Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone has been one of the most surprising hits on TV. The game of succession and
power struggle between the Montana-based Yellowstone Ranch owners, the Duttons, and the city lawyers
and corporations who want to urbanize the area has received praise and criticism in equal order.
With the second part of the final season being aired earlier this week, the series’ brand as a conservative-appealing show has come into question again. Sheridan has disagreed with this label and has maintained that it is a story of the history of America. Yellowstone star Wes Bentley also seems to echo the sentiment.
Wes Bentley Defends Yellowstone’s Political Leanings
With the recent USA elections giving a controversial result yet again, shows like Yellowstone have found themselves in the middle of the conversation. The neo-Western returned to screens with its final season, having lost its lead star Kevin Costner after a bitter feud between him and the studio.
The show’s setting and characterization have often resulted in critics labeling it a ‘red-state show’ or calling its storylines conservative-friendly. Though the series seems to have found a liking by both rural and urban audiences, some of the lines written by creator Taylor Sheridan seem to have led to its branding.
Much like Sheridan, however, actor Wes Bentley, who plays Jamie Dutton seems to disagree with that label. The actor mentioned how he was relieved that the series has been appealing to a wide range of audiences now and that it may lead to more such shows. He said to THR,
The ripple effect of Yellowstone’s success is already seen in Sheridan’s own spinoff and prequel series based on the flagship show, as well as the recently released Western Landman.
Taylor Sheridan Disagreed With The ‘Red State’ Label For Yellowstone
With the polarizing political divide in America, the lenses in which many of the shows and films are being seen have also increasingly become divisive. Many fans have constantly criticized huge studios like Disney for their alleged pandering to the ‘woke crowd’, with slogans of ‘go woke, go broke’ dominating the internet.
On the other hand, shows like Yellowstone have been criticized for appealing more to conservative political groups. It was labeled a ‘red state show’ for the longest time and seems to find fewer takers with prominent award shows like the Emmys. However, creator Taylor Sheridan reportedly disagreed with the label. He said to The Atlantic,
Yellowstone’s politics have always been mixed. While its use of guns, horses, and the general setting of Montana may portray it as a conservative-friendly series, sometimes its anti-modernist and anti-corporate stances have also managed to appeal to the ‘woke’ crowd.
