ST. LOUIS — **SPOILERS AHEAD FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T WATCHED SUNDAY'S SEASON FINALE**
A gangster played by Paul Newman once said sons are put on this Earth to trouble their fathers. John Dutton (Kevin Costner) would certainly agree.
It seems like every season on Paramount Network's hit drama series, "Yellowstone," Dutton is dealing with two different problems: outside threats on his large Montana ranch/land and issues within his own house from his sons and daughter. By the end of the third season, Dutton saw those two problems converge on the same road. He was also bleeding out on the side of the road after being shot by a mysterious party.
One of the best things about this show is the cast, a group of actors reinventing themselves for the role and story. The creators, John Linson and Taylor Sheridan, the latter well known for gritty dramas set in the world of cowboys and long rifles, have put together a tale that reminds me of "Sopranos" if it took place on a ranch and included more horses and cowboys hats than Adidas track suits and cigars. A comparison not only in relation to its plot, but also to the way Linson and Sheridan have properly cast the roles. Actors that can stretch their persona all the while staying familiar to their career treks.
Costner's work as Dutton is the kind of assured work you'd expect from the veteran actor. He supplies the patriarch of the show with a depth and wise mystery that carries many episodes that would otherwise just float around, searching for meaning. The main plot of the show concerns the Yellowstone ranch, a place enshrined in Dutton's family for decades. Ever since the premiere in 2018, various people have threatened to take his land, and possibly his life. At the end of season 3, Dutton was leaning up against his pickup truck bleeding from at least one, possibly two, gunshot wounds.
The victim of an attack that may or may not have been orchestrated from the office of the Attorney General (Wes Bentley), who happens to be his son. Well, adopted son. That was one of the bombshells set off this season, finding out Bentley's Jamie is not John's biological son and adopted from a murderous father (guest star Will Patton). During Sunday's finale, Jamie was using his own power of attorney to fast track the sale of part of Dutton's land to investors wanting to build commercial property and an airport (led by "Lost" veteran Josh Holloway). Another person who could be involved in John's murder was Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), who has battled on and off with Dutton for years.
"Yellowstone" is also a highly rated show due to the fact that it presents a seemingly simple construction of people and problems, but then throws in multiple twists and turns inside a single season. Costner's Dutton is never happy, but few characters are happy for long at all on this show. If people are happy, the drama disappears. A plot point that affected Cole Hauser's Rip Wheeler and Dutton daughter, and powerful businesswoman, played by Kelly Reilly's Beth. The two finally scratch the romantic itch this summer, getting engaged and moving into Rip's house-gifted to him by John last season-close to the ranch.
From the minute these two decided to spend the rest of their life together, I knew doom was close behind. As Philadelphia photographer Jacob Riis once said, "where you build a church, the devil lives next door." Sure enough, Beth found herself in harm's way when a bomb went off inside her office right before the third season closed its doors. She may be dead, and Rip had to kill off another piece of his soul by shooting a wounded horse.
Sheridan and Linson threw the Duttons into the gauntlet this season, pushing and pulling the family in different ways. Some experienced a loss of power, as John stepped down from Livestock Commissioner (he did pass it onto Luke Grimes' Kayce), and Beth being fired (temporarily) from her job. Some found love, as Rip and Beth did. Others just found change evolving inside their lives that was previously unknown to them, like Jamie. Everyone has an agenda, and this was a season that challenged just about everyone.
For a long stretch, it was a season that included an uneven ride for viewers. Part romance, part legacy introspection, and all parts confusing. There didn't seem to be much of a central plot until late, just loose story threads trying to attach to one another. The season also lacked a true adversary, as Holloway's charming but seemingly harmless land developer didn't pose too much of a threat. But then things changed, especially in the final hour.
Sometimes, shows take that route. They want to purposefully lead you down a road where certainty lies to you about what's ahead. Before Sunday's finale, I wondered if Sheridan and Linson could wrap this season up with a bang-and they did just that. They saved the best for last, leaning into the idea that the Dutton's worst enemies could end up being themselves. It could also be greed and a stubborn grip on old school beliefs, including Dutton's desire to hold onto his land and not sell.
Once again, Costner is so good in the lead role. In older age, the actor well known for winning an Oscar for directing and portraying various sports heroes has downloaded superb nuance into his arsenal of tricks. Dutton can transmit a page of dialogue with a single stare, or show the right amount of lovable grandpa vibe with his grandson (Kayce's kid). Costner can switch speeds so well.
But the supporting cast truly makes the show what it is. Hauser completely reinvented himself as Wheeler, Dutton's #2 and arguably the toughest guy in Montana. Formerly a broken man from a violent home, Rip knows what the bottom looks like and uses that edge to ward off potential threats to Yellowstone. Hauser is a marvel in the role, and the same goes for his fictional love interest, Reilly. If you think you know her from "Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows" or "Flight," don't kid yourself. Beth Dutton is highly sophisticated, smart as a whip, tough in all the right ways, and has a pair of eyes that can cut a man down in an instant. Talk about a full-bodied performance.
The truth is, even when "Yellowstone" isn't the greatest show, it's still a pretty good one. Always watchable and frequently rousing due to its beautiful location, this is a show that doesn't ask for too many brain cells and won't bore you. The drama is as well-built here as the houses on set. Characters present quarrels and the bunk house on the ranch is never quiet (love that Lloyd). A place where ex-cons are treated like family but also branded with a "Y" to make sure they can't get lost provides endless intrigue.
But a thrilling finale that leaves fans dying for more and deciphering a cliffhanger is the way a show should end its third season. By the 30 episode mark, you either have or don't have people's attention, so the writers should take challenges and spin the plot they desire. For the most part (outside of that brutal Beth assault and Dutton heart scare), the Duttons haven't seen much life-threatening harm in the first 29 hours. Hour #30 set their world on fire.
Season 4, currently filming, will see the Duttons trying to get it all back. It will be revenge time, and that is worth waiting for. If you haven't dug into "Yellowstone" yet, I highly recommend you start.
Ways to Watch: Paramount Network, Amazon (for purchase), YouTube TV.
