Netflix's John Wick Meets Tulsa King Series Is The Sequel The Sopranos Deserved

Published Jul 28, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT Faith Roswell is a Senior Writer on Screen Rant's Classic TV team. Since earning her degree in Creative Writing over a decade ago, Faith has written articles on film and TV from a variety of different angles. Faith now combines her knowledge of psychology with her love of monster movies to give more insight into what makes the best ones. You may have read her Screen Rant lists and features covering horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, or read her Amazon Top 10 book, "Movie Monsters of the Deep." Faith has had an extensive career as a writer, appearing on BBC live radio, researching true crime for Rotten Mango podcast, and writing for publications including Mental Floss, Atlas Obscura, and The Daily Jaws before beginning here at Screen Rant. The Sopranos needs no introduction, being one of the best gangster TV series of all time, revolutionizing the television industry, and making HBO the undisputed home of prestige drama. James Gandolfini's performance as the central mafia boss and troubled family man, Tony Soprano, was legendary, but his implied death in The Sopranos' controversial finale was not the only question that was left unanswered in the end. The show could easily have had a sequel, and one TV series starring a familiar face provided the perfect follow-up. When gangster Frank "The Fixer" Tagliano finds himself in John Wick's position after a firefight kills his dog, this becomes the catalyst for him turning informant and seeking refuge in the Witness Protection program. This results in Netflix's underrated crime drama and comedy, Lilyhammer. The series shares DNA with Tulsa King, with Frank being a fish out of water in the remote Norwegian town of Lillehammer where he starts a new life before, inevitably, his past catches up with him. Frank is played by Steven van Zandt, better known as The Sopranos' Silvio Dante, Tony's loyal consigliere and right-hand man. Van Zandt's Sopranos And Lilyhammer Characters Are Very Similar People Image via MovieStillsDB Viewers watching Lilyhammer for the first time might be forgiven for thinking that Frank Tagliano and Silvio Dante were the same person. At first glance, the two look remarkably similar, sharing a fashion sense and the signature slicked-back helmet of hair. That said, the two have drastically different roles in their respective shows, with Silvio's commitment to Tony never being cast into doubt, while Frank's status as a turncoat is the basis for Lilyhammer. Even so, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that Silvio's life could have taken a dramatic new direction after the events in The Sopranos. Van Zandt originally auditioned for the role of Tony Soprano, but when HBO decided that the part should go to an experienced actor, the part of Silvio was written for him. Silvio's fate in The Sopranos was one of several plotlines that the show left open-ended, with Silvio lying comatose after an attempted hit in which he suffered multiple gunshot wounds. A sequel in which Silvio wakes to find Tony dead, prompting him to rethink his life choices could easily play out like Lilyhammer. With the series exploring the life of a gangster who is trying and failing to go unnoticed, Lilyhammer is a window into what could have been had The Sopranos continued the story after Tony's death. The Sopranos Did Not Need A Sequel, But It Deserved One As far as gangster dramas go, The Sopranos ranks at the top, alongside masterpiece crime movies like The Godfather, which, in turn, inspired the TV show. The Sopranos' ending is still one of the most debated finales of all time, with its ambiguity being the point, and part of the reason the show has remained so relevant even now is the fact that unresolved plot points, like Furio Giunta's fate and what happened to the Russian in "Pine Barrens," have kept viewers talking, rather than being frustrating. This means that The Sopranos does not need a sequel. That said, it deserves one, and Lilyhammer was an unexpected success, making the series a perfect candidate. As Netflix's first original content, it was already an experiment, but the show was also partly in Norwegian. Before non-English language series like Squid Game popularized international projects, this fact would likely have been an obstacle to Lilyhammer finding success on the platform. Despite this, the show earned an impressive 86% positive audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is only ten points less than the masterpiece itself, The Sopranos. Many people are skeptical of sequels, which is understandable given their generally low success rate. However, gangster and crime projects have historically produced some sequels that are better than the original. This includes The Godfather Part II and Better Call Saul. Some of The Sopranos mysteries were answered in the prequel, but the enduring popularity of both The Sopranos and Lilyhammer proves that viewers are not yet ready to let go of the characters. With The Sopranos already being inspired by The Godfather, Lilyhammer could have been its answer to The Godfather Part II. Release Date 2012 - 2014-00-00 Network NRK1, Netflix Directors Geir Henning Hopland Writers Steven Van Zandt, Anne Bjørnstad Cast Anders T. Andersen Rolf Ekern Anne Krigsvoll Laila Hovland