Shows such as “The Big Valley,” “The Rifleman,” “Gunsmoke,” “The Virginian,” “Bonanza,” “Rawhide,” and “Wagon Train” all had long runs, and rightfully claimed their places in TV lore.
Although equally popular in different ways, modern Western shows have also left a mark. “Justified,” “Deadwood,” “Longmire,” “The English,” “Godless,” “Westworld,” and “Hell on Wheels” did pretty well, but failed to reach wide audiences largely because they were too raw, violent, racy, profane, and … godless, for old school Western enthusiasts.
Released in 2016, mostly unknown actor Taylor Sheridan wrote “Hell or High Water” and a year later penned and directed “Wind River,” two of the best Western-themed crime movies of this century. A year later, Mr. Sheridan’s proposed series, “Yellowstone,” was optioned by Paramount TV, and the Western was reborn.
Unlike other 21st century Western TV shows, “Yellowstone” brought with it a certain level of élan and dash. It is an odd amalgamation of soap opera, drama, dark comedy, politics, race conflict, turf wars, and, (oddly enough) family values.
The first hint that “Yellowstone” was shooting for something different was made clear with the pilot episode (“Daybreak’), which was the length of a feature (92 minutes). “Daybreak” set the tone for the entire series. Mr. Sheridan was secure with his long-term game plan and revealed the long form of the series in dribs and drabs. The arcs of the principal characters would be hard-earned and dependant on patience. Mr. Sheridan wasn’t in a hurry to paint the broader picture, and recognized that the extended tease was greater than an easy reveal like no series since “The Sopranos.”
Perfectly cast as family patriarch John Dutton, Mr. Costner played the lead with the same basic traits he had exhibited in previous Westerns “Silverado,” “Wyatt Earp,” “Dances with Wolves,” and “Open Range” (the latter two he also directed).
John is the father of four adult children: sons Kayce (Luke Grimes), the black sheep Jamie (Wes Bentley), and Lee (Dave Annable) who was killed off in “Daybreak.” Kelly Reilly stars as John’s headstrong and often reckless daughter Beth who, for many, is the most important character in the show. Fiercely dedicated to her father, Beth is also his de facto enforcer and shows no quarter when dealing with his public and private enemies.
Rounding out the principal cast is Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser), a homeless orphan John and his late wife effectively adopted, who is romantically involved with Beth, and shares her undying loyalty to John.
Whether intentional or not, Mr. Sheridan’s creation shares a great deal of tonal and narrative overlap with Shakespeare’s “King Lear,” and pulls off the nearly impossible feat by setting the show in the present day, and infusing with Western storytelling staples with seamless ease.
To no one’s surprise, the out-of-the-gate popularity of “Yellowstone” resulted in production company Paramount+ to green light an unprecedented five spinoffs.
The first of these (“1883”) aired for two planned seasons (2021/2022) and served as the first of two prequels. Starring real life married couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as John’s great-great grandparents James and Margaret. In a career defining performance, Sam Elliott co-stars as Shea Brennan, a former Union Army officer and Pinkerton Agency employee, who leads the Duttons in their often perilous journey from south Texas to Montana.
Picking up 30 years after the events in “1883” concluded, “1923” is also planned for two seasons. It stars Harrison Ford as Jacob, the older brother of James and Helen Mirren as his wife Cara. That Mr. Sheridan was able to hire, not one but two, big screen legends for a spinoff TV series speaks volumes to the superb quality of the franchise.
Once “1923” concludes, a third prequel, “1944,” is scheduled to start airing. To date no details regarding plot, premise, or cast have been made public.
Although it was the first conceived spinoff, “6666” has not even gone into preproduction and the only confirmed cast member is Jefferson White, who played ranch hand Jimmy Hurdstrom on the first three seasons of “Yellowstone.” The fact that the show, set in modern day Texas at the real life Four Sixes Ranch, has yet to move beyond the announcement stage doesn’t bode well for its future.
Although framed as a “planned departure,” Mr. Costner’s character’s exit at the end of the fifth season this November was more likely due to a breakdown during new contract negotiations.
When the lead character of any show departs for whatever reason, it inevitably results in a downtick in both quality and viewership, and for stalwart fans “Yellowstone,” it was disheartening, to say the least.
This changed in May of last year when Paramount announced that the franchise’s first sequel “2024” would start development with Matthew McConaughey in talks to play an unnamed lead character. The wild card here is whether or not the other members of the core “Yellowstone” cast will be involved.
From where I’m sitting, “Yellowstone” is the third-best TV series ever made, behind “All in the Family” and “The Sopranos.” If the fifth season is indeed the last, so be it. It was a great ride while it lasted.
