Blu-ray Review: Yellowstone: Season Five

Blu-ray Reviews, Reviews, Top Story

Yellowstone will be coming to an end with the second half of season five, and that’s probably for the best. I still thoroughly enjoy the show, and absolutely loved the first three seasons; however, it’s clear that there’s a lot of water being treaded throughout the last two seasons, or focus being given to spinoffs, both in present time and the past. Season four was the one that suffered the most from this narrative split (though it also ended up having the best ratings the show had ever seen) and while the fifth season begins to right the ship, it’s also clear that it’s better for this show to end strong than to just tack on a couple of extra seasons for the sake of it.

I’m not sure if co-creator Taylor Sheridan already planned to end the show before that happened, or if the recent behind-the-scenes drama that’s found its way into the spotlight forced the show to end prematurely, but I just hope he’s able to end the show as powerfully as it began. While Sheridan does like to let scenes breathe, and really hammer down certain viewpoints without any form of subtlety, or simply for the sake of taking the shot (I’m looking at you Kacey’s opening scene of season five, where shots are taken at Canada just because!), he’s also incredibly talented and one of the best dramatic writers in the business when there’s a story being focused on.

It’s been known for some time that Sheridan planned to end the series with season five, though it’s unclear if this is the end of the Yellowstone ranch as we know it, or if the extension/sequel spinoff that’s said to be starring Matthew McConaughey will actually continue this same world forward with some of the same characters. One thing that’s crystal clear is that the final six episodes of season five that remain are going to be explosive.

There’s a lot to enjoy from season five of the show, though it does suffer from really taking its time and slowing down the drama more often than not. That’s not unusual for the show, but it does sometimes feel like Sheridan is saying goodbye to this current Dutton world and taking his time doing it before heading into the final string of episodes where I feel there won’t be that same amount of time to just sit back and enjoy the sunset and visuals. I’m okay with it here more than I was in season four because while it may sometimes slow down, the focus does remain on the Dutton family, the ranch and the drama they’re mixed up in, instead of worrying about setting up spinoffs.

The season begins with John Dutton (Kevin Costner) winning the election to be named governor of Montana, a job he ran for in order to stop an airport from being built on his land. You may be saying, “Wait, what about the election? He’s already won?” Yes, they do skip that chunk of time, which is nice, as season four did leave everyone in a spot where we can imagine that months pass by and nothing overly dramatic happens, so bypassing the election and jumping right into the thick of things was a smart move.

The main problem with John becoming governor is that he doesn’t want the job. His first order of business is to shut down the airport, regardless of the consequences, because all John cares about is the land that’s been in his family for generations, and that’s it. Once he’s stopped the airport he realizes just how much more he has to handle as governor and begins handling the position in an unorthodox way because, well, he doesn’t care about being re-elected. This has its pros and cons, the pro of which is that he doesn’t have to play the game, but the con of which is that he’s neglecting those who put him in office, and that doesn’t necessarily sit well with most of them.

We’ve got plenty of more drama with Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Jamie (Wes Bentley), which has always been a simmering feud in the show, but this season it begins to finally head towards the endgame, which involves everyone and not just the two of them. We’ve got cowboy drama with Rip (Cole Hauser) having to deal with protected wolves being shot while on Yellowstone land, and we have Kayce (Luke Grimes) and Monica (Kelsey Asbille) dealing with changes to their family, as well as Kayce’s premonition from last season. There’s also Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), who is fighting for survival on the reservation, as he’s being targeted for replacement by some with a different vision of where they believe the future should be. Oh, and Summer (Piper Perabo) is back, both as a punching bag for Sheridan and Beth, and as a frustrating character for the viewer to tolerate because of how extreme she’s often written. It gets a bit better by the final episodes, but getting there with her is rough.

There’s some time spent with flashbacks here that focus on John (played by Josh Lucas) and Rip, which explain why Rip wears the brand, and how his tight relationship with John began. It works to showcase both why Rip is how he is, but also shows how John has evolved over the years, and how he’s handled things at the ranch over the decades. I will say that the most frustrating thing about season five is that it ends just when things start picking up steam. The final episode of the season lays the foundation for where the show will be headed in the final six episodes, and man is it a great one.

By this time you’re either in or out with Yellowstone, though I have a hard time seeing anyone bowing out with the cliffhanger we’ve left off on here. It’s not as extreme as season three, where we were left wondering which of the Duttons’ may survive after being attacked from all angles, but it’s an intense culmination of the slow build that Sheridan grows throughout the fifth season. It sets the stage for a Shakespearean-esque close-out to a show that seems like it always had that coming, which isn’t to say it was predictable, as much as it felt inevitable. With the talent that Sheridan does poses as a writer, I can only imagine that we’re in for one hell of a final ride with what comes next.

Overall Score: 4/5

Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:

One thing that Yellowstone has always prided itself on are its visuals, and season five is no different. The sharp, clean, and vibrant 1080p transfer showcases the Montana landscape in wonderous ways. It also gives off a beautiful, natural look to both the land and the characters that roam it, with details coming in nice and clear in all aspects of the show.

The audio also comes through beautifully with the Dolby TrudeHD 5.1 track, that hits the viewer from all angles with the proper setup. The score rings out from both the sides and the front, while the dialogue comes through cleanly from center stage. The sound effects are also important to the show, and hearing the cowboying happening all around you helps bring the viewer onto the ranch without getting your hands dirty.

Special Features:

Behind the Story – Each of the first three discs has this feature (one for each episode on the disc) that fans should be accustomed to by now, which is a brief synopsis of the episode, with the cast and crew talking about what their characters were up to during said episode. They range from five to eight minutes in length, but they’re always fun to watch and hear from the actors involved and how they viewed the twists and turns their characters faced in that particular episode. I would recommend watching them either after you’re done the episodes on the disc, or at least after each episode in order to avoid spoilers.

Disc Four Special Features:

Undeniable Passion: Beth & Rip/Monica & Kayce – This feature comes in at 18-minutes in length, and delves into two of the stronger, (only?) ongoing relationships in the series.

Musical Crosscurrents with Composers Brian Tyler & Breton Vivian – This feature comes in at just under 14-minutes in length and we take a nice deep dive into the musical score of the show, which is always a treat. Both the score and the soundtrack has always been a superb aspect of this show, and it’s nice to see it get recognition here.

Giving Everything to this Land: Yellowstone Returns – This is the meat and potatoes of the features, coming in at just under 36-minutes in length and covering the entirety of season five. While the “Behind the Story” featurettes on the previous discs do give a brief look into each, this feature covers more of the overall picture of where we’re at and where we’re headed as the show comes to a close.

Inside Yellowstone Season 5 – This is a 3-minute featurette that quickly touches on how successful the show has been, and how it looks to take that and move forward with this show and its spinoffs.

Yellowstone: Inside the Phenomenon – This 22-minute feature has Ian Bohen and Denim Richards taking the viewer on a journey throughout the show, and once again looking towards the future and where it’s going.

Inside the Real Yellowstone Ranch – This is a fun and fast featurette that lands at just around 4-minutes in length, and sees Shane Libel talk about how it’s his home that’s used for the filming of Yellowstone, and what that’s like.

Yellowstone Stories from the Bunkhouse – Again, a bunch of featurettes that fans are accustomed to getting, where we see some of the bunkhouse actors talk about each episode and where their particular supporting characters are at. Here we have Richards, Bohen and Jefferson White talking, covering each episode at a fairly solid length that range between eight to 11 minutes, give or take.

Paramount Pictures Presents Yellowstone: Season 5. Created by: Taylor Sheridan and John Linson. Written by: Taylor Sheridan. Starring: Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, Brecken Merrill, Forrie J. Smith, Denim Richards, Ian Bohen, Gil Birmingham, Lilli Kay, Piper Perabo, Dawn Olivieri. Running time: 459 Minutes. Rating: 14A. Released on Blu-ray: May 9, 2023.

Brendan Campbell was here when Inside Pulse Movies began, and he’ll be here when it finishes - in 2012, when a cataclysmic event wipes out the servers, as well as everyone else on the planet other than John Cusack and those close to him. Brendan’s the #1 supporter of Keanu Reeves, a huge fan of popcorn flicks and a firm believer that sheer entertainment can take a film a long way. He currently resides in Canada, where, for reasons stated above, he’s attempting to get closer to John Cusack.