Let's Talk About Yellowstone.

I am happy to admit that I am an avid Yellowstone fanatic. I do not remember who recommended I watch the show, but I am grateful that I listened to them. While I hate to see the show end, I am eager to share my love for the series. I know for many the show was beloved while for others it was an acquired taste. I never took an interest in the state of Montana until the show. I wish I had known more about the state's rich history and beautiful scenery before watching the show. I was familiar with the Yellowstone National Park as well as cities like Butte, Bozeman, and Billings, but outside of that, nothing piqued my interest. Well, not until Yellowstone aired.

I managed to binge all the seasons, and I will say, the show remained consistently well done throughout all seasons. Usually around the 4th to 5th season, a show loses its spark. It starts to become lackluster due to a multitude of things. However, Yellowstone did a great job of of keeping the series interesting even after the departure of Kevin Costner. While I will not be sharing spoilers here, I want to discuss a few characters and key moments I enjoyed from the series.

Let's start with Jimmy. I appreciated Jimmy's character because he brought lightheartedness to a emotionally intense show. Jimmy was goofy, fun-loving, and easy-going. However, he developed into an individual that was eager to learn and determined to live up to his potential. His ability to gain the respect of everyone around him was so admirable. Additionally, he had one of the best character arcs when it came to growth while continuing to be so loveable. We got not only funny moments from Jimmy, but also extremely heartfelt moments too. I am still not over Jimmy's final scene along with Rip and Lloyd's reactions, but I appreciate how well written the scene was.

Next up, there's Monica. Can we talk about how much hell this woman went through on the show? Every season I was worried this woman would one way or another end up dead. I would be sick to my stomach some episodes because I would be like "Oh crap. What happened to Monica?". Yellowstone was one of the few modern shows where I didn't feel uneasy about the Native American representation. At first, I was hesitant; however, I believe Yellowstone captured raw, real and powerful moments between Native and non-Native people in this show. I would love to have seen more happy moments for Monica in the show. I feel like her character was a bit too tragic in some instances. I hope that if Monica is in any spin off series, she gets a happier storyline.

Then there's Rip. I feel as though I do not have to elaborate a ton on why he is a series favorite. Rip is one of my favorite male characters in a series, ever. He was flawed, but not afraid to admit that at all. He knew his weaknesses, but he never used them as an excuse to do better in his life. He had his "WTF" moments for sure, but deep down he was always a giant teddy bear. I wish we had gotten more moments of him being vulnerable. I am still not over the fact that he was absolutely terrified of Beth and her antics. Furthermore, a man that is willing to crash a pickup truck into 6-figures worth of motorcycles just to help defend his fellow Yellowstone ranchers is a man after my own heart.

Last is none other than Beth Dutton. I could write an entire dissertation on this character. I remember a clip of Beth being my first introduction to Yellowstone. Unhinged doesn't begin to describe her. Kelly Reilly is from England, which is shocking. She nailed the accent, the mannerisms, and so much more for role of Beth Dutton. Beth was not only crazy, but she was hilarious. I constantly recite in my head the four ways she said you could become wealthy in this life. At first, I thought Beth was absolutely insane and a very one-dimensional character. However, over the course of the show she became such an enigma and extremely lovable. I always go back to watch the scene of her defending Monica. While it was funny, messy, and demented, it was also a powerful testament to how much she cared about those she loved even if she was not very close to them. Beth was the type of character to play 4D chess with her rivals while simultaneously downing a bottle of vodka. There will never be another Beth Dutton.

Unfortunately, the series has come to an end, but the characters will live on with us forever. Yellowstone was raw, real and right on the money.

Discussion Questions: Have you watched Yellowstone? If so, who was your favorite character(s) and why?

From: Me

To: You