Tulsa King Season 4 is live on Paramount+ (Friday, Oct. 16, 2026 at 3:01 a.m. ET). Before you dig into Episode 1, here is how early season reviews are landing, without major plot spoilers. For release time, cast, and the weekly schedule through Dec. 18, see our Season 4 what-to-know guide.
The short version
Critics mostly agree Season 4 is still entertaining Stallone/gangster TV. They split on whether the show fixed old habits or just doubled down on them. Metacritic’s early critic scores include 70 from Screen Rant and 60 from RogerEbert.com.
Screen Rant: fun, funny, same old problems
Sean Morrison at Screen Rant (Oct. 15) calls Season 4 “an entertaining new entry marred by frustrating old problems.” Praise goes to the humor (Stallone’s banter, Jay Will’s Tyson, Goodie and Vince’s buddy-comedy bits), gangster set pieces, and Stallone’s more emotional beats around the season’s “crushing personal loss.” The knock: the series still soft-resets prior seasons, drops storylines (Montague distillery barely matters), and keeps weak side plots. Morrison also notes Sheridan is no longer writing for the show.
RogerEbert.com: charming, overstuffed, slowing down
Clint Worthington at RogerEbert.com (Oct. 15) still finds Tulsa King the most charming of Sheridan’s aging-star crime shows, but says Season 4 gets lost in too many plates to spin: New York pressure, Oklahoma politics, an AI tech-bro land grab, plus side plots for Bodhi, Tyson, Mitch, and more. He argues Stallone is still watchable even when coasting, and that Annabella Sciorra’s Joanne increasingly carries the heart of the show. Villains (including Robert Davi’s enforcer) and filler threads get the sharpest criticism.
JoBlo: bloodier, less jokey, maybe the best yet
Alex Maidy at JoBlo is more upbeat. He says Season 4 ditches a lot of the earlier humor, goes more violent, and feels like a bow on the Tulsa story even with Season 5 already coming. Highlights for him include the Dwight/Bill Bevilaqua relationship swings and Dana Delany’s Margaret as a go-between with Cal Thresher. Weakest beat for him: Dwight talking to an AI chatbot. He still ranks this among the show’s best seasons.
Houston Press: closest to Season 1 energy
Houston Press (full-season screen) says Season 4 improves on Season 3 and comes closest to recapturing Season 1. Crew chemistry (Bigfoot, Tyson, Bodhi) still sells the show; Robert Davi’s Turco stands out as “absolutely nuts”; and the threats from streets and government keep momentum through the finale.
What that means if you are starting tonight
If you want laughs and Dwight-on-top comfort food, Screen Rant and Houston Press say you will get it. If you are tired of dropped plotlines and a crowded supporting cast, RogerEbert.com is the caution flag. JoBlo sits in the middle-to-positive lane: darker tone, higher stakes, still worth finishing.
Episode 1 is titled “W.W.D.D.” Ten episodes run weekly through the Dec. 18 finale. We will follow with an Episode 1 recap after early reactions settle.
Sources: Screen Rant, RogerEbert.com, JoBlo, Houston Press, Metacritic.