Terence Winter, the showrunner of Tulsa King, has made a surprising return to the show after stepping down earlier this year. In this exclusive interview, Winter opens up about his decision to come back, what to expect in season 2, and the challenges of working with Sylvester Stallone.

Winter's return to the show was met with surprise, given that he had initially stepped down as showrunner. When asked why he decided to come back, Winter replied, "I love it. I love working with Sly. I love the cast, the crew, and we got to the point where we solved whatever creative issues we had. And the fact that I got the opportunity to continue, I was absolutely not going to pass that up."

Winter's role on the series has changed since his return. He is now more focused on the writing, leaving the producing duties to Craig Zisk. "I'm much more focused on the writing than being on set and producing," Winter explained. "We brought on a wonderful producing director this year, Craig Zisk. So that took a lot of those duties away from me, and it was really more about working directly with Sly and the writers."

One of the biggest changes in season 2 is the location. The show has moved from Oklahoma to Atlanta, Georgia. When asked about the decision to move, Winter replied, "That was a production consideration, which I took myself out of. I'm assuming it was because of better, easier infrastructure. Oklahoma was wonderful, but I think there's just a lot more production in Atlanta, and it's easier to get crews."

Winter also addressed the controversy surrounding Sylvester Stallone's behavior on set. Stallone was accused of disparaging extras, which led to an Atlanta casting company leaving the show. Winter was not on set during the incident and was unaware of the details. "I was in L.A. and read about it like everybody else," he said.

In the season 2 premiere, the show picks up moments after Dwight's arrest. Winter teased that the show will explore what happens to Dwight in jail and how he will repair his relationships with his daughter and Margaret. "This guy just got arrested," Winter said. "What do they do with him? Well, they take all the stuff out of his pockets and put him in a jail cell. Who might he need in there? What happens, then? You just take it from there."

Winter also discussed the new antagonists in season 2. Frank Grillo, a rival mob boss from Kansas City, will be a major threat to Dwight. "He gets wind of the fact that there is what he considers an interloper nearby in Tulsa," Winter explained. "He's not happy about that. He thinks he's owed something." Neil McDonough, who plays a rival in the medical marijuana business, will also be a threat to Dwight's empire.

As for Dwight's love life, Winter teased that the show will explore his relationships with Margaret and his daughter. "We certainly get much more of a window into his relationship with Margaret, as well as what he wants emotionally in his relationship with his daughter," Winter said. "This is a guy who got out of jail after 25 years who's now, maybe, has 15 good years left when he can make something of his life and repair the damage of the past."

Finally, Winter talked about his relationship with Sylvester Stallone. The two have remained close despite Winter's initial departure from the show. "We still Zoom all the time," Winter said. "He doesn't have a conversation that is not on Zoom or FaceTime. I don't know what he has against actual traditional phone calls, but you literally will see FaceTime and it's him because he's the only person who does it."

The Return of the King: Terence Winter's Journey Back to Tulsa King

Actions