“The Scripts Were So Bad”: Taylor Sheriadan Recalls Returning To Save Yellowstone In Season 3

Co-creator of Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan, revealed that he stepped in to write the whole of season 3 after initial scripts were rejected. The third installment of the hit neo-Western series is one of the most explosive — literally — for John and the rest of the Dutton family. Throughout the season, they have to contend with their most monolithic adversaries yet, Market Equities, in order to save their ranch. The season 3 finale, “The World Is Purple,” is widely considered one of Yellowstone‘s best episodes.

Sheridan’s best-loved TV show was apparently facing an all-out actors’ rebellion back in 2020, as the writing output of a team scripting Yellowstone in his stead wasn’t deemed workable by the show’s onscreen talent. The writer and producer explained the situation that confronted him in a recent interview with his longtime collaborator Peter Berg, first published by Gold Derby. It took Sheridan working overtime on new scripts for Yellowstone season 3 alongside his movie project to rescue the series from dire straits. He described what happened to Peter Berg in the following terms:

“They did try to hire a room for Season 3, and the scripts were so bad that they called me back while I was directing this movie in New Mexico with Angie [Jolie], and they said, “You’ve got to help us out. The actors won’t go to work. They’re mutinying.’ And so I wrote an episode of Yellowstone every Saturday.”

What Taylor Sheridan’s Return Meant For Yellowstone’s Season 3

Sheridan Saved The Show

When Peter Berg asked Sheridan how he managed to be so prolific as a screenwriter for Yellowstone as well as his other TV and film releases, Sheridan revealed that it wasn’t his intention to write as much of the series as he did. Rather, he was forced to intervene because the scripts delivered by hired writers without his input simply weren’t up to scratch.

At the time, he was filming his third directorial feature, the Angelina Jolie action movie Those Who Wish Me Dead. This movie shoot was more than enough work to fill Sheridan’s schedule, but the producers of his popular Western TV series were desperate. While it was undoubtedly an exhausting time for Sheridan, everyone on Yellowstone was right to want him back, particularly the “mutinying” actors. From Jamie learning about his adoption to Monica’s powerful storyline where she defends her Indigenous community, season 3 saw them deliver excellent performances.

Our Take On Taylor Sheridan Stepping In To Write Yellowstone Season 3

The Show Was Ultimately His Baby, & He Had The Work Ethic To Write A Whole Season

Taylor Sheridan is famous for his prodigious work ethic, and he typically takes a hands-on approach to any project he works on in any capacity, whether it’s as a show developer, writer, director, or producer. It’s no surprise, then, that when Yellowstone season 3 ran into trouble during pre-production, he was happy to step in and take over writing duties himself. At the same time, dissenting voices within the show’s cast weren’t silenced by Taylor Sheridan’s return to the writers’ room, with central star Kevin Costner later leaving Yellowstone after butting heads with Sheridan himself.

Sheridan’s way of doing things clearly isn’t for everybody, but there’s no question that without his overseeing every aspect of Yellowstone’s production, the series wouldn’t have been the neo-Western masterpiece it was. The show was ultimately Sheridan’s baby, so it’s only logical that he could write its scripts better than anyone.