Why We Love Yellowstone
Yellowstone, the American drama television series created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson, has built a massive and loyal fanbase drawing over 9.3 million viewers. Whenever a series captures the attention of the viewing audience with that kind of force, there is a scramble to figure out what makes it so appealing.
Here are the top three reasons that we believe Yellowstone is so popular.
First, we love Yellowstone for its authenticity.
People believe this is a real ranch because it is. The 142,000-acre Four Sixes Ranch, located 200 miles from Fort Worth, was purchased by a group that included producer Taylor Sheridan. It is a working ranch where the riders really ride, and the cowboys are real. When the cast and crew set foot on the ranch, they are part of John Dutton’s world. The team correctly anticipated the question, “Who is this for?” As Sheridan explained, “if you didn’t grow up with cowboys and in this world, and you don’t know this world, it’s a really hard world to write because you’re going to fall back on the clichés of that world. People tune in to the show for varying reasons, but the authenticity of the show is its bedrock. From the saddles that are used, from the kind of horses that we use, to the situations that I place them in that if you don’t spend your afternoons moving cattle, you don’t know those situations exist.”
Second, we love Yellowstone because it represents the American Dream.
People still want a part of the American dream, and the American West is the best depiction of how that dream came about. It is the ultimate story of a family fighting to protect their land against the most formidable foes. People can image their own battles and they root for the Dutton’s even if that means doing literally whatever it takes to keep it Yellowstone safe.
Just as Westerns dominated network TV for years, the Old West themes resurrected in Yellowstone still appeal. The Old West is a continual depiction of good vs evil and adventure vs complacency. It characterizes men and women who can hold their own against all odds. Old West meets modern corruption as the Duttons battle corporate greed.
Third, we love Yellowstone for its relationships.
Yellowstone has plenty of well-choreographed brutality and violence, but even more believable is the emotional and psychological warfare upon which the story arc is built. All families have drama, but the characters in Yellowstone take it to a whole new level. Beth and brother Jamie, for example, have such a poisoned relationship that she is determined to make his life miserable and won’t quit until she finishes him off for good. The audience can relate to family ties and outcasts, even if they don’t brand each other.
But Yellowstone is not just about battles. It’s about the complexities of love and romance. It’s about respect and honor. It’s about freedom and heritage, missed opportunities and all of the bittersweet moments that find their way into each and every human life.
The good guys in the show are not all good, and the bad guys are not all bad. That’s the way it is in real life and that’s what the audience knows.
