Yellowstone

Starring: Kevin Costner (47 episodes), Luke Grimes (53 episodes), Kelly Reilly (53 episodes), Wes Bentley (53 episodes), Cole Hauser (53 episodes), Kelsey Asbille (53 episodes), Brecken Merrill (53 episodes), Jefferson White (53 episodes), Gil Birmingham (53 episodes), Forrie J. Smith (51 episodes), Denim Richards (51 episodes), Ian Bohen (51 episodes), Mo Brings Plenty (45 episodes), Jake Ream (42 episodes), Ryan Bingham (37 episodes), Jen Landon (33 episodes), Wendy Moniz (29 episodes), Ethan Lee (28 episodes), Finn Little (24 episodes), Danny Huston (19 episodes), Kathryn Kelly (18 episodes), Hassie Harrison (18 episodes), Gabriel Gator Guilbeau (18 episodes), Eden Brolin (14 episodes), John Emmet Tracy (14 episodes), Hugh Dillon (13 episodes), Katherine Cunningham (13 episodes), Maria Julian (13 episodes), James Jordan (12 episodes), Piper Perabo (12 episodes), Taylor Sheridan (12 episodes), Rudy Ramos (11 episodes), Josh Holloway (10 episodes), Atticus Todd (10 episodes), Will Patton (10 episodes), Timothy Carhart (10 episodes), Dawn Olivieri (10 episodes), Michael Nouri (9 episodes), Josh Lucas (9 episodes), Kyle Red Silverstein (8 episodes), Tanaya Beatty (8 episodes), Q'orianka Kilcher (8 episodes), Buck Taylor (8 episodes), Lilli Kay (8 episodes), Jacki Weaver (7 episodes), Kylie Rogers (7 episodes), Neal McDonough (6 episodes), Terry Serpico (6 episodes), Michaela Conlin (6 episodes), Boots Southerland (6 episodes), Rory Cochrane (5 episodes), Lainey Wilson (5 episodes), Kelly Rohrbach (4 episodes), Karen Pittman (4 episodes), Steve Coulter (3 episodes), Bella Hadid (3 episodes), Gretchen Mol (2 episodes), Tim McGraw (2 episodes), Jake McLaughlin (2 episodes), Dabney Coleman (1 episode), James Pickens Jr. (1 episode), Faith Hill (1 episode), Vinessa Shaw (1 episode), James Remar (1 episode)
Directed by: Stephen Kay (15 episodes), Taylor Sheridan (12 episodes), Christina Alexandra Voros (12 episodes), Guy Ferland (4 episode2), John Dahl (4 episodes), Ben Richardson (2 episodes)
Rating: TV-MA
Genre: Drama, Western
2018-2024
Seasons Seen:
Tim: 1
Summary: The Dutton family works to protect the Yellowstone ranch in Montana against all who threaten to take their land, with no limits to what they will do to defend it.
Review:
Tim: I was a big Taylor Sheridan fan before Yellowstone. I'd seen so much of his amazing ability to write complicated, poignant scripts and to capture something that felt true about the human beings who inhabited his stories. When I heard he was working on a television series, I knew it would be a "must watch". I still didn't quite anticipate the massive success Yellowstone would go on to be. The story of the Duttons caught on like wildfire- the series became one of the most watched in television, and for a while, it was likely the premier show of everything I watched. It was near-appointment television and I was so excited for each new episode. The final season (okay, half-season) the wheels started to come off a bit, but overall, this series is a wild success. It spawned two companion, prequel series, 1883 and 1923 both excellent series. There's more to come, too. However, it all started here and it's important to capture how essential this series is.
When Yellowstone first released, there wasn't really anything else like it. It was a big, bold series that shone a light on people who Hollywood typically overlooks. The series is set in Montana, and it's cowboys, ranch hands, Native Americans who populate the series. Sheridan seems to revel in, glorify this lifestyle. It's miles away from the big city, from civilized society. That struck a nerve with people- it was relatable to a large percentage of this country- they got to see themselves (or how they imagine themselves to be) on screen. The only downside is how many of those people also voted for Trump, but that's beside the point of this review. So, we get this glorified cowboy lifestyle depicted on screen, but it's wrapped up in this dramatic, almost soap opera story of a fractured family. There's hints of Shakespearean-level drama in the Dutton family, and that is wildly entertaining to watch. Sheridan writes this series that feels larger-than-life, even as it amplifies a humble, people-of-the-earth lifestyle. It's a consistently humorous series, but never shies away from violence. It throws a series of unexpected events at the Duttons and we watch as they scramble to overcome the odds. Along the way, Sheridan makes sure to pay tribute to the original owners of the land. His attention and care for the Native American tribes is apparent throughout the series. In short, this series offers so much that felt new and original, it was nearly impossible not to get swept up in it.
It also helped that Sheridan assembled a truly remarkable cast. It's a mix of levels of fame, but they all gelled together in a beautiful way. The top of the cast involved Kevin Costner, and this was brilliant casting. Costner is an excellent actor and no stranger to Westerns. He seemed to immediately understand John Dutton at his very core. You can't understate how important Costner is to this series- everything revolves around him. That's why it was so devastating to lose him in the final half-season. His absence loomed large over this series, and while the final episodes were entertaining, it feels like this series ended weaker than it should have. Costner meant so much to this series, I loved his performance so much, that when he went, the hole was impossible to fill.
The real scene-stealers in the series are Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly. Neither of them have had the biggest careers, so it was stunning to see them bring Rip and Beth to life with absolutely perfection. Their relationship was the most consistently funny, human, heartfelt aspect of the show. I have zero words to describe how much I love Rip and Beth, and I adored every second of screen time with them. Before this series, to be honest, Hauser was an afterthought. I wouldn't have considered him a good actor, someone who shows up now and then, but was pretty forgettable. So, I'm not sure how he gives the best performance of his life as Rip- he hits every note perfectly as this gruff, warm-hearted human being who is full of flaws but you truly love. And Reilly might never be better than Beth, one of the best written characters I've ever seen. She is a demon, a wronged woman who will stop at nothing to protect her father and his ranch. She's ruthless, yet there is another side to her, a wounded side- a character who can be acerbic with her tongue, but has depth beyond what you would expect. Reilly is fantastic as Beth, and these two are really the heart of the series.
Luke Grimes is really good as Kayce, although he always felt a bit removed from the main action. The story of his family is good, but it's more low-key, more stable. When Grimes needed to have a big presence, he does, but his story never felt quite as high-strung or high-stakes. His performance is understated. The series might have needed that, but Grimes comes across as good, but not as great as the top three in the cast. Wes Bentley is tremendous as Jamie, the most Shakespearean character and a man who confounds us. His path at first felt tragic, then horrifying, then so filled with mixed emotions that I still don't quite know how I felt about Jamie. Bentley plays all of this well, allowing the audience to hate him when they needed to, and yet, also showing complexity in the character.
While the above cast are the main ones, many of the series' best moments come in the form of watching the cowboys and cowgirls work the ranch. Sheridan spends a surprising amount of time with the "little people" on the ranch, and yet, these hardworking people and their stories were often as (if not more) interesting than the big, flashy roles. Jefferson White made Jimmy, a bumbling character who could have been all laughs, feel like a more complicated, tragic figure than we might have expected. I grew to care about this character, to hope for the best for him. Forrie J. Smith was a continuously stable presence as Lloyd, and I smiled whenever he showed up on screen. Denim Richards, Ian Bohn, Ryan Bingham, and Jen Landon were filled with personality and often elicited the biggest laughs in any episode. Their characters felt so real, lived in. Their importance to the series was monumental.
I loved the focus on the Native Americans, none better than Gil Birmingham. He's a longtime Sheridan collaborator and just a great actor. He's reserved, but I loved what he did on screen. As the series goes on, he sadly feels pushed a bit to the side and ends up just delivering exposition. However, he's still such a big part of this series and I loved his work here. And then, we get a massive cast. Wendy Moritz was consistently strong as the Governor. Danny Huston was wonderfully menacing in his arc. Katherine Cunningham cunningly made us despise her ambitious character. Piper Perabo hasn't been this good in decades- how she would appear one way with John, and show up wildly different when she had to interact with Beth. I love seeing Josh Holloway here, although his role was too limited and ultimately not what I'd hoped for. I still can't believe we got to see Josh Lucas as a young John Dutton, or Gretchen Mol as his wife. I enjoyed seeing Lainey Wilson show up in several episodes. Will Patton was excellent in his episodes. There's so many others I could name- the cast was huge and with Sheridan's writing, they have great material with which to work.
As much as I loved this series, I'm not sure it was ever better than its first season. The subsequent seasons had terrific moments- I continually laughed out loud, or gasped in shock (the explosion scene is still a highlight), but the seasons themselves became a little uneven. I remember wishing more would have happened. I know Sheridan had to balance momentum with character development- season three needed more urgency, for example. And while I did wish for a bit more progress at times, many of the best moments of the series were the quieter ones- the cinematography of the landscape, the gorgeousness of Montana, the music when the series reflected on the tough but rewarding life of a rancher. Those were as powerful as any of the "big" moments.
I did think the last season was the most problematic. To split it into two halves (instead of just being honest about it being two seasons), and then a nearly two year wait to finish the series- that's just crazy and lamentable. When it finally did return, it was forced to address the absence of Costner, which was handled as well as it could have, and yet, still forced and clumsily. Those were big flaws in the series.
That being said, Yellowstone is still one of my all-time favorite television series. Being introduced to the Duttons, the journey we went on with these characters, it's all better than 95% of all the television being made these days. Taylor Sheridan created something truly special here. I also loved 1883 and 1923, and I'll watch all the spinoff series we have coming. It's impressive that Sheridan created a whole television empire at Paramount after this series started- I'll be honest, I haven't even started most of his other series. It's insane to me that he makes television faster than I can even attempt to watch it. Sheridan is a special, talented force, though, and I'll do my best to branch out to his other series. For now, though, the priority will always be whatever he does with the Duttons. This family feels so real, so expansive through three series, I'm with them however long the journey is.
Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A
If You Enjoyed This Series, We Recommend: 1883, 1923, Hell or High Water, Wind River