the perfect character for the spinoff.

Garrett Hedlund's Notable Movies & TV Shows

Title

Role

Tron: Legacy

Sam Flynn

Mudbound

Jamie McAllan

On the Road

Dean Moriarty

Four Brothers

Jack Mercer

All the things that make Dwight such a great protagonist in Tulsa King would also apply to Mitch in his own spinoff show. Dwight and Mitch are both hardened criminals who regret their pasts and they've both learned to build and lead a community with the people around them. Mitch also has the perfect excuse to lead a spinoff. After Tyson's attack on Bill Bevilaqua, he'll likely need a place to lie low, and Dwight could easily send him and Mitch to New Orleans. Plus, of all the gang members, Mitch is the one Dwight would trust most to start expanding his criminal empire beyond Oklahoma.

Even if Mitch doesn't get his own spinoff show, however, he'll still be one of the best characters on Tulsa King.

No matter what Tulsa King does with Mitch Keller, Garrett Hedlund has proven that he earned the right to be called one of the show's stars. Admittedly, very few people can outshine Sylvester Stallone, but Hedlund is making a name for himself. He's back on the rise since his early starring role in Tron: Legacy, and he clearly has the ability to lead an entire project by himself. Even if Mitch doesn't get his own spinoff show, however, he'll still be one of the best characters on Tulsa King.

Tulsa King TV Poster

Tulsa King is a Paramount+ original TV series starring Sylvester Stallone as Dwight "The General" Manfredi. After being released from prison for murder, The General is sent to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he quickly sets up a new criminal empire. Tulsa King marks Stallone's first leading role in a TV show.

Release Date November 11, 2022

Seasons 2

Writers Taylor Sheridan

Directors Taylor Sheridan

Showrunner Terence Winter

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