Taylor Sheridan’s latest returning series has one of the scariest villains in all of his shows. Taylor Sheridan’s numerous shows have been the driving force of Paramount+, offering crime dramas, Westerns, and action thriller titles. His shows are known for their movie star casts, but they’ve also been known to have exciting villain characters.

Fans of shows like Yellowstone and other Sheridan projects can rejoice in knowing that the rest of the year will be packed with them. Tulsa King season 3 is now running on Paramount+, Mayor of Kingstown is back with season 4 in October, and Landman will return for its sophomore season in November, picking up after the first season became an instant hit.

Tulsa King’s cast is led by Sylvester Stallone, the legendary actor and creator behind the Rocky franchise and numerous other classic films. The show also includes Martin Starr, Jay Will, Garrett Hedlund, Frank Grillo, and many more. Season 3 includes Robert Patrick as Jeremiah Dunmire, the show’s new lead antagonist.

Jeremiah Dunmire Is Tulsa King’s Most Terrifying Villain Yet

Jeremiah Dunmire was introduced in Tulsa King’s season 3 premiere, and the villain made an unforgettable, drastic first impression. Dunmire has his men beat Theo Montague’s father to death before burning his generational home down, just to show Theo that he’s not allowed to insult him by declining a deal.

So far, Jeremiah Dunmire is undoubtedly the most dangerous character we’ve seen in Tulsa King. Chickie Invernizzi was always something of a joke compared to Dwight, as was the rest of the New York City mafia. Bill Bevilaqua is a hot head, but he’s still principled and primarily focused on making money.

Cal Thresher was immediately overshadowed by the danger of Jackie Ming, who was then defeated all too easily. Dunmire, on the other hand, looks like he’ll be genuine competition for Stallone’s character, built to last the season.

The most similar character would be season 1’s Caolan Waltrip. Waltrip was certainly a scary man, but he wasn’t quite as powerful or ambitious as Dunmire. He certainly had the unpredictable fear factor, but his motorcycle gang wasn’t operating on the same level as Jeremiah Dunmire.

How Jeremiah Dunmire Compares To Other Taylor Sheridan TV Show Villains

Ranking all the villains in various Taylor Sheridan shows would be a challenging task, but Jeremiah Dunmire already jumps out as one of the most violent. There have been several violent psychopaths and sociopaths among Sheridan’s characters, be it the Beck Brothers, 1923’s Donald Whitfield, or Mayor of Kingstown’s Milo.

In terms of a Taylor Sheridan villain who’s truly a terrifying man, Donald Whitfield is likely the crowning achievement. His scenes were so vile and disturbing that they caused many audiences to turn away from 1923, and I have strong doubts that Tulsa King would be willing to take things that far, as it has a much lighter, more approachable tone.

1923’s Father Renaud is another character who’s absolutely horrifying, demonstrating cruelty in a way that feels akin to a Cormac McCarthy novel. However, his arc was primarily around focused hate, rather than industrial power like Jeremiah Dunmire’s.

The best comparisons I’d make would be to Yellowstone’s Beck Brothers and Mayor of Kingstown’s Milo, both of whom had powerful assets at their disposal and a notable aptitude for violence. Jeremiah Dunmire could quickly climb the list of Taylor Sheridan’s most incredibly written villains; he’s certainly one of the most dangerous already.

Jeremiah Dunmire’s Tulsa King Casting Is Ironic After 1923

Veteran actor Robert Patrick plays Jeremiah Dunmire in Tulsa King, and this isn’t his first stint in the world of Taylor Sheridan Paramount+ shows. The actor previously had an important role in 1923​​​​, where he was actually a supporting protagonist, for the most part. As Sheriff William McDowell, Patrick played the law enforcement ally to the Dutton family.

1923 is a Yellowstone prequel series set in its titular year, following the Dutton family during the Prohibition era as the ranch struggles to survive numerous crises. While the Duttons haven’t always been on the side of the law, McDowell understands that they bring a sense of stability to the Montana valley in which they reside.

To have the same actor play a fair, honorable sheriff in one series, then switch to a monstrous villain, is exciting. Not only does it showcase Robert Patrick’s range as an actor, but it also shows that TV series like Tulsa King are willing to subvert audiences’ expectations by switching things up with their actors.

Actor Neal McDonough was similarly in multiple Taylor Sheridan shows, appearing in Yellowstone season 2 as one of the villainous Beck brothers before returning in Tulsa King as Cal Thresher. Unlike Robert Patrick’s, McDonough’s characters were almost the same, making his stint on the mafia series relatively underwhelming.

Release Date

November 13, 2022

Network

Paramount+

Showrunner

Dave Erickson, Terence Winter

Directors

Allen Coulter, Benjamin Semanoff, David Semel, Guy Ferland, Joshua Marston, Kevin Dowling, Lodge Kerrigan, Jim McKay

Writers

Joseph Riccobene, David Flebotte, William Schmidt, Taylor Elmore, Tom Sierchio, Regina Corrado, Stephen Scaia, Terence Winter