Yellowstone is a show that’s only gotten stronger as the seasons have progressed, though that streak has ended with season four. That’s not to say that season four is bad, it’s still a really addicting show to watch with some incredibly strong moments between members of the Dutton family and those who work for them; but coming off of what I believe was the series strongest season, with an absolutely crazy cliffhanger, season four just feels messier than the previous seasons from a storytelling perspective, with character timelines having a somewhat sloppy feel to them, and multiple subplots dragging on far too long.
I won’t go through things episode by episode, but season four does come out of the gate swinging. After the way season three ended there was no real other way to do it, and Taylor Sheridan nails this episode and sets some really high standards that the rest of the season just can’t seem to reach. One of the biggest issues with this season is that Sheridan is trying to set up two Yellowstone spinoffs within it. First we’ve got 1883, which is already doing crazy numbers for Paramount+, so while laying the groundwork for these shows may have slightly thrown the flagship show off track for a season, they also succeeded in doing what they were hoping with bringing audiences over to these new shows.
But 1883, which focuses on John Dutton’s (Kevin Costner) great grandfather and how the ranch first came to be, only gets a few scenes throughout the season at the start of an episode, so they don’t really interfere with the show itself. The spinoff that takes a fairly hefty portion of season four’s storytelling time is that of the Four Sixes Ranch, a place in Texas where Jimmy (Jefferson White) is sent by John after breaking his word that he wouldn’t rodeo anymore.
This storyline is also where the lines of time are somewhat blurred, as Jimmy is told in episode one that he needs to wear this back/neck brace now or he could undo all the progress he’s made through physical therapy since his fall at the end of season 3; however, almost immediately he’s told by Travis (Sheridan) to throw it in the back of his truck because it’ll wreck his seats as Travis drives Jimmy down to Texas – and the brace is never seen again. Jimmy just jumps on unbroken horse after unbroken horse down in Texas and his health is never mentioned.
A lot of time is spent with Jimmy down in Texas, even though nothing really happens down there. It’s more just him learning to be a cowboy, and that’s fine, but when they sent Jimmy down there I thought that’d be where the 6666 show picked up, with Jimmy as that crossover character that made viewers feel familiar with something from the start. Instead we watch Jimmy’s entire journey throughout the season, and he’s back at the Yellowstone by the end of the season with a decision to make.
It’s bizarre because Jimmy’s story feels like it takes place over 6 months or so, whereas the main storyline with the Dutton family feels like it could be taking place over the course of weeks. So to have Jimmy return by season’s end just condenses Jimmy’s timeline so much that it makes his journey seem drastically fast. Here’s a guy that’s barely able to walk in episode one, and then in a blink he’s completely fine. With 6666 not being set to debut until late 2022 or 2023 this just felt like something that could’ve carried over into that show instead of taking up so much time in season four.
There are some big things that happen to the Dutton family throughout the season, and that family dynamic is where the show truly shines. There’s is a subplot of a romantic relationship between John and an activist (played by Piper Perabo) that’s kind of a misfire and doesn’t seem to add much, and Beth (Kelly Reilly) sort of takes in a troubled kid named Carter (Finn Little) after the boy’s father dies, leaving him orphaned and on a road to nowhere good. The idea of the storyline is nice, with Beth being unable to have a child of her own; however, the execution of some of it drags throughout a lot of the season after Beth and Carter have a bit of a disagreement over buying a shirt early on that seems to put a wedge between them so big that you’d think Carter tried to steal Beth’s car or something.
Again, after my extremely glowing reviews for seasons one, two and three I know this one sounds negative, and that’s just because the show has delivered so strongly on all fronts for years now so expectations are higher. I spent a lot of time talking about Jimmy’s story in this review because it does take up a lot more real estate than I expected it would. It’s not a boring story, but it just felt like a separate show taking place at the same time. Yellowstone is a different kind of beast of a show, and its unique delivery of entertainment is what makes it stand out. It’s not always intense, and it’s not always action packed. It’s full of rich characters with lots going on and it’s not afraid to take its foot off the gas and slow things down in order to say what it wants to say.
It’s just that coming out of such a fantastic season, Yellowstone Season Four gets caught up in things that aren’t overly interesting for far too long. Beth and Carter’s prolonged disagreement and a feud in the bunkhouse between Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith) and Walker (Ryan Bingham) are two examples of storylines that should have been summed up over the course of a couple of episodes, yet they go on for six or seven and as a viewer it just feels like we’re treading water.
That all said, there’s still something that’s just captivating about the show that makes it hard to turn away. Even when things aren’t working as well as they should, the actors are still top tier and the entertainment value is there. With the foundations now set for the various spinoffs, I’m hopeful that Sheridan will have a sharper focus moving forward, as even through some of the storyline misfires, season four does plant some seeds along the way that should lead to next season getting Yellowstone right back on track to the five-star calibre show it was prior.
Blu-ray Video and Audio Review
Regardless of storylines, one thing that can never be argued is that Yellowstone is just an absolutely gorgeous show, and this Blu-ray once again proves it. While the lives of the Dutton family are often in turmoil, the world around them is full of beautiful scenic backdrops that just bring a sort of calming peace to you while watching. The 1080p transfer here allows the scenery to shine, be it day or night, and it really just brings out jealousy as a viewer that these actors are out there getting to enjoy these views every day.
The audio transfer is delivered in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and sounds incredible. This is a show that often has a great score playing, or country music blasting alongside scenes dedicated to showcasing the ranching lifestyle, and they ring through clean, clear and wonderfully for all to enjoy here. The dialogue is also as sharp as Beth’s comebacks and never battles it out with the score or sound effects. Speaking of the sound effects, those are also top tier here, and really helping to bring this world to life on the small screen.
Special Features:
Disc 1, 2 & 3
Behind the Story – The first three discs each have this feature, which Yellowstone fan’s will be familiar with and likely welcome back once again! Each episode has its own “Behind the Story” featurette which runs from roughly 7 to 12 minutes, give or take, and we get to listen to the main cast, as well as Taylor Sheridan talk about that particular episode, what it was like filming it, how the characters felt during that particular episode and so forth. They’re easy to watch and something that’s fun to go back to once viewing the season is complete to get a deeper understanding of the character thought behind certain scenarios.
Disc 4
Opening Pandora’s Box: Making Yellowstone Season 4 – This is the heftiest feature on the disc, running at just over 37 minutes in length. Here we get a solid look behind the major stories taking place over the course of season four, what went into the making of certain scenes (in particular the opening action sequence that kicked off the season,) new characters arriving this season, and just about everything you could want to have touched upon all in one place.
Bloodline: Yellowstone Origins – Here we see Sheridan talk about wanting to look at the Dutton family throughout the generations, and to showcase how much has changed and how much has stayed the same, while also showcasing where John’s belief system stems from. This one is under 11-minutes in length and sees the cast of that show talking about Sheridan bringing the idea to them, where Sheridan hopes to go with it and so forth.
Season 4: Back to the Bunkhouse – This is a six-and-a-half minute featurette that focuses on the main story to take place in the bunkhouse this season: the feud between Lloyd and Walker. It’s fun to see these actors talk about how their stories play out alongside the show’s main Dutton storyline, even if this story did drag on a little long this time out.
Working the Yellowstone: Making It All Happen – This is another short featurette that sees the cast and crew talk about the show, working on the ranch, and so forth.
Inside Yellowstone: Season 4 – This is more of a promotional piece that comes in at three-and-a-half minutes and kind of covers most of the same clips we’ve seen previously from the cast and crew touching on this season.
Yellowstone: Stories From the Bunkhouse – Much like Behind the Story, Stories From the Bunkhouse makes its return and sees Jefferson White, Denim Richards and Ian Bohen sit around the table and talk about each episode from this season. It’s fun to watch them break things down from an outside perspective of the main characters (the opposite of Behind the Story) so fans should be sure to check these out at some point.
Paramount Pictures Presents Yellowstone: Season 4. Created for Television by: John Linson, Taylor Sheridan. Starring: Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, Jefferson White, Gil Bermingham, Forrie J. Smith, Mo Brings Plenty, Ryan Bingham, Finn Little, Piper Perabo, Taylor Sheridan, Will Patton. Running time: 533 minutes. Rating: 14A. Blu-ray Released: March 8, 2022.
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