Yellowstone has its fair share of disturbing moments, but one scene in particular unsettled iconic actor Kevin Costner, who plays the lead character John Dutton on the show. Funnily enough, it wasn’t a bloody murder or a fake cow carcass that caused Costner to swear, but a simple grilled octopus dish that disturbed him to his very core.
Food is a major component of Yellowstone, even though the Dutton family rarely finishes a family dinner. Creator Taylor Sheridan included a real-life chef, Chef Gabriel “Gator” Guilbeau, to prepare all the meals on and off-screen. This means most of the culinary moments in the series are extremely accurate, keeping in line with Sheridan’s preference for realism. For example, when Beth tried to swap the family’s usual meaty and traditional menu for a Mediterranean diet, neither her father nor Kevin Costner were too happy about it. In an interview with Delish, Chef Gabriel Guilbeau (better known as Chef Gator) showed the audience how to cook his famous Pineapple Bourbon Bread Pudding as he recalled the iconic Dutton family dinner and commented on the hilarious anecdote.
The Grilled Octopus Scene Is a Key Moment in Yellowstone
At the end of Season 2, Episode 3 of Yellowstone, “The Reek of Desperation,” John, Beth, and Kayce sit together in the dining room for their usual family dinner. Beth always finds a way to ruin this idyllic moment, and this time, she does by ordering the family chef, Gator, to cook a Mediterranean dish. Gator places the grilled octopus in all its glory in front of John Dutton, who immediately has a negative reaction. The dish emphasizes the octopus’ tentacles, with Chef Gator commenting that he actually charred the mollusk to create a more vivid representation of the sea meal, without any sauces or garnish to take away from the impactful image. For those who are not used to this kind of diet, the plate does nothing to soften the impact, and maybe some in the audience had the same reaction as John.
| Episode | IMDb Score |
|---|---|
| Season 2, Episode 3, “The Reek of Desperation” | 7.9 |
While John asks Kayce to pass the potatoes, foregoing the main dish of the evening, Kayce and Beth happily eat the octopus. Beth explains that she needs to eat something other than meat, or her next colonoscopy will be made with “a f**king fire hose,” a hilarious comment that did nothing to convince John. The family patriarch tries to stir the conversation to a more polite subject, but as usual, tension dominates the table and all his attempts fail. He asks Kayce if the octopus is any good, to which the bitter man replies “I don’t care what I eat.” To make matters worse, Jamie arrives at the end of the scene after withdrawing from the race. Kayce asks him where he’s been, provoking a laughing attack from Beth, who simply can’t abstain from acknowledging the ridiculousness of the situation or simply loves to see Jamie fail. She, however, is polite enough to serve a whole tentacle, and nothing else, onto Jamie’s plate. John finally decides to quit the dinner.
The scene is hilarious, with Yellowstone‘s usual sarcastic and dark humor. However, it also portrays the tension between the family members and says a lot about the Dutton dynamic and ranching roots. Steak is the ultimate American meal, and the Duttons grow it in their own backyard. Montana, of course, doesn’t have access to the sea, so any seafood has to come from another state. Wholesome food and simple, down-to-earth recipes represent Montana’s cuisine, with great pride in their beef and hunting variety. In Season 5, Episode 5, “Watch ‘Em Ride Away,” while vegan activist Summer attends dinner, Gator serves an assortment of game, including venison, roast duck, and doves. This is another episode that draws another drastic cultural line in terms of food and ideology.
Mediterranean diets, as well as vegan options, are becoming more common in modern meal plans in cities, especially in areas like Los Angeles and New York, representing everything that John Dutton opposes. Beth and Kayce display their lack of attachment to the Yellowstone ranch by consuming the octopus, while John remains loyal to his roots, his traditional ideas, and above all, his land.
Kevin Costner Was Put Off by the Grilled Octopus, & His Reaction Was Genuine
According to Chef Gator in the previously mentioned interview, Kevin Costner is, surprisingly, a very picky eater. The Chef asserts that before meeting him, Costner likely lived purely on canned chili beans and hot dogs. Fortunately, on the set, Gator made sure to give Costner a better diet. However, nothing as outlandish as octopus, of course. When they started rolling the octopus scene, Costner had not seen the grilled mollusk, so it was a shock for him to see the grotesque-looking meal put in front of him on the table. Gator says that Costner looked at him like “he was a little kid and I just stepped on his cat or something or stole his lollipop.” Basically, the reaction of Kevin Costner as John as he asks Gator “What the f**ck is that” is completely genuine, which adds a lot of humor and realism to such a well-crafted scene.
It was smart of Taylor Sheridan to surprise Kevin Costner with the grilled octopus and disturb him on camera with the odd-looking meal. There was the option of even using a fake octopus, but having the meal actually cooked on the set gives it a realistic aspect and augments Costner and John Dutton’s disgusted reaction. Even the smell could have put the actor off, who even looked uncomfortable for the rest of the scene. Sheridan pays a lot of attention to realistic details, like using cowboy clothing brands and inserting several horse athletes in the show, so adding real meals and reactions makes the series feel even more palpable for the audience.
Chef Gator Is an On-Screen and Off-Screen Figure
Chef Gator Makes Food for the Yellowstone, 1883, and 1923 Casts
Adding even more realism to the gastronomic sphere of Yellowstone, many viewers might be surprised to know that the actor who plays Gator in the series is an actual chef in real life. Chef Gabriel “Gator” Guilbeau first cooked the meals used in the series and for the cast, and, eventually, Taylor Sheridan also wrote him a character in the series. A lot of the time, when people see Gator cooking in the show, he’s not pretending. That’s his actual job. This is probably why people can see true camaraderie in the relationship between John Dutton and his cook, Gator. Both in the show and in real life, Gator takes care of everyone’s nutrition.
Chef Gator comments in the Delish interview that Costner often asks him for sweet treats on the set. The cast’s favorite is a Pineapple Bourbon Bread Pudding that’s a great comfort during the cold months. For Gator to serve a grilled octopus in front of Costner must have been both a shock and a betrayal, since he always receives such delicious food from the chef. The audience can sense the ambient shift as soon as John sees the dish, and Gator’s nervousness in the scene is probably more real than acted, which makes the moment even better.
For those who would like to try some authentic Yellowstone meals (as well as 1883 and 1923), they can purchase a recipe book created by Chef Gator himself, Yellowstone: The Official Dutton Ranch Family Cookbook. It includes many recipes from the show: pure cowboy food like chili or cornbread, but also iconic and unique treats like Beth’s smoothie with two scoops of ice cream and three shots of vodka, or the delicious biscuits that Kacey and his son Tate absolutely love. Gator also added recipes from his Cajun inheritance that he would often cook for the cast, so the audience would feel not only closer to the Yellowstone world but also to the people who brought it to life. Of course, the book also includes a recipe for the Grilled Octopus that caused such a visceral reaction from Kevin Costner, and people can ascertain for themselves if the infamous dish deserved such a visceral and strong reaction.
