Diksha Sundriyal
Each season of Paramount+’s ‘Tulsa King’ has Dwight “The General” Manfredi deal with a new problem that challenges his claim to the criminal underworld of Tulsa. Through the first two seasons, he establishes his empire, while also slowly turning towards legitimate businesses. A new business opportunity presents itself in the third season when Cleo Montague returns home and puts a very enticing deal for Dwight on the table. However, the risk-to-reward ratio is pretty high, which means that a whole new bunch of enemies are going to come out and make trouble for the Tulsa King. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Cleo’s Arrival Shakes Up the Power Dynamics in Tulsa
Cleo Montague’s character is introduced in the first episode of Season 3 when she walks into the car dealership now owned by Dwight and run by Mitch. From their first interaction, it becomes clear that there is something between Cleo and Mitch, which was suppressed for years, since she skipped town a while back. Her father is the owner of a distillery, and he has decided to sell it because things have not been good for a while. It is to help her father with the sale that she comes back to town, and with the way things are going, it seems that she might have to stay back for a while. This is good news for Mitch in more ways than one.
First off, Mitch is happy to see her back. It is clear that whatever feelings they had for each other years ago are still there. To confirm this, they kiss before she leaves the dealership. Later, when they catch up at her house, while Dwight talks with her father to get the distillery for himself, the nature of their bond becomes clearer. It also seems that they may have been a part of a love triangle, with Cole Dunmire at the other end. This triangle may become more intense since Cole’s father, Jeremiah, struck a deal with Mr. Montague, which Dwight wants to override now.
It remains to be seen how much Cleo knows about Mitch and Dwight’s business, but clearly, she doesn’t want the Dunmires to get their hands on her father’s business. She knows that the deal they have offered is pretty bad, and her father is selling to them only because they are powerful and have been the town bullies for a very long time. With Dwight in the picture, there is a great deal on the table, and she doesn’t see why her father shouldn’t take it. However, with the Dunmires not backing off so easily, things look rough for Cleo and her father in the near future, and this conflict will be the main source of drama for the third season.
Bella Heathcote Brings Cleo’s Confidence and Resilience to Life
Cleo Montague in ‘Tulsa King’ is played by Bella Heathcote, who portrays the layered nature of character with a depth that gives Cleo a commanding presence in the storyline full of gangsters and other power-hungry men. Growing up in Melbourne, Australia, Heathcote got into acting at a young age. Her mother’s passing led her to turn to acting as a safe space to process her feelings and emotions, which eventually turned into a love for the craft. Starting from Johnny Young Talent School, she soon developed a taste for dramatic roles, and eventually became a finalist for the Heath Ledger Scholarship, for which she came to Los Angeles, and she got the scholarship, which allowed her to stay and expand her career opportunities.
Since then, she has appeared in a variety of movies and TV shows that have explored the wide range of her acting skills. She is known for her work in movies like ‘Relic,’ ‘The Neon Demon,’ ‘Dark Shadows,’ ‘Professor Marston and the Wonder Women,’ and TV shows like ‘The Family Next Door,’ ‘Pieces of Her,’ and ‘The Man in the High Castle.’ Talking about her role in ‘Tulsa King,’ Heathcote revealed that Cleo’s arrival stirs a storm and spells trouble for every power player in Tulsa. It seems that there is much more than meets the eye with Cleo, which makes quite an interesting addition to the crime drama.
Read More: Tulsa King Season 3 Episode 1 Recap: Is Mr. Montague Dead?
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