Tulsa King Season 3 Episode 1 Ending Explained: Is Theo Montague dead?

Tulsa’s gritty underworld ignites in Tulsa King season 3, episode 1, “Blood and Bourbon,” which premiered on Paramount+ on September 21, 2025.

Crafted by Taylor Sheridan, the mastermind behind Yellowstone, the series thrusts New York mobster Dwight “The General” Manfredi into Oklahoma’s treacherous landscape, where betrayal lurks in every deal.

Sheridan, who completed the pilot in a week, instils palpable violence and moral implications into this neon-lit crime triptych.

Sylvester Stallone, now 78, occupies the screen as an aged Dwight, an ex-con who blends charisma and danger.

The cast shines as Andrea Savage as the loyal Margaret, Martin Starr as a worrisome Bodhi, Jay Will as a loyal Tyson, Garrett Hedlund as a conflicted Mitch and Domenick Lombardozzi as the duplicitous Goodie.

The episode’s final scene sets a brutal tone: Theo Montague, siding with Dwight over a rival’s offer, is killed, his ancestral estate torched on Jeremiah Dunmire’s orders, signalling war.

Dwight, a mobster forged in loyalty and loss, faces the ashes with grim resolve, his empire teetering as federal leashes, crew tensions, and a ruthless new rival collide.

This opener melds gritty crime with the raw cost of ambition, proving one choice can torch a legacy.

Tulsa King season 3 episode 1 ending explained

The episode opens in a stark FBI cell, Dwight’s shaggy beard hinting at months in custody. Special Agent Musso, nursing a decades-old grudge from Dwight’s killing of his snitch Ripple, offers freedom for informant work. Musso resents Dwight’s Tulsa empire, weed, cars, and bodies like Chickie’s, claiming it corrupted locals like Bodhi and Mitch.

Dwight, defiant but cornered, agrees to protect his crew and daughter, Tina. Released to the Bred 2 Buck Saloon, he’s greeted by Big Lou, Goodie, and Margaret, his on-off lover.

At Margaret’s farm, Dwight apologises for a federal raid that disrupted her life, revealing Musso’s vendetta. Urging distance for her safety, he’s met with her resolute loyalty, a rare anchor.

Their bond grounds his humanity amid chaos. A call from Ray, tied to the Invernizzi family, demands a meeting, threatening Dwight’s grandkids. In a tense backroom, Ray pushes a New York deal to skim Tulsa’s profits.

Dwight, scarred by betrayal, walks away, but Ray’s glare foreshadows trouble, linking Tulsa to East Coast ghosts.

At Car City, Mitch runs a laundering front, with Fred Heely’s bumbling charm as cover. Cleo Montague, his ex-flame, arrives, her polish masking strain.

She reveals her father Theo’s crisis: the Montague distillery faces bankruptcy from market shifts and debts. Jeremiah Dunmire, an oil magnate with a gangster’s edge, pushes a lowball buyout, his son Cole enforcing with menace.

Mitch, tired of volatile weed profits, pitches Dwight: buy the distillery, run it with Cleo, and legitimise their empire. Dwight, wary of Musso’s surveillance but drawn to stability, agrees to explore it.

At the Montague estate’s yard sale, Theo’s desperation is evident; barrels and antiques are sold cheaply. Dwight, with Goodie, Big Lou, and Mitch, spots Cole, Dunmire’s enforcer.

Offering Theo a fair deal- market-value purchase, profit shares, and roles for Cleo and Mitch, Dwight counters Dunmire’s threats.

Theo hesitates, fearing Dunmire’s grip, but Mitch and Cole’s simmering rivalry is defused by Cleo’s wit. Dwight sees progress but senses Theo’s fear.

At Even Higher Plane, Bodhi chafes at grunt work, haunted by crewmate Jimmy’s death. Ordered to deliver laundered cash disguised as comics to Bill, he takes Tyson and Grace.

A stalled Prius forces a drop-point shift, sparking chaos when Kansas City thugs discover comics, not cash. Bodhi’s rage erupts at the shop, beating a thug to vent grief over Jimmy.

Dwight backs him, but Bodhi’s loyalty wavers, tempted by Dunmire’s lucrative whispers.

At the Montague estate, a hopeful dinner sees Cleo and Mitch plan the distillery’s revival, their chemistry electric. Theo toasts Dwight’s deal, sealing shared profits.

But Musso’s call- “Montagues, huh?”, reveals a wiretap, an informant lurking. Dwight plays dumb, paranoia rising. Alone, Theo rejects Dunmire’s offer, choosing Dwight’s terms.

In a rage, Dunmire orders Cole and his hitmen to kill Theo and burn his estate. Gunshots pierce the night, flames engulf the mansion, and Theo’s silhouette vanishes.

Theo’s defiance, choosing Dwight’s fair deal, challenged his control, prompting a lethal response. 

For Dwight, Theo’s loss is a gut punch. Musso’s leash complicates revenge, Bodhi’s rebellion threatens unity, and Cleo’s grief tests Mitch. Dunmire emerges as Season 3’s titan, his empire mirroring Dwight’s ambition.

Sheridan’s fire exposes trust’s fragility, igniting a vendetta as Tulsa’s brutal math demands sacrifice. Theo’s ashes light the fuse for a reckoning.

Stream Tulsa King season 3 on Paramount+, with episodes dropping Sundays at midnight ET/PT, starting September 21, 2025, until November 23, 2025. 

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