Yellowstone

Yellowstone is a solidly written drama - great characters, well-crafted - that draws it's tone from a few different modern-day masterpieces.

It has the feel and cinematography of Longmire, the plotting and grim outlook of The Sopranos, and the dramatic dynamics of shows like 'Dynasty' or any of the other network dramas similar to that.

Much respect must go to Costner and Cole Hauser - these guys bring it 100%.

I did not expect to get drawn in to this show like I did. It's well worth your time.

Let me say one thing: if you had come to me a decade ago and said that Kevin Costner's flagging career would be revived thanks to his role in a modern day western, I would probably have laughed and called you crazy.

Yet it happened. Costner's John Dutton will surely go down in the annals of TV history as one of the best characters ever.

Costner played Dutton perfectly: a doting father, a ruthless ranch owner and a man who is no stranger to violence. Unforgettable.

With "Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan has done something quite difficult: he made us care immensely about a bunch of characters of dubious moral standing.

For example, Kelly Reilly's Beth Dutton was, for the most part, a horrible person, yet you cared about what happened for her, cheered on her successes and commiserated her failures, even when said successes might have been on the wrong side of what's right.

That's because Reilly is a brilliant actress, and because she was given top-notch material to work with.

Cole Hauser, Luke Grimes, Kelsey Asbille, Wes Bentley...all brilliant.

Sheridan is a genius.

What a show. We won't see it's like again, that's for sure.

'Lolita' is a 1955 novel written by Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov. Nabokov set out to write a beautiful piece of literature but on a subject that was immoral and deplorable. The reader is thrown into a state of cognitive dissonance. It's great novel but....but.....

'Yellowstone' has a similar effect. Viewers are presented with a stunning aesthetic and seduced by the cowboy myth. But the family at the centre of the story are ultimately corrupt, vile murderers. Yet we are expected to sympathise and cheer them on. It's not unlike another popular series, 'Succession', but on horseback. However, while the family in 'Succession' are more clearly ugly, the Duttons and their entourage are held up as a shining example of America as 'the land of the free and the home of the brave'. It's a terrifically manipulative series.

Yellowstone was one of the best shows on tv from when it originally came on in 2018 right up to the ending in 2024. It was the #1 show on cable for all 5 seasons it was on (really it was 6 seasons because they broke season 5 into 2 parts). It's hard to explain just how good this show really is. The acting, writing, directing, cinematography, production, etc, are all incredible. It's exactly what you expect from a Taylor Sheridan show since just about everything he does is terrific. The acting was as good as anything on tv. Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, Hassie Harrison, Kelsey Asbille, Wes Bentley and the rest of the cast all deserve recognition for the incredible job they do season after season, episode after episode. It's one of the rare shows where almost every season is just as good as the others. I can't recommend this show enough, just go watch it for yourself.

The show started off fantastic. A patriarch (Kevin Costner) and his four kids live on a sprawling ranch in Montana, fighting to protect their land and way of life. Of course, there's plenty of personal drama as well. The first season was pure gold-gripping, intense, and well-written.

However, like many shows, it declined over time. I was especially disappointed by the lack of character growth. Some characters became so over-the-top that it was almost comical. Beth was always angry, Monica was always crying, and Kayce was the golden boy, while Jamie made all the wrong choices and was universally hated.

That said, it was still a great show, with stunning cinematography and plenty of gripping moments. I truly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone.