Yellowstone (2018)

:

Season 1
Season #: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
6.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 70 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 70
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 70
  3. Negative: 16 out of 70
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User Reviews

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  1. AJ21
    Aug 24, 2018
    10
    If theater is meant as an escape from our daily grind then Yellowstone succeeds. Beautiful scenery transfers us to a gorgeous scenic travel adventure experience. The acting is superb and the writing as well. Major plot lines and subplots along with excellent character development all join together raising the show to binge level heights!
  2. Voodoo123
    Apr 28, 2020
    7
    The fantastic cast, screenplay and call cinematography combine with a lavish production value to envelope you in the world of Yellowstone. The dramatic beats aren't exactly boundary breaking but serve their purpose well enough
  3. metacritiqueur
    Jan 11, 2022
    7
    Je découvre seulement cette série géniale sur la famille et le pouvoir. Moi qui adore la série Succession, je suis ravi de trouver cette version cowboy avec Kevin Costner !

    Les médias n'en parlent pas, et pour cause : elle ne sert pas la propagande des GAFAM woke qui souhaitent la déconstruction de notre passé, et la dissolution de l'idée de famille. Et c'est franchement rafraichissant    Je découvre seulement cette série géniale sur la famille et le pouvoir. Moi qui adore la série Succession, je suis ravi de trouver cette version cowboy avec Kevin Costner !

    Les médias n'en parlent pas, et pour cause : elle ne sert pas la propagande des GAFAM woke qui souhaitent la déconstruction de notre passé, et la dissolution de l'idée de famille. Et c'est franchement rafraichissant quand il n'y a pas cette idéologie des années 2020 derrière.    … Expand
  4. OutDorJustice80
    Jun 25, 2018
    10
    Very much enjoyed it so far. Haven’t been this entertained in a long time. Give it a shot and see for yourself.
  5. shoulderoforion
    Jun 21, 2018
    8
    It's a bit classist & racially tone deaf, but I enjoyed the first episode immensely. Yellowstone reminds me of Longmire with better production value, and a deeper acting bench. Will be tuning in for more.
  6. dougbradshaw51
    Jun 21, 2018
    9
    I enjoyed it a lot. Many different plot lines going on, all relevant and the dynamics of the family are interesting and telling a pretty good story. The slutty tough sister is quite the gal, not really a family show. I'm looking forward to the next episode.
  7. cocaine_cowboy
    Jul 1, 2018
    10
    Great show with the huge potential. Feels very Sheridan. If you've watched his movies and love them before you will more than likely enjoy this series too. I assume the first episodes should give us the detailed presentation and intriguing set-up while the other half of the show will develop in a very dramatic and frantic detective-like story.
  8. wordymouth
    Jul 3, 2018
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Yellowstone is a TV western featuring the timeless battle between cowboys and indians. Only this time, the battle takes place in present day and the indians win the day more often than not with the help of a casino.

    This is a joy to watch. The writing is crisp, the acting spot on, and the characters have a story to tell. When the patriarch of the Dutton family, played by Kevin Costner, does something particularly evil, it seems like he's doing it because he's trying to preserve a way of life. And when his youngest son, Kacey, shoots his brother-in-law (spoiler), we see his father, even though the son seeks distance from John Dutton.

    Yellowstone could end up seemingly melodramatic. However, I think it pulls back just enough to make it less of a soap opera. It feels more of an authentic telling of a family struggling to fit in even if they have been controlling Montana for five generations. Maybe its a Western thing; the cowboy always struggles.    … Expand
  9. merrjess
    Jul 12, 2018
    10
    epic show that keeps getting better with every episode! by far, the best show of the summer.
  10. SerraDragon
    Jun 20, 2018
    10
    Reminds me of Game of Thrones but instead of dragons, Montana. Lots of characters each with their own motivation and personality differences. The pacing was slower and the movement not as crisp as I would have suspected but I have an inkling it's due to the episodes that follow tying together the pilot's breadcrumbs. It's a 10 from me because I want to see what happens next and theReminds me of Game of Thrones but instead of dragons, Montana. Lots of characters each with their own motivation and personality differences. The pacing was slower and the movement not as crisp as I would have suspected but I have an inkling it's due to the episodes that follow tying together the pilot's breadcrumbs. It's a 10 from me because I want to see what happens next and the characters are intriguing, despite their morality being questionable at best.… Expand
  11. jamesh101
    Jun 22, 2018
    0
    The writers for Yellowstone enjoyed the movie "Legends of the fall", so much the similarities between the two are laughable at best. Fiction seems to be the latter for Yellowstone rather than accuracy!
    The storyline is a coin flip, a full reversal of when the native Americans shared the land with nature.
    I enjoyed yellowstone for what it is and will watch more.
  12. dlchambers
    Jul 16, 2018
    5
    Boy, do I want to like this show. But 4 or episodes in, it's just a predictable soap opera. Bad-girl daughter does naughty stuff but daddy still loves her. Good-boy son wants to - but can't - please daddy. Black sheep youngest son refuses family help and does heroic stuff. (Sadly, the most interesting son was killed off). Chinese actress plays pretty Indian wife. Costner scowls. IndianBoy, do I want to like this show. But 4 or episodes in, it's just a predictable soap opera. Bad-girl daughter does naughty stuff but daddy still loves her. Good-boy son wants to - but can't - please daddy. Black sheep youngest son refuses family help and does heroic stuff. (Sadly, the most interesting son was killed off). Chinese actress plays pretty Indian wife. Costner scowls. Indian Chief broods.
    Seriously?
    This is the most disappointing show since Terra Nova, which also had huge promise but quickly collapsed under crummy writing and formulaic plotlines.
    There's no saving this. It hurts me to say it, but cancel this mess already.    … Expand
  13. jshopd
    Aug 13, 2018
    10
    Love the aspects such as profanity, sex, nudity. Closet dwellers, ostriches, and hypocrites of course will balk at it because they still believe it should be 1950's TV. We live in this world, not denial world. Great theme, very entertaining.
  14. RichardGonci
    Jul 7, 2018
    4
    Sadly, virtually totally derivative material here. Maybe the "writers" should have re-visited Larry McMurtry's "Lonesome Dove" to understand how to do a sweeping western saga right. I was primarily drawn to watch by virtue of a credible cast. But, if you put sophomoric dialogue in their mouths, it's not gonna elevate the final product. I am only rating it this high as there is so much junkSadly, virtually totally derivative material here. Maybe the "writers" should have re-visited Larry McMurtry's "Lonesome Dove" to understand how to do a sweeping western saga right. I was primarily drawn to watch by virtue of a credible cast. But, if you put sophomoric dialogue in their mouths, it's not gonna elevate the final product. I am only rating it this high as there is so much junk on the summer schedule that anything watchable gets a partial pass...… Expand
  15. AxeT
    Jun 25, 2018
    3
    Typical gratuitous profanity laced bore lacking in story craft, but that's what's delivered from narrative challenged immature "talent" produced and financed by today's studio stooges.
  16. Dzaber
    Jun 22, 2018
    2
    The show and acting were good but the language did not have to be what it was too many f bombs. Totally not necessary acting and facial expressions would get the same message across. Wo language it would be an almost acceptable family show. Don’t know if I will keep watching if language stays the same
  17. Bluebabyxxoo
    Jun 21, 2018
    2
    Typical Costner fashion this is drawn out and boring. Could be a good series if it moves along quicker.
    i like the land owner/developer/Indian battle, but I'm worried about the Costner curse. And how come no one ever addresses the change in Costner's voice. A lot of the time you can't even understand what he is saying, did he have cancer? vocal cord damage?
  18. Jugmonkey
    Jul 30, 2018
    10
    Bought episode as a flyer for a long flight and enjoyed it very much. Caught up on the rest of the available episodes after I got home, nice surprise for a new show. Big fan, love it.
  19. cbrown
    Jun 29, 2018
    3
    I just can't relate to billionaire cattle ranchers on any level. Not my cup of tea or in this case buffalo chips.
  20. jimfoster
    Jul 19, 2018
    9
    Complex and nuanced characters. Surprising incidents. Unusual setting. Both action and drama. What more do you want in a TV series? I bought the season for $20 from iTunes and am glad I did.
  21. brendak9
    Jun 29, 2018
    0
    Pretty much disappointed,i mainly only watched 1st episode to see Buck Taylor,Rudy Ramos and Ian Bowen, and to see what it is about and i love those 3 actors above and wish they were in more movies,i like Kevin Costner,but not near as much as the 3 i mentioned above,so i am sad Buck and Rudy are only in 1st episode,but i went ahead and watched 2nd episode..because Ian Bowen was suppose toPretty much disappointed,i mainly only watched 1st episode to see Buck Taylor,Rudy Ramos and Ian Bowen, and to see what it is about and i love those 3 actors above and wish they were in more movies,i like Kevin Costner,but not near as much as the 3 i mentioned above,so i am sad Buck and Rudy are only in 1st episode,but i went ahead and watched 2nd episode..because Ian Bowen was suppose to be in it and i have yet to see him,i did not even see him in 1st episode,i loved him on Teen wolf and was excited to see him in a western,is he not really on here,i suffered thru the 2nd episode waiting to see him,because i am actually very bored with the Yellowstone series,so far,especially since there will be no more Rudy Ramos and Buck Taylor… Expand
  22. myharris
    Jul 13, 2018
    0
    Watched the what I thought was the first show...and was wondering if I missed one show prior. Absolutely no development of anything ? Just drops you in and you're supposed to figure it out ? Really bad screenplay and plot ? Is this a soap ? Doesn't hold a candle to "Lonesome Dove" so far..Am I the only one. What a shame...
  23. WSavvvall
    Jul 21, 2018
    0
    Kevin Costner....actor shmakter. ?This guy has stumbled his way through a couple of movies with good music. Otherwise he could not act to save his horse's life. Except he hasn't acted well enough to convince me that he has ever ridden a horse.
  24. seagoby
    Aug 2, 2018
    0
    1 word-disappointment. only draw is Costner. 3 entities man based: rancher, tribal, developers. all murderers. main woman wants to be power hungry man. almost 0 female roles. the 2 that are power hungry. only one feminine role and that is just 20 seconds here and there. its like the writer cant think beyone his male anatomy. ugh. with all the potential here, so easy to do better.
  25. slownight
    Nov 21, 2019
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. "What if we do Dallas but make every character sound like cheap imitation of Rust Cohle from True Detective?!" is not a good pitch but that's what this is.

    I watched the first season of Yellowstone in two chunks because the first three episodes were so underwhelming that I wasn't inclined to finish it. It's honestly hard to know what kind of show they're trying to make here. I loved Sicario and you can see that same gritty realism shine through in several moments but there are so many eyeroll inducing monologues buried throughout that it makes it difficult to take that grittiness seriously. Costner and Gil Birmingham's characters are especially guilty of this as they seem to think it is their sole duty in life to go around spouting off folksy wisdom to people in gravely voices.

    Meanwhile, Beth and Jamie (played by Kelly Reilly and Wes Bentley) are the single most unlikable characters in this or any show in recent memory. Beth is presented as a tough wounded woman with an axe to grind and Jamie as a wormy city boy (even though he grew up on the same ranch as everybody else in the show). Their sibling rivalry goes a long way to reveal the depths of their characters but doesn't show us anything more than petty sniping and isn't redeeming or even remotely fun to watch. Rounded out with Luke Grimes' depiction of the honest but lost third child Kayce, these three each represent the various aspects of John Dutton's character. Unfortunately, he comes across as more of a whiny conservative than a gruff, western mafia boss.

    The show is only really good when you see the grizzled and stoic enforcer character, the aptly name "Rip," showing his true colors and standing up for one of the weaker cowboys. A true sense of actual family values manages to bubble to the surface in a moment like this and it is a welcome respite from the near constant hatred each of the main characters harbors against one another. But it's only a short moment in the grand scheme and doesn't amount to much in the end.

    Season 1 as a whole was very disappointing and underwhelming and in the end seemed more like a very long, very boring series of character studies or a daytime soap opera than a contender in the modern "Peak TV" landscape. The story arc is almost non-existent and many times I had to check which episode I was watching because I couldn't believe that I was so far into the season without a serious sense of an approaching climax.

    Essentially, the show doesn't deliver on its promises. I remember feeling this way when I first watched Mad Men. The difference being that the life of ad executives and creatives never approaches the steep cliff of murder and mayhem the way a show like Yellowstone indicated that it would. You might go through an entire season of Mad Men without seeing anything remotely exciting but looking at the promotional material doesn't indicate that. Those expectations came from my understanding of what TV was supposed to be by watching other shows. Mad Men subverted that and instead delivered a thoughtful, challenging look at the inner lives of its characters and their overall place in 1960s America. Yellowstone, on the other hand, can't really decide what it wants to do. Explosions and adventure, cynical melodrama, clunky social commentary...all of the above?    … Expand
  26. wrascle
    Aug 27, 2018
    9
    A very entertaining series, somewhere between Dallas and Silverado. Kevin has just enough villain in him to drive the plot.
  27. moviebuffers
    Aug 29, 2018
    9
    the first couple episodes are a bit hokey and contrived but so glad I stuck with it. Believe me - it gets much better around episode 5 and the last 2 are great TV. Am very much looking forward to season 2. I came for Costner and the scenery but I will come back for great entertainment. John Huston is my favorite director all time and his son Danny is the spittin' image and I could hearthe first couple episodes are a bit hokey and contrived but so glad I stuck with it. Believe me - it gets much better around episode 5 and the last 2 are great TV. Am very much looking forward to season 2. I came for Costner and the scenery but I will come back for great entertainment. John Huston is my favorite director all time and his son Danny is the spittin' image and I could hear John in his every intonation.… Expand
  28. GrantD243
    Sep 1, 2018
    7
    The best comparison for Yellowstone is that it is the Western version of Succession. The focus is on a rich, not very likable, family who does a lot of bad things and has a lot of drama. We see how different each member of the family is and why they are all fairly hostile towards each other despite being a family. This is a slow burn family drama that has some action mixed in, and at timesThe best comparison for Yellowstone is that it is the Western version of Succession. The focus is on a rich, not very likable, family who does a lot of bad things and has a lot of drama. We see how different each member of the family is and why they are all fairly hostile towards each other despite being a family. This is a slow burn family drama that has some action mixed in, and at times it almost steps into soap opera territory. It can be boring at times, and it can very well be unbelievable at times. Taylor Sheridan's need to kill someone off in nearly every episode becomes a little predictable and honestly a little disappointing. Someone doesn't have to die every episode for the audience to stay interested. I was expecting a project under Taylor's full control to focus heavily on character development and the emotional side of things, but he barely dips below surface level with many of his characters. The story of the show also starts to lose steam after the first four episodes, which were pretty good, as it starts to stretch storylines to fit the runtime. However, the selection of Western shows on TV is not very deep right now, and this does fill that void for me. It has lots of issues, but is still an entertaining show, and I plan on watching season 2.… Expand
  29. vday
    Aug 5, 2018
    10
    Totally engrossed in it now. Kelly Reilly is definitely the key to much of it's success. Only critic is that every back story is angry, troubled or depressed. As if everyone is just gonna throw in the towel at some point... Add some "reason to live" plot lines. But I'll keep watching!
  30. garmonbozia
    Aug 16, 2018
    1
    I can't watch this show with a straight face. It's so bad - it's unintentionally funny. It's like 80's soap opera about cowboys and their girls and how f****** tough they are (I laugh when they hit each others faces for no reason - and it happens a lot in the show). The characters are so unlikable that I couldn't care less what happens to them. The acting is forced and fake. Kevin CostnerI can't watch this show with a straight face. It's so bad - it's unintentionally funny. It's like 80's soap opera about cowboys and their girls and how f****** tough they are (I laugh when they hit each others faces for no reason - and it happens a lot in the show). The characters are so unlikable that I couldn't care less what happens to them. The acting is forced and fake. Kevin Costner is horrible in this role. The little kid is terrible. The always drunk daughter that has mommy and daddy issues combined is ridicules. The plot is so weird that you never know where it's heading. It isn't even a twist - it's like pointless, monotone storytelling. The plot focuses mostly on family relations which are the caliber of "Bold and beautiful" on steroids, and legal and business fights with Native Americans and one businessman.
    What's even more funny is that the music and camera work suggest that we're dealing with a serious drama show. I'm telling you - it's a comedy :)    … Expand
  31. Starstruck
    Oct 23, 2019
    7
    Nice series, it kept things goin' for me...One of them that i 'm looking forward to watching the next episode..

Awards & Rankings

31
#31 Most Discussed TV Season of 2018
38
#38 Most Shared TV Season of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
54

Mixed or average reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 27
  3. Negative: 3 out of 27
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Richard Roeper
    Dec 14, 2018
    75
    “Yellowstone” is consistently engrossing, even when the material is extra pulpy and the multiple storylines become more than a bit confusing and muddled.
    Read full review
  2. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Jun 27, 2018
    50
    The story refreshingly shirks Dallas-style melodrama, but its violent, tragic twists often lacks the intended impact, because it feels we've ridden this dolorous trail too many times before. [25 Jun - 8 Jul 2018, p.11]
  3. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Troy Patterson
    Jun 20, 2018
    30
    A series that begins as a ponderous horse opera and develops into a somewhat preposterous soap opera.
    Read full review
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