Meanwhile, the crime thriller Dark Winds deserves to be ranked above Yellowstone among the best Western TV shows of the 21st century. This noir-tinged period drama about Navajo Tribal Police working on reservation land in the Southwestern United States during the 1970s is both grittier and more stylish than its better-known counterpart.
While there’s no question that both Yellowstone and Dark Winds should be counted among the best neo-Western shows available for streaming, the latter series is one of several such Westerns which are frequently overlooked as a consequence of Yellowstone’s overwhelming popularity.
Dark Winds Is The Best Neo-Western Show Of The 2020s
When Dark Winds season 3 debuted on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes with a perfect 100% score, it achieved something no other Western show has ever managed. The show continued its streak of entirely positive critical reviews for a third season running, solidifying its status as the best neo-Western TV series of the 2020s so far.
The show explores this theme from the perspective of three law enforcement officers, Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee and Bernadette Manuelito, policing Navajo tribal land in the Four Corners area of the United States. Each season’s plot primarily concerns a murder investigation, which is depicted with the foreboding undertones and oblique aesthetic of a neo-noir thriller.
How Dark Winds Is Even Better Than Yellowstone
Dark Winds is one of several recent Western shows that are better than Yellowstone, and the most prominent example among the shows released in the 2020s. Based on novelist Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee stories, its characters are carefully crafted, nuanced portrayals of Native American culture.
| Season | Yellowstone Rotten Tomatoes Score | Dark Winds Rotten Tomatoes Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 58% | 100% |
| 2 | 89% | 100% |
| 3 | 100% | 100% |
| 4 | 91% | – |
| 5 | 79% | – |
Yet, the crime elements in Dark Winds are fully thought-out and grounded in realism. In Yellowstone, meanwhile, violent crimes are often committed purely to illustrate the brutal nature of the Wild West, or to drive narratives of internecine personal conflict.
Why Yellowstone Is More Popular Than Dark Winds
As great as Dark Winds is, though, it’s nowhere near as popular as Taylor Sheridan’s most famous neo-Western series. Yellowstone’s series finale broke streaming records for the genre by drawing over 11 million viewers.
The show’s lead star Kevin Costner, a legend of Western cinema, was the initial attraction for much of its audience. Zahn McClarnon might be brilliant as protagonist Joe Leaphorn in Dark Winds, but he simply doesn’t have the status that Costner commands. Once eyes were on Yellowstone, many viewers got hooked on the family soap opera of the Dutton family.
