Remember When ‘Yellowstone’ Premiered?

A shade under three million people tuned in for the Yellowstone premiere four years ago Monday (June 20). In 2018, very little was known about the show, the storyline or the Montana landscape the Dutton family would explore. Most were tuning in to see Kevin Costner’s latest project.

That’s not the case any longer. The Season 4 finale of Yellowstone on the Paramount Network brought 9.3 million viewers to their televisions to find out how the season-long tension between Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) and his birth father Garrett Randal (Will Patton) would resolve. We won’t spoil that here, except to say it’s all going to make for a fascinating Dutton family dynamic once Season 5 begins in November.

Critics were a bit cool on Season 1 of Yellowstone, especially in comparison to the subsequent three seasons, each of which earned rave reviews. While the acting and Montana scenery in Season 1 was applauded, the drama was scrutinized as being over the top.

In 2022, nothing about the show has changed — in fact, one could argue that creator Taylor Sheridan has only pressed the pedal down harder on the violence and drama. The show’s pull relies on the motives of each character becoming more clear, a fascinating tension between good and evil and larger explorations of the west, Native American culture and ranching.

Two Yellowstone prequels have been born from the original show, making the franchise among the most successful on television and streaming services today. 1883 earned positive reviews for its gritty portrayal of the 19th century trek from Texas to Oregon. 1932 will premiere later this year and promises the most star-studded cast yet: Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren have signed on, with additional cast to be announced.

Taste of Country covers it all with the Dutton Rules podcast, available above or wherever great podcasts are found.

10 ‘Yellowstone’ Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

How big of a fan of Yellowstone are you? These 10 facts about the Paramount Network show are sure to stump even the most dedicated viewers. They’re almost all about the cast members and their real-life passions and roles. John’s kids? Beth’s accent? Rainwater’s guitar playing? Tate’s spoilers? It’s all part of this list of 10 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Yellowstone.

Paramount Network

‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 34: Who Has the Most Kills?

Heading into Season 5, Part 2 of Yellowstone, Rip Wheeler has the most kills with nine. Kayce Dutton has five, followed by the Beck Brothers (three by proxy) and Agent Steve Hendon (three).

Granted, it’s impossible to tell who killed who during certain scenes. For example, the Season 2 finale is chaos and many people get killed in a hail of gun fire at the start of Season 4. This info is confirmed kills after re-watching and with help from this Yellowstone Wiki page.

Greg Doherty, Getty Images

‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 33: These Two Got Married

Walker and Laramie were a sexy on-screen couple during Season 4 and Season 5 of Yellowstone, and that chemistry spilled over. The got married in October 2023.

Amy Sussman, Getty Images

‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 32: Why Sam Elliott Said ‘No’

Sam Elliott was terrific on Taylor Sheridan’s 1883, but during that run he admitted to Marc Maron that he said “No” to Yellowstone.

The reason? He doesn’t like the show. Honestly, he blasted it as a soap opera that was too much like “f—ing” Dallas.

Paramount Network

‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 31: What Lainey Wilson Stole

Lainey Wilson appeared as Abby during Season 5 of Yellowstone, and after filming, she admitted a theft to Taste of Country.

One day, she arrived having not showered or shaved, so she took prop deodorant and razors from the bunk house and made do. Kinda curious to know if she put ’em back.

Keith Griner, Getty Images

‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 30: The Truth About Zach Bryan’s First Appearance

Yellowstone really wanted to feature Zach Bryan’s song “Condemned,” but his original was recorded in an AirBNB. So the show paid for him to re-cut it with Chris Stapleton’s producer Dave Cobb in Nashville. It happened in November 2019 and produced a two-song EP called Studio A Recordings. The next year he’d appear on Yellowstone, and his career took off soon after.

Kate Green, Getty Images

‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 29: John Dutton May Not Be Getting Rich But Kevin Costner Is

In July 2022, Variety reported that Costner was set to earn $1.3 million per episode of Yellowstone, up from $500,000 an ep. in Season 1. That includes some production credits and other responsibilities.

Tommaso Boddi, Getty Images

‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 28: How Much Does Rip Make?

Season 5 salaries for the rest of the cast of Yellowstone are not known, but Cinema Blend estimated that Kelly Reilly (Beth), Cole Hauser (Rip), Luke Grimes (Kayce), Wes Bentley (Jamie) and Kelsey Asbille (Monica) made about $200,000 per episode in Season 1.

Ethan Miller, Getty Images

‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 27: Speaking of Rip …

Taylor Sheridan only had eyes for Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler. The Dazed and Confused actor and (bonus fact) heir to Warner Brothers didn’t even have to audition for Yellowstone.

Getty Images

‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 26: A Connection With ‘Lost’

During Season 4, Rip (Cole Hauser) kills Roarke by throwing a rattlesnake at him. It was cool at the time, if a bit unrealistic as time has passed.

That was the first time Taylor Sheridan tapped an actor from the hit ABC show Lost for Yellowstone. He’ll do it again for the sequel, The Madison. The new series is set to star Matthew Fox, who played Jack on the 2000s TV show.

Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 25: Kelly Reilly’s Audition

The woman who would come to play Beth Dutton did send an audition tape, but when Taylor Sheridan saw it, he knew she was Beth. He says that’s his favorite character to write.

Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

‘Yellowstone’ Fact No. 24: Will All the Real Cowboys Please Stand Up?

Not you, Jimmy. Actor Jefferson White’s inability on a horse is well-documented — although we hear he’s getting better — but other actors that stay in the Yellowstone bunkhouse are veterans of the rodeo. Actor Forrie J. Smith (Lloyd), Jake Ream (Jake), Ethan Lee (Ethan) and Ryan Bingham (Walker) are four with serious horse cred. In fact, they help teach the rest of the cast how to ride and handle horses. Writer Taylor Sheridan is also very capable. In fact …

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