Happy Thursday, all you Beth Dutton and Rip Wheelers out there. Paramount’s Yellowstone marathon is continuing ahead of the New Year, and the celebration is exactly what fans of the Dutton family everywhere could have hoped for. We’re spending these slow days between one holiday and the next with our favorite cowboys and ranch hands as fans tune in to see the story from the very beginning once again.
If you’ve missed any of the excitement so far, you can tune in every day through Jan. 1, and as we all know, there’s never a wrong time to begin a rewatch. As fans are waiting for the midseason finale this Sunday, stars Kelsey Asbille and Luke Grimes are talking about the magic of Taylor Sheridan’s storytelling and what makes Yellowstone the iconic piece of pop culture that it’s become. From the authenticity of the characters to Sheridan’s knowledge of all things western, the story is phenomenally crafted for fans to enjoy, and the on-screen couple loves to talk about it. You know the drill from here: grab your Yellowstone-loving bestie and your drink of choice, and let’s ride in.
Kelsey Asbille says the magic of the Duttons is that they’re human
Kelsey Asbille is Monica Dutton in Paramount’s number-one series, Yellowstone, and season five has undoubtedly brought with it a lot of heartache for the character.
In speaking with the Seattle Times, Asbille says that there are many reasons Yellowstone has become a phenomenon in the pop culture realm, one of which is that the characters are real and authentic. It’s the magic of the series that we’re not tuning in each week to watch people so far removed from the world that they’re unrelatable.
“It has happened for a lot of different reasons. Obviously, it starts with the writing. Then I think it’s also these characters. They’re messy and complicated and human.”
Asbille isn’t the only one who has spoken about the characters in all the ways they’re messy and authentic, making them incredibly relatable. We’ve all experienced ups and downs that changed us, situations that have spurred us into one direction when we thought we’d be going another, and heartaches that have shaped us, having shaken us to our core. We’ve seen every emotion humans can feel and then some as they play out on Yellowstone, and Sheridan doesn’t put the characters into perfectly manufactured settings as they work through them.
There are big tears, all-out screaming matches, brawls in a bar or on the front lawn, and shrieks of devastation as the Duttons and those closest to them navigate life at the Yellowstone. It’s absolutely compelling television in every sense of the word.
Luke Grimes embraces the unexpected with Taylor Sheridan
Luke Grimes also opened up with the Seattle Times about the magic of Yellowstone and how the series has become an incredibly powerful piece of entertainment across the industry. From people who usually soak in the western genre to those who’ve never watched a series about cowboys in their life, Yellowstone is a series that can compel various audiences.
Another part of the magic? It’s the unexpected, and Sheridan plays on that very well. Even when a storyline seems to be going very obviously in one direction, he can switch it up in no time and change absolutely everything.
“You never know what to expect, but every season has been different. I feel like every season has its own footprint, its own identity, and they all feel very different from the last one. That being said, this one is still just as big and exciting as every other season before.”
This season is big and exciting, so much so that it almost feels like we’re traveling at warped speed over the last month and a half. We’re seeing so much happening in the lives of each of our most beloved and loathed characters, and each set of circumstances changes them in some way. Echoing some of the same sentiments that his television wife shared, he notes that the authenticity in Sheridan’s storytelling is a big reason that Yellowstone resonates with many audiences.
“He’s really got a point of view that I think we haven’t seen before. There’s not a lot of people who live the life that he lives. He’s been really authentically himself throughout his career. That gives him a good vantage point from where to write this story. It’s a world that he knows really well.”
Sheridan does know this lifestyle very well, and above all else, he’s dedicated to giving it his all. Audiences never have to hope for more in the Yellowstone realm because we’ve already been given so much.
Fans on Reddit are pointing out the importance of these recent scenes
Yellowstone is undeniably an exciting television show, but it’s also a series you can learn from if you give it a chance. Even scenes that might initially be jarring or hard to understand can often teach us something. A lot of Yellowstone’s storyline focuses on preconceived notions and the judgment of others.
Sheridan himself is no stranger to being judged without first being given a chance, so it’s not surprising that he’s woven those pieces of his own experiences into what the characters are growing through. This Yellowstone fan picked up on that and wanted to ensure the scenes were something we all paid extra attention to.
The Beth and Summer brawl was undoubtedly an intense piece of television, but there were more layers to it than just a physical altercation between people who couldn’t get along. Sheridan was taking us on a journey from when they met to when they sat down at the dinner table that night.
Fans say that the moment also showed how deeply Rip understands Beth and the importance of their bond, allowing one another to be who they are while encouraging them to grow together in love. The viewer also notes that Summer has growth potential too, and that she’s making progress after opening her mind to some of the happenings at the ranch and the way of life that the Duttons lead. It’s not the more-immense evil she initially thought it to be.
Some fans saw the meaning of the situation, while others have decided that no matter what, they’re still not going to start up a chat with their neighbors.
Especially this Yellowstone fan who lives next to a cemetery, and is hoping not to engage in any conversations across the graveyard anytime soon.
So whether their brawl — and the common ground they found to stand on — inspired you, or left you feeling like sometimes you’d still rather not get to know those around you, the fact that a conversation is taking place at all is part of Sheridan’s plan here. We’re not all going to agree on everything, but if we can acknowledge the humanity behind the opinions and differences, we might learn something.
You can catch up on all things Yellowstone with the New Year Celebration Marathon taking place now on Paramount, and don’t forget to tune into the midseason finale on Jan. 1.