The Tulsa King season finale didn’t just close out Dwight Manfredi’s latest war—it opened the door to an entirely new criminal empire.
According to Entertainment Weekly, as Paramount+ wrapped Season 3 of its hit drama, the episode officially set the stage for NOLA King, the upcoming spinoff starring Samuel L. Jackson. And the groundwork wasn’t subtle.
Fans first met Jackson’s character, Russell Lee Washington Jr., in the penultimate episode, where the aging hitman arrived in Tulsa on orders from the Renzetti crime family. His assignment: kill Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone).
The twist came quickly. According to USA Today, Lee refused to carry out the hit after revealing that Dwight once saved his life during their time in prison. Instead, he warned Dwight about the contract and teamed up with him to dismantle Jeremiah Dunmire’s grip on the local liquor trade.
In the season finale, Lee’s involvement only grew. He helped Dwight’s crew push back against Dunmire and his men, sharing intel, weapons, and strategy—moves that effectively placed a target on his own back. Quiet Ray (James Russo), who sent him to Oklahoma in the first place, now views Lee as a liability. Those tensions set the stage for the next chapter.
By the episode’s end, Lee laid out his plans clearly. “Seeing what you’ve done here makes me want to go back to New Orleans and maybe start something new,” Jackson’s character said, signaling his departure and the premise of NOLA King.
The spinoff is expected to follow Lee as he establishes his own underworld presence in New Orleans. But the finale hinted that this won’t be a clean slate—Quiet Ray’s reach is long, and his goons aren’t likely to let Lee walk away without retaliation.
Before heading out, Lee left the door open for future crossovers, telling Dwight’s team to “give me a holler” if they ever roll through New Orleans. It’s a line that sets up potential connective tissue between the two shows and reinforces the shared-universe direction Paramount+ is building around Tulsa King.
Season 3 closed with Dwight securing a federal liquor license after striking a tense deal with FBI Agent Musso (Kevin Pollak), but the final beat belonged to Jackson’s character. His exit wasn’t just a farewell—it was a launchpad, positioning NOLA King as the subsequent expansion of the franchise.