5 Reasons You Should Be Watching Paramount Network’s ‘Yellowstone’ This Summer
Father/Son Drama:
Kayce (Luke Grimes), the rebellious one, left the ranch a long time ago with no plans to return to that type of life/money. He’s the only Dutton with a child, which pulls on John’s heartstrings, but Kayce isn’t ready to have his father back in his life and the two bump heads at every turn.
Kayce also has a penchant for trouble which then forces John to clean up his messes, however illegal the situation may get.
Anti-Heroes:
Each character in this series has specific reasons behind the choices they make, which blurs the line between your typical good guy vs. bad guy plot device.
Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) wants to take down the Dutton family, but his motives seem valid, and he too is looking out for the best interest of his people.
Sibling Rivalry:
To call the Dutton siblings’ relationships complicated would be an understatement — they love/hate each other, have no problem throwing a punch, and spit out insults like it’s breathing. There’s no doubt the Duttons have each others back, but at what personal cost?
Supporting Cast:
The supporting cast is just as strong as the main leads and boy, are their pasts shady and mysterious. The cowboys’ (Cole Hauser, Forrie Smith) loyalty to John is fierce and unyielding, which makes the audience wonder: what won’t they do for the boss?
Location:
Montana is the main character of the show, with its wild creatures and stunning landscape. The series makes sure to highlight the vast plains, mountain ranges, forests, and valleys.
The Duttons aren’t your average billionaire family. Firstly, they have a dark family history no one likes to talk about — even decades later. And secondly, each family member seems to have ulterior motives, so who can really be trusted?
Mix in murder, cover-ups, power struggles, whiskey, and horses and you’ve got Yellowstone, Paramount Network’s new summer breakout hit series, which was just renewed for a second season.
The freshman season — which is midway through — follows John Dutton (Kevin Costner), who controls and owns the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States, and his three living kids: Jamie (Wes Bentley), Beth (Kelly Reilly), and Kayce (Luke Grimes) — RIP Lee (Dave Annable), who was killed on the season premiere — as they face threats and conflicts from land developers, a nearby Indian Reservation, and the Yellowstone national park.
John will protect his land and legacy at all costs, which causes friction (to say the least) in the community and pits his family against everyone else.
The drama series created by Taylor Sheridan pulls back the curtain on the romanticized, rugged American West, juxtaposing the hardships and injustices the Native American people endure with the vast wealth and power held by the elite.
This Bonanza/Godfather cross-over series doesn’t disappoint as evidenced by the ratings. The premiere episode drew nearly 5 million viewers with the ratings continuing to hold steady, averaging 4.6 million viewers in Live+3.
And at only three episodes into the run, it became the second-most-watched TV series on ad-supported cable to air in 2018 (only behind The Walking Dead).
In the gallery above, we offer up five reasons why the just-renewed show should be on your must-see list this summer. Check them out and tell us in the comments if you agree!
In the meantime, check out an exclusive look at the midseason trailer below:
Yellowstone, Wednesdays, 10/9c, Paramount Network
