The Colonized Cowboys of Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Yellowstone’

The latest in pop-culture news, recaps, and reviews, plus close reads, profiles, interviews, and more from Vulture.com. [Brand Logo]( TV [How the Cowboy Was Colonized]( Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone is known for being a red-state show. But its political ideology is lifted from the left. Illustration: Marc Burckhardt/B) 2023 Marc Burckhardt/Burckhardt Studio, Inc. In the first place, [Yellowstone]( is not a good show. But that’s no pebble in its hoof. Since premiering on the little-known Paramount Network in 2018, the neo-western drama has grown into the most-watched scripted series on cable or broadcast television. The show, which co-creator [Taylor Sheridan]( writes, produces, and often directs, stars [Kevin Costner]( as a fifth-generation Montana cattleman fighting to defend his ranch from threats on every side: land developers, Native activists, biker gangs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, paid assassins, people from California. The fourth season drew an average of 11.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen data, clocking in below Thursday Night Football but above Monday Night Football — rawhide sandwiched between pigskins — and a staggering 17 million tuned in for the fifth-season premiere in November. But critics have largely ignored it. “It’s every old western and new western and soap opera thrown together in a blender,” Sheridan told the New York Times in 2021. “I think it infuriates and confounds some people who study storytelling.” [read more]( Devour pop culture with us. [Subscribe now]( for unlimited access to Vulture and everything New York. The Latest TV Recaps • Cruel Summer: [Sex, Lies, and Revenge Porn]( • The Ultimatum: Queer Love: [It Sucks to Lose It]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Stories We Think You’ll Like [25 Essential Iranian Films You Can Stream Right Now Stream hybrid documentaries that break the fourth wall, psychological dramas, and gory thrillers that attest to the terrifying reality of theocracy.]( By Tiara Ataii [It’s the End of Top Chef As We Know It With Padma Lakshmi’s departure, the venerable series is losing something irreplaceable. But its latest season hints at an even deeper identity crisis.]( By Roxana Hadadi, Nicholas Quah and Jason P. Frank [Cracking the Secrets of ITYSL’s Nude Egg Alec Robbins, who designed the sketch show’s video game, goes deep on butthole and bush design.]( [Anthony Head Is Proud to Be Ted Lasso’s One True Villain “It’s hard to say what he wants, because he just wants to win.”]( [Now Why Would John Mellencamp Punch This Handsome Man? “I fought all the time, and lost all the time.”]( By Devon Ivie [CNN CEO Chris Licht Is Out Stepping down after a tumultuous week for the network.]( By Zoe Guy [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Today’s Crossword]( 22-Across, Four Letters: “The ___ of Glory” (Lady Gaga hit). Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Getty Images A newsletter of TV and movie recommendations. [Sign up]( to get it every week. [Get the Newsletter]( [logo]( [facebook logo]( [instagram logo]( [twitter logo]( [unsubscribe]( | [privacy notice]( | [update preferences]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up now]( to get this newsletter in your inbox. [View this email in your browser.]( You received this email because you have a subscription to New York. Reach the right online audience with us For advertising information on email newsletters, please contact AdOps@nymag.com Vox Media, LLC 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, 12th Floor Washington, DC 20036 Copyright © 2023, All rights reserved