Taylor Sheridan’s Tulsa King began with a bang, and it’s distinguished itself as one of the hottest crime dramas. It remains its creator’s fourth most-watched series since its 2022 Paramount+ debut, and its premiere viewership surpassed Game of Thrones. Audiences adore the tension underpinning the life of unrepentant mafioso Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone). This illicit drama forms the heart and soul of any good crime show, and it’s heightened by the all-consuming intrigue of Manfredi’s attempts to establish a criminal foothold in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Of course, a good crime show is nothing without a cast of lovably flawed characters. Manfredi may be the titular leading man, but Stallone’s acting is backed by a literal mafia of quirky personalities. Take, for example, the show’s quick-witted driver, Tyson Mitchell (Jay Will). His degree gives him an intellectual background that contrasts perfectly with Mandfredi’s less conventional lifestyle. And there’s Cal Thresher (Neal McDonough), a corrupt businessman and drug dealer. However, avid viewers noticed someone missing from the second season. Caolan Waltrip (Ritchie Coster) was last seen in “Happy Trails,” but he hasn’t reappeared since. So, what happened to the intriguing Oklahoman criminal?
Who Is Caolan Waltrip?
Amazingly, it took Sheridan only one week to write the show’s pilot.
Showrunner Terence Winter moved the show to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The show was originally titled Kansas King, as revealed by reports from 2021.
Admittedly, the narrative reasoning for Caolan Waltrip’s absence is perfectly sound. By the end of “Happy Trails,” Caolan is assuredly dead. His ill-fated skirmish between the Black Macadam gang and the mafia is — not surprisingly — a massive failure. As always, Stallone perfectly embodies the best qualities of an action hero. As the bloody skirmish comes to an end, Manfredi pins Caolan to a wall before shooting him, leaving him assuredly dead.
Theoretically, he could come back. It’s not entirely impossible for the writers to decide that Caolan is worth more alive. It’s not even implausible for such a thing to transpire. Crime shows are no strangers to sudden resurrections. Even comedies revive allegedly deceased characters through retcons.
That said, Caolan is more than his death. In many ways, the gangster is a foil to Stallone’s character. He is a looser, freer kingpin. Six years in prison do nothing to dim Caolan’s criminal aspirations. Upon release, he immediately returns to his biker gang. He also leads them in a foolish crusade against their perceived enemies.
Both Caolan and his small family of motorcycle-riding hooligans first appear in “Caprice.” It is during this episode that the group forms its ambitious plan to topple the Manfredi family’s burgeoning Oklahoman empire. Their bloody end is as predictable as it is brutal, and it’s a concise narrative capstone to one of Dwight’s many rivalries.
Why Did Ritchie Coster Leave Tulsa King?
A spin-off set in New Orleans was announced in 2024. It is currently in development.
Costume designer Suzanne McCabe bases many of the show’s outfits on fashion worn by the Gambino and Franzese crime families.
Terence Winter resigned as showrunner in 2022, citing “creative differences.” He rejoined the crew as a writer in 2024.
Ultimately, Ritchie’s role in Tulsa King was always meant to be brief. Not every actor gets to be the star of a show, and these small parts support a production’s overall impact. Caolan may not have been devised as the ultimate villain, but he serves an invaluable purpose. He helps ease Stallone’s character back into the seedy underbelly of crime.
In some ways, he’s an introductory enemy. He’s Manfredi’s tutorial area boss. The Macadams are far from fearsome. Despite their sizable armory, the biker gang is no match for a well-organized mafia. Its grand ambitions were never meant to be anything more than a brief blip on the Manfredi family’s radar.
That said, Coster’s splendid performance — perhaps barring his imperfect “Southern” accent attempt — has helped the 55-year-old actor’s star rise even higher. He may not be the most recognizable name in Tulsa King’s Season One role call, but his high-profile status in the show lends him plenty of credibility. Caolan serves as one of Coster’s most prominent characters, and his work may soon lead to more exciting roles in the future.
There’s nothing to indicate that Coster’s time on Tulsa King was anything but professional and amicable. He did not leave the show for any personal reasons. His character’s time simply ran out. While the Macadams may be a compelling enemy for an upcoming crime empire, a modest biker gang could never be the show’s “big bad.” It’s a logistical impossibility. So, fans bid an action-packed farewell to Coster in the Season One finale.