With "1883" acting as my gateway drug into the "Yellowstone" universe and having powered through all of that show to catch up, the only other strand I have, until the next spinoff comes out, is another prequel series "1923".
Since their deal with the Native Americans, the Dutton family have owner and operated a ranch in a large valley of Montana. Since his younger brother's death, Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford) has run the ranch, together with his wife Cara (Helen Mirren), but a dispute with neighbouring farmers is exploited by Tycoon Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) to launch an assault on the land on several fronts. In an act of desperation, Cara writes to her nephew Spencer (Brandon Sklenar), a former soldier now operating as a big game hunter in Africa. He starts to return home, but his journey is fraught with both peril and opportunity. Meanwhile, Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves), a native girl forced into a school run by catholic nuns escapes the violence and abuse and tries to get back to her people.
So, this series feels a lot more like regular "Yellowstone" than "1883" did. There are some superficial reasons, the main house is built in a recognisable way, for example. But thematically it's more similar too. The Dutton family, led by a gruff patriarch (who apparently is impervious to bullet wounds) utilise the local law enforcement to enhance their personal situation. An evil person, who seemingly has an unreal advantage over the Dutton's wants the land and it will fall to the family to defend it.
Performances are really good, of course they are. Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, Timothy Dalton. You also have Jerome Flynn and Julia Schleapfer in key roles, and cameos from Robert Patrick, Jennifer Ehle, Bruce Davison and Peter Stormare. In addition, none of the incarnations of the shows have had any problem finding beautiful ways to shoot the scenery.
I would say that this feels more like half a story, than a genuine or traditional 'season' and it leaves the stories at a midpoint, rather than arriving at any even partial conclusions - so much so I was surprised to discover that the season had actually ended. I'll certainly be back for season two though.
Since their deal with the Native Americans, the Dutton family have owner and operated a ranch in a large valley of Montana. Since his younger brother's death, Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford) has run the ranch, together with his wife Cara (Helen Mirren), but a dispute with neighbouring farmers is exploited by Tycoon Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) to launch an assault on the land on several fronts. In an act of desperation, Cara writes to her nephew Spencer (Brandon Sklenar), a former soldier now operating as a big game hunter in Africa. He starts to return home, but his journey is fraught with both peril and opportunity. Meanwhile, Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves), a native girl forced into a school run by catholic nuns escapes the violence and abuse and tries to get back to her people.
So, this series feels a lot more like regular "Yellowstone" than "1883" did. There are some superficial reasons, the main house is built in a recognisable way, for example. But thematically it's more similar too. The Dutton family, led by a gruff patriarch (who apparently is impervious to bullet wounds) utilise the local law enforcement to enhance their personal situation. An evil person, who seemingly has an unreal advantage over the Dutton's wants the land and it will fall to the family to defend it.
Performances are really good, of course they are. Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, Timothy Dalton. You also have Jerome Flynn and Julia Schleapfer in key roles, and cameos from Robert Patrick, Jennifer Ehle, Bruce Davison and Peter Stormare. In addition, none of the incarnations of the shows have had any problem finding beautiful ways to shoot the scenery.
I would say that this feels more like half a story, than a genuine or traditional 'season' and it leaves the stories at a midpoint, rather than arriving at any even partial conclusions - so much so I was surprised to discover that the season had actually ended. I'll certainly be back for season two though.