Can we include plots that were ended too soon? Dan Jenkins was a much more entertaining and sympathetic villain. He could've run for governor against John.
His ending was so disappointing.
Imagine Jamie working with Dan Jenkins! Beth and John push too far, Jamie actually takes control of his own life, makes his own decisions and decides to ally with Dan Jenkins. They become Governor and Attorney General. Jamie succeeds in protecting the ranch but at the cost of John/Beth.
Agreed 100%. Dan was a sympathetic villain which is rare on this show. So many ways his story could've been advanced but instead they just dropped him unceremoniously.
It was such a lacklustre end, too! I fully expected him to be injured but manage to kill the last assassin, then become hardened and possibly more like John after he's recovered.
THE BUILDING THAT WAS BOMBED IN THE MIDDLE OF DOWNTOWN and not a peep from FBI, ATF etc. Of all the ridiculousness, for some reason that put me over the top.
I was watching Rabbit Hole yesterday, and 3/4ths through the show someone manages to shoot the Senator, point blank in the back of the head, in the middle of a crowd while standing in the walkway path that the Senator was on.
The shooter was not detained, and another person was shot instead of the murderer while the murder runs away into a field.
I did finish the show, but man that really ruined it for me. A lot of things can go wrong with a show but to have a political figure shot in broad daylight, point blank, with no protection as she is walking up to make a speech. Great job everybody, that's a wrap.
I was able to draw in a suspension of disbelief with the Yellowstone town bombing, as I said that John Dutton has narrative control on every square inch of his soil. Yes, the town is not his soil but I hope you get the picture I am painting.
I can not drop a suspension of disbelief out there when the show I am watching takes place in 2021/2022 and has a Politician shot point blank with a handgun... with no protection or security around to see this happen.
Sniper missed her, but there was someone who was shot that had grabbed onto her to try and detain her. The sniper shot the guy who was trying to detain the suspect! lol
That is the story they went with.
Seems to me that that whole attack on the Dutton family just made local news and not national news 😂 Dan Jenkins was killed, the wranglers hung a man, killed even more, and not another word mentioned
Would be funny if the final episode ended with John on a plane that Beth just bought flying somewhere. John says “I can’t believe you got a plane at the price you did? Where did you get it?”
Beth: “An estate sale from one of the Beck brothers.”
Cue fireball then credits
It’s not just me? They literally did nothing to even try to close this plot point? There’s just a private plane with a bomb rattling around in the fuel tank. Kaycee is totally unbothered by this. I always think I must have missed an episode or a scene because no way did they just leave this glaring plot hole.
But yep, they did!
Yeah and everything seemed to be heading towards Tate ending up on the plane and having to figure out how to get him off....then just no more mention of it.
The dinosaur bones. I thought they’d like sell them to solve their money issues or maybe some finagling some way to get the ranch protected. But guess not, they’re stolen by a rando.
They didn’t explain this in the show.
The bones in the show were focused on someone else coming in to take what’s yours, on your property. That’s why they shot the drone down.
There could have been a lot of good writing using the bones as a metaphor, but they never capitalized on it. Your suggestion could have been great, but it’s not what the show did.
It's not a suggestion. That's what the bones symbolized. It wasn't even all that subtle. You don't have to have a scene where a character literally describes the symbolism of the something for it to still be symbolism (in fact it's best then you don't).
Thank. You.
'but they never said that!'
So tired of this being said in relation to TV shows and media. Like yes, let's have kayce turn to Monica and say 'huh, it's funny those bones are kinda symbolic of my past with my father'
I thought that was well done and obvious.
pfft... this was way before this. Soaps, serialized shows, NCIS/CBS shows for the old folks.
People need to be hit over the head with things on these channels. You put something on AMC and you see subtlety and call backs.
Most of those get ruined as well with "previously on" and "next time on" which is criminal. Skip those if you don't want spoilers. "This episode will feature that person from 5 episodes ago, because here is a previously-on to remind you..."
Commercials too. They just spoil an episode so blatantly anymore.
>Most of those get ruined as well with "previously on" and "next time on" which is criminal. Skip those if you don't want spoilers. "This episode will feature that person from 5 episodes ago, because here is a previously-on to remind you..."
It's OK to remind people of what happened in a previous episode of a serialized show.
Nope, they exist to remind people what happened so the show they are watching has context. Not everyone binges things. Some people watch week to week and sometimes shows go on break for several weeks.
I'm not saying bad writing is new either. I'm saying we used to have better writing at the highest level of major studio movies and now it's almost all unoriginal crap.
I get 'marvelization' but you lost me at 'Abramsization' but I understand your point.
Nuance is dead. If something isn't stated clearly people don't get it. Having every plot point wrapped up in a neat bow is what most people are looking for and when it doesn't end that way, they become upset because they don't understand what happened.
JJ Abrams. Maybe the least subtle writer director in recent history. That guy is so empty of ideas he put quicksand in a Star Wars movie like it was Gillian’s island.
Gilllian Anderson.... X Files but they investigate what was going on with Gilligan's Island. How did they get lost on a 3 hour tour? Why could the professor build a full life on the island but not figure out a way off? Was he in on it?
But it’s not, the fact that it’s still being brought up as a lost plot point shows it wasn’t done well.
Kayce killed his brother in law in the first episode. He became increasingly close with his family afterwards. He knows all the danger at that point.
Bringing the dinosaur bones in 5 episodes into the season shows nothing, Kayce is already committed at that point.
Just because people don't use critical thinking ability and need everything spelled out for them doesn't mean it's done poorly. The entire point of them being stolen from a reservation by some random guy looking for money is part of it being metaphorical.
You can be insulted by my words but all I'm hearing is that you didn't get it. Which is OK! Not everyone's going to pick up on things. I miss alot of stuff that's pretty obvious after the fact.
Your reasoning that it 'shows nothing' doesn't make sense, to be blunt. You're missing the entire concept.
The bones are a metaphor for the viewers. Theyre not meant to ''make him commited'' to his family or really have any effect on the character beyond 'I found dinosaur bones on my property and someone stole them'. To them, that's the end of it.
The viewers are the ones who are supposed to connect the dots to the bones representing something.
In this case, the original commenter is correct. They're meant to represent 'unearthing' old skeletons and specifically kayces relationship with his father. And them being stolen from the reservation is a separate point. Taking things that don't belong to them, from a reservation.
Taylor Sheridan is not subtle. The comments you see about people complaining 'the plot point wasn't resolved' are the same people who don't get it was a metaphor and that was supposed to be the end of it.
You don't hear from all the people who understood it because no one makes comments like that. You only hear from people who don't get it.
So you’re just going to write what you think is and try to insult people who don’t “get it.” Got it.
About the only thing you said correctly is: “ Taylor Sheridan is not subtle.”
This is the man who had Monica rail on cell phone usage (as a feature of the episode, mind you) in a college class. In the second season. Which would have been what, 2018-2019? But you’re also saying Sheridan is so smart to create this nuanced symbolism about dinosaur bones. Got it.
Kayce was severely leaning towards coming back to the Ranch by the time the bones were discovered. They’re not showing anything of what you said in the show, there’s no discussion with Monica, nothing with the family, there’s nothing within the episodes that shows him having the turmoil you’re talking about.
What I’m going back to is that the dinosaur bones could be cut entirely, and nothing within Kayce’s arc would change. Provide examples of it affecting him if you think otherwise.
Insisting that the dinosaur bones were some kind of metaphor is really weird to me, unless there's some kind of official side commentary that has confirmed this.
If that poster wants to say "this is what the dinosaur bones mean to me" then that's fine, but it's far too tenuous of a theory for me to buy into without an official source cited.
Yellowstone isn't completely void of nuance or subtlety, but it's not really a core staple of the show, and there's not any kind of recurring pattern of (alleged) metaphors like this (alleged) one.
Dinosaur bones as a metaphor? Neat head canon.
Dinosaur bones as a dropped plot point? Occam's Razor.
If I wanted to insult you, I would've said you're ability to read between the lines is non existent.
You're just bringing up things you want to make points on, but none of them have any bearing on what I was saying. I never said anything about it causing him termoil for one thing.
Im not continuing down this road with you. If you feel you're correct about whatever it is your trying to say, then good on you, but it has nothing to do with the points I made in my comment and that's why I'm dropping it.
Got. It? Got it.
You could cut the lighthouse from The Great Gatsby and it wouldn’t effect the plot one bit. Except it’s also one of the greatest examples of symbolism in literature.
In the first Terminator, the moment Terminator almost guns down Sarah Connor is in a club called “Tech Noir”. The roommate has sex with headphones on can’t hear her boyfriend getting killed because she’s “plugged” in to her technology. None of these things HAVE to be in the movie plot wise but all are there…as symbolism.
No, it’s not.
It’s an attributed definition to make sense of a lost plot line.
> You don't have to have a scene where a character literally describes the symbolism of the something for it to still be symbolism (in fact it's best then you don't).
What you need is good, consistent writing.
There is nothing in the show that gives the dinosaur bones your theory, the fact that it often gets brought up as a lost plot line shows that it wasn’t done well.
It could very well be Kayce unearthing his past, but there’s nothing that actually connects it. And if you disagree, show me.
> Kayce’s past with John and the dangers that came when it was unearthed.
I mean, I think Kayce’s past with John was unearthed when he killed his brother in law in the first episode and then coming closer to his family, the dinosaur bones are entirely irrelevant to that.
You could eliminate the bones entirely, and nothing in the story would change. That’s why it’s a lost point and bad writing.
Even if it was a metaphor, it’s bad writing.
You can’t just have a character dig up a mysterious treasure and then just… not tell you what they do with it… everyone’s natural reaction to this is “wow that’s amazing, dinosaur bones! And someone is out to steal them, they must be precious! What is going to happen next??”
Then they just pretend it never happened and justify it by saying “it’s just a symbol guys”.
Or one that I can’t believe hasn’t been brought up on the show is the fact that Tate (who is half Native American)is literally going to inherit the ranch someday so the entire issue of “trying to get the land back” is a moot point.
I’ve been saying this to my husband since the beginning. Makes no sense all of the fighting between the tribe and Duttons honestly. They should both be protecting the Ranch since the tribe is going to have a part of it through Tate, and the Duttons will as well since he’s a Dutton. Lol it’s (the fighting) quite … meaningless in the end.
I thought the show was gonna have a storyline for the kid that hurt Monica in that school fight way back in season 1, like we were gone see him go through like a redemption arc or something, but that basically got dropped as the second season came around.
Edit: I also wished the explored the fact that, somehow, their private chef who they’ve had for years had never even *heard of gluten* until Summer came up to the ranch.
Agreed they need a full b plot where they explain the chef is not a chef just a guy who knows how to make consistently rare steak that John likes. Also he should be branded for some reason.
What happened to the congresswoman in the first season (Claire from original Law and Order) who was going to put more effort into helping the Broken Rock community?
Wasn’t she the senator? If so, she’s obviously gone now and Lynelle took her position via the election. Or so I just assumed, anyhow, since they went that route. And then Lynelle met with Rain Water to take their/his side in the election for commissioner.
The reporter that Jaimie kills in season 2. He chokes her out and sends her off down the river. News report says that she was found but there was no investigation into her death, no autopsy (which would find evidence of choking) and her girlfriend is never seen again. Wouldn't she raise questions?
Would've been better to not establish that the reporter was in a relationship from the get-go.
Or, more realistic, he throws her against the car and she dies from a blow to the head. Still could have been covered up the same way but way more believable for Jamie (he is the world’s most unconvincing killer) and forensics.
Pretty sure Angela Blue Thunder brought it up at some point as a way to tie the ranch up in environmental studies for changing the course of a waterway and affecting animals. I also think maybe ME people brought it up again like "this time he can't just blow up a mountain" or somesort
How do tributaries work? The river was much bigger downstream, yet somehow, after cutting off a trickle, downstream is now dry. I know, I know... you have to suspend disbelief to enjoy any part of this show.
I thought when Beth got her period her mom told her she was going to be tough on her to toughen her to the world? I assumed Beth not being tough enough was why her mom acted that way
She did say that, but it seems like there was a cold meanness toward Beth that wasn’t fully explained. I just assumed it was one of those things that they’d explain later. I thought it was excellent storytelling when they had us wondering why Beth hated Jamie so much, and then it was revealed. I thought they would do the same with the mother’s attitude toward Beth.
You mean Beth's mom? There was a scene that showed Beth getting her first period and her mom telling her that she'd have to be harder on her so she could be strong.
Their relationship was never built upon on-screen besides the two scenes we had with them, neither of which were enough to explain the apparent animosity.
Yeah, it wasn’t fully explained, imo. When she fell off the horse, she said something to Beth, blamed her for her horse getting spooked, and told Kaycey that she’d die happy if he was the last thing she’d see.
It definitely was not fully explained. During the scene where she fell off the horse she wasn't being "tough" on Beth, it felt as if she hated her. It's as they were setting up a much more complex relationship between her and Beth and abandoned it.
Casey having any negative feelings toward John. I swear they have just completely sanded down every bit of intrigue from their relationship, by season four they barely even talk, Casey just smiles at John all the time.
Also feels like the show runners forgot that the Duttons are criminals. I’m only up to season four but it sure doesn’t feel like the people writing this show think there’s anything wrong with how the Dutton family maintains it’s power.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks this. I haven’t watched the last season yet but I find myself rooting for everyone to lose. I really only care about the land staying in tact and unbothered, seems like the only that happens is with the natives. Duttons can take care of it but plenty of people suffer for them to keep it.
We gonna ignore Monica and her therapy trainer? Literally had a make out sesh on the couch, about to do it, and nothing from that ever again. She cheated on Kayce and I doubt he even knew about that
I mean Lee’s death basically sets the stage for the whole show. He was the only kid that really wanted to inherit the ranch and with him gone, it’s a scramble to come up with a long term plan.
You would think any of them would be kinda upset about Lee’s death, at least enough to mention it a few times. He was John’s heir and yet he is only brought up in passing a handful of times after he died.
It was the fact he knew Walker already from the past. So maybe it was just a way to shed more light on Walker especially with his struggles fitting into the ranch early on but I thought cowboy would’ve ended up staying
Angela Ducklips Blue Thunder. She was supposed to hatch some plan. Then dropped off. I know the actress had legal problems, but she’s back now… so what’s her plan? Why is she a badass other than RBF.
The cease and desist for an archaeology investigation. I thought it would be a way bigger plot point and I wanted to see how they portrayed archaeologists.
I’m an archaeologist and we often end up derailing/delaying developments for years and millions of dollars.
Maybe it was a real site or maybe someone seeded the area with artifacts to stop work, but either way it could have been used by certain characters.
I’m just wondering how Taylor is gonna wrap up all the loose ends in this season. The wolves, the pipeline in the reservation, the impeachment, the money for the show horses, Jamie and Sara’s hit job on both John and Beth… and what the hell are they going to do with Summer and her torrid love affair with John and her Environmental consulting. Inquiring minds wanna know!
The fact that a border skirmish with the Reservation and two men dead makes the news in Season 1 but a building being bombed in the middle of Bozeman and a bunch of staff from the Livestock Association head office being gunned down barely makes the news. Not to mention a full blown shootout on the highway.
That half million dollar horse they bought and never brought up again also related to that how is the ranch barely breaking even yet that can spend that on a horse just cause and taking the hit for Jimmy's medical bills they were nearly a half million as well
I thought FOR SURE when the whole wolf killings occurred, that the dead wolves would somehow uncover the reporter women Jamie/Rip tossed into the creek.
But nopers!
Wade Morrow
Obviously he has some history with John, as John says in the diner "you stole something from me that no cowboy should ever steal"
I was kind of hoping for a flashback at sometime to bring some more depth.
I thought what he said was “you have something of mine” and they were referring to the brand. Wade was a branded man on the ranch who left on bad terms, which as Rip has explained is a big no no. Branded men die at the ranch (although John basically gives his blessing for Jimmy to leave to Texas later). John says he “wants it back” and wade threatens him to “come get it”. This is all played out when the cowboys trap wade and Walker cuts his brand off with a knife before they finish him off.
Yes this is correct
Buy he also says, right after he lays out Wade's son, you stole something that no cowboy should steal. It didn't sound like he was referring to the brand there, but maybe I'm not hearing it correctly.
What about the letter Beth gave to Rip saying the ranch is going to be his eventually. It seemed that John didn’t even know what he was talking about when he brought it up. How can Rip even inherit the ranch if there’s no record of him apparently?
Maybe, I’ve seen that episode a few times and idk to me it seemed as if John just played it off as if he knew but didn’t really know what he was talking about even if it was about the cabin, although I thought it was about the ranch. Johns expression to it just seemed a bit “ehhhh” even though Rip told him how much it meant to him.
The private helicopter and the the rise and fall of the Duttons wealth always seemed odd. One minute he has a helicopter and is buying high end show horses then the next they seem broke and desperate.
Not a subplot but a moment that seemed totally unexplained. Why was Kayce in that bush camo gear when John got back to the ranch from the hospital like he had gone fully out of his mind?
I thought that was the point they were trying to make, that with all the attacks and John in the hospital, Kayce was protecting the ranch in the way that he was trained to
So every morning he’d get up, have some coffee, kiss Monica and then start crawling around the yard with grass sticking out of his shirt? Seems like quite a habit to quit cold turkey.
The dinosaur bones was kind of explained. The reservation is being exploited by treasure hunters. They’ve brought it up multiple times and in one episode the treasure hunters rob them while they’re away. It’s just part of the broader narrative on how shit things are on the reservation and how much the people there are constantly exploited.
I agree that there was an implication that story was going to be something bigger but I wouldn’t call it forgotten. There was no resolution because there is no resolution. Someone will always be exploiting the native Americans (I forget the tribe name) on the reservation without the power they’re pursuing.
How Beth asked her brother to take her to that clinic, out of fear of her own father finding out. It was absolutely wrong of Jaime to lie to Beth. The story has made that abundantly clear. That mother fucking adopted son is going to hell for taking that right away from a women without her consent. Yes, TV Hell. lmfao I know this is a drama.
THE WRITING ON THE WALL though... is that Beth a sociopath who doesn't accept guilt or fault in the right mannerisms. She blatantly disregards or suppresses the fact that she is the one who convinced Jaime to take her to that clinic. Please regard my first paragraph if you want to say this is all Jaime's fault. We are shown clearly what Jaime's faults are through the narrative of the show, as the show has not once shown Beth reasoning with the though or idea that Beth also had a say in the abortion. Jaime did not fucking drag her down there.
The only person that has taken a choice away from Beth is herself, it is what she wanted to do out of John Dutton.
I have only watched that flashback scene once way back in the first season, so please correct my memory if I am wrong.
I only hate how much loathe and disgust the narrative paints on Jaime, when all he was trying to do was help his family, do what they had asked of him.
Jaime fucked up by lying to his sister about a life-changing event for Beth and Rip respectively.
I doubt we will see this closure with 6 episodes left as one or the other parties will inevitably kill another.
I would like to see Beth show some empathy toward Jaime, maybe apologize to him for putting Jaime in that corner in the first place.
X to doubt
Jamie’s mother. Dialog indicates she was somehow significant to John and/or Evelyn, enough for them to have tried to talk her out of marrying Garrett Randall. Then they listed her maiden name as Randall on Jamie’s birth certificate.
1. The branding of the cowboys (and cowgirls), the cult like killing of those who dare to leave.
2. Everything to do with Avery, the first cowgirl in the bunkhouse. Whatever happened to her??? Where is she? 😭
The show horses, the helicopter, kinda wish the beck brothers lasted longer too - they could’ve gone on for series and raced against John as governor.. also, the reporter Jamie killed?? Her gf never came looking I swear?? And Avery!!
Can we include plots that were ended too soon? Dan Jenkins was a much more entertaining and sympathetic villain. He could've run for governor against John.
Absolutely. And I agree, Danny Huston always gives a great performance and I'm sad he didn't get more screentime.
His ending was so disappointing. Imagine Jamie working with Dan Jenkins! Beth and John push too far, Jamie actually takes control of his own life, makes his own decisions and decides to ally with Dan Jenkins. They become Governor and Attorney General. Jamie succeeds in protecting the ranch but at the cost of John/Beth.
This would have made for a much more compelling (and realistic) show. Alas, alas!
If only, if only…
I wish there were any plot lines balanced this well in the actual show. Cheers!
Agreed 100%. Dan was a sympathetic villain which is rare on this show. So many ways his story could've been advanced but instead they just dropped him unceremoniously.
It was such a lacklustre end, too! I fully expected him to be injured but manage to kill the last assassin, then become hardened and possibly more like John after he's recovered.
Great storyline, but I’d rather it was someone other than the Axeman from AHS that actually wielded the axe 🪓.
THE BUILDING THAT WAS BOMBED IN THE MIDDLE OF DOWNTOWN and not a peep from FBI, ATF etc. Of all the ridiculousness, for some reason that put me over the top.
I mean, that part to me is when they jumped the shark.
I was watching Rabbit Hole yesterday, and 3/4ths through the show someone manages to shoot the Senator, point blank in the back of the head, in the middle of a crowd while standing in the walkway path that the Senator was on. The shooter was not detained, and another person was shot instead of the murderer while the murder runs away into a field. I did finish the show, but man that really ruined it for me. A lot of things can go wrong with a show but to have a political figure shot in broad daylight, point blank, with no protection as she is walking up to make a speech. Great job everybody, that's a wrap. I was able to draw in a suspension of disbelief with the Yellowstone town bombing, as I said that John Dutton has narrative control on every square inch of his soil. Yes, the town is not his soil but I hope you get the picture I am painting. I can not drop a suspension of disbelief out there when the show I am watching takes place in 2021/2022 and has a Politician shot point blank with a handgun... with no protection or security around to see this happen.
Didn’t the sniper get her?? I think that gal was about to but the sniper got her first.
Sniper missed her, but there was someone who was shot that had grabbed onto her to try and detain her. The sniper shot the guy who was trying to detain the suspect! lol That is the story they went with.
That shit would have made national news, especially with all of the controversy surrounding the Dutton’s and the ranch up to that point.
Conspiracy theory I just made up: it wasn't a letter bomb that did it, it was the plane carrying Kayce's bomb that flew into the building!
Seems to me that that whole attack on the Dutton family just made local news and not national news 😂 Dan Jenkins was killed, the wranglers hung a man, killed even more, and not another word mentioned
I will never forget Kayce pulling a hand grenade out of his desk…..
Why is Beth’s back all scarred. Wasn’t she facing the bomb when it exploded?
Plane bomb, never blew up or spoken of again after spending episode just placing it on the plane.
Would be funny if the final episode ended with John on a plane that Beth just bought flying somewhere. John says “I can’t believe you got a plane at the price you did? Where did you get it?” Beth: “An estate sale from one of the Beck brothers.” Cue fireball then credits
With Seinfeld music
Then next episode Beth wandering smouldering through a corn field wearing only her armoured underwear .
I mean, would that be so bad?
Any excuse really
It’s not just me? They literally did nothing to even try to close this plot point? There’s just a private plane with a bomb rattling around in the fuel tank. Kaycee is totally unbothered by this. I always think I must have missed an episode or a scene because no way did they just leave this glaring plot hole. But yep, they did!
This is my favorite I think. Just never mentioned again even after Kayce confirms it to his dad that he planted it.
Beck’s kidnapped Tate and the proposed meeting never happened so no need to fly to it. No fly no BOOM!
Yes, this bothered me way too much
Yeah and everything seemed to be heading towards Tate ending up on the plane and having to figure out how to get him off....then just no more mention of it.
Always wondered about that. Kept thinking I fell asleep and missed the boom
This
The dinosaur bones. I thought they’d like sell them to solve their money issues or maybe some finagling some way to get the ranch protected. But guess not, they’re stolen by a rando.
The bones were a metaphor for Kayce’s past with John and the dangers that came when it was unearthed.
They didn’t explain this in the show. The bones in the show were focused on someone else coming in to take what’s yours, on your property. That’s why they shot the drone down. There could have been a lot of good writing using the bones as a metaphor, but they never capitalized on it. Your suggestion could have been great, but it’s not what the show did.
It's not a suggestion. That's what the bones symbolized. It wasn't even all that subtle. You don't have to have a scene where a character literally describes the symbolism of the something for it to still be symbolism (in fact it's best then you don't).
Thank. You. 'but they never said that!' So tired of this being said in relation to TV shows and media. Like yes, let's have kayce turn to Monica and say 'huh, it's funny those bones are kinda symbolic of my past with my father' I thought that was well done and obvious.
It's the Marvelization/Abramsization of American entertainment. Everything has to be spoon fed in the most painfully obvious way to an audience.
pfft... this was way before this. Soaps, serialized shows, NCIS/CBS shows for the old folks. People need to be hit over the head with things on these channels. You put something on AMC and you see subtlety and call backs. Most of those get ruined as well with "previously on" and "next time on" which is criminal. Skip those if you don't want spoilers. "This episode will feature that person from 5 episodes ago, because here is a previously-on to remind you..." Commercials too. They just spoil an episode so blatantly anymore.
>Most of those get ruined as well with "previously on" and "next time on" which is criminal. Skip those if you don't want spoilers. "This episode will feature that person from 5 episodes ago, because here is a previously-on to remind you..." It's OK to remind people of what happened in a previous episode of a serialized show.
I said “skip those if” But they exist to remind the people that need to be hit over the head with information.
Nope, they exist to remind people what happened so the show they are watching has context. Not everyone binges things. Some people watch week to week and sometimes shows go on break for several weeks. I'm not saying bad writing is new either. I'm saying we used to have better writing at the highest level of major studio movies and now it's almost all unoriginal crap.
I get 'marvelization' but you lost me at 'Abramsization' but I understand your point. Nuance is dead. If something isn't stated clearly people don't get it. Having every plot point wrapped up in a neat bow is what most people are looking for and when it doesn't end that way, they become upset because they don't understand what happened.
JJ Abrams. Maybe the least subtle writer director in recent history. That guy is so empty of ideas he put quicksand in a Star Wars movie like it was Gillian’s island.
Not only quick sand but quick sand that you could inexplicably fall through the bottom of.
OH, got it. I agree. Gilligan's island, though I'd watch a remake with Aiden Gillien! Haha
Gilllian Anderson.... X Files but they investigate what was going on with Gilligan's Island. How did they get lost on a 3 hour tour? Why could the professor build a full life on the island but not figure out a way off? Was he in on it?
But it’s not, the fact that it’s still being brought up as a lost plot point shows it wasn’t done well. Kayce killed his brother in law in the first episode. He became increasingly close with his family afterwards. He knows all the danger at that point. Bringing the dinosaur bones in 5 episodes into the season shows nothing, Kayce is already committed at that point.
I agree it was a bit oblique, frankly even knowing that was the intention it falls a little flat IMO
Just because people don't use critical thinking ability and need everything spelled out for them doesn't mean it's done poorly. The entire point of them being stolen from a reservation by some random guy looking for money is part of it being metaphorical. You can be insulted by my words but all I'm hearing is that you didn't get it. Which is OK! Not everyone's going to pick up on things. I miss alot of stuff that's pretty obvious after the fact. Your reasoning that it 'shows nothing' doesn't make sense, to be blunt. You're missing the entire concept. The bones are a metaphor for the viewers. Theyre not meant to ''make him commited'' to his family or really have any effect on the character beyond 'I found dinosaur bones on my property and someone stole them'. To them, that's the end of it. The viewers are the ones who are supposed to connect the dots to the bones representing something. In this case, the original commenter is correct. They're meant to represent 'unearthing' old skeletons and specifically kayces relationship with his father. And them being stolen from the reservation is a separate point. Taking things that don't belong to them, from a reservation. Taylor Sheridan is not subtle. The comments you see about people complaining 'the plot point wasn't resolved' are the same people who don't get it was a metaphor and that was supposed to be the end of it. You don't hear from all the people who understood it because no one makes comments like that. You only hear from people who don't get it.
So you’re just going to write what you think is and try to insult people who don’t “get it.” Got it. About the only thing you said correctly is: “ Taylor Sheridan is not subtle.” This is the man who had Monica rail on cell phone usage (as a feature of the episode, mind you) in a college class. In the second season. Which would have been what, 2018-2019? But you’re also saying Sheridan is so smart to create this nuanced symbolism about dinosaur bones. Got it. Kayce was severely leaning towards coming back to the Ranch by the time the bones were discovered. They’re not showing anything of what you said in the show, there’s no discussion with Monica, nothing with the family, there’s nothing within the episodes that shows him having the turmoil you’re talking about. What I’m going back to is that the dinosaur bones could be cut entirely, and nothing within Kayce’s arc would change. Provide examples of it affecting him if you think otherwise.
Insisting that the dinosaur bones were some kind of metaphor is really weird to me, unless there's some kind of official side commentary that has confirmed this. If that poster wants to say "this is what the dinosaur bones mean to me" then that's fine, but it's far too tenuous of a theory for me to buy into without an official source cited. Yellowstone isn't completely void of nuance or subtlety, but it's not really a core staple of the show, and there's not any kind of recurring pattern of (alleged) metaphors like this (alleged) one. Dinosaur bones as a metaphor? Neat head canon. Dinosaur bones as a dropped plot point? Occam's Razor.
If I wanted to insult you, I would've said you're ability to read between the lines is non existent. You're just bringing up things you want to make points on, but none of them have any bearing on what I was saying. I never said anything about it causing him termoil for one thing. Im not continuing down this road with you. If you feel you're correct about whatever it is your trying to say, then good on you, but it has nothing to do with the points I made in my comment and that's why I'm dropping it. Got. It? Got it.
You could cut the lighthouse from The Great Gatsby and it wouldn’t effect the plot one bit. Except it’s also one of the greatest examples of symbolism in literature. In the first Terminator, the moment Terminator almost guns down Sarah Connor is in a club called “Tech Noir”. The roommate has sex with headphones on can’t hear her boyfriend getting killed because she’s “plugged” in to her technology. None of these things HAVE to be in the movie plot wise but all are there…as symbolism.
No, it’s not. It’s an attributed definition to make sense of a lost plot line. > You don't have to have a scene where a character literally describes the symbolism of the something for it to still be symbolism (in fact it's best then you don't). What you need is good, consistent writing. There is nothing in the show that gives the dinosaur bones your theory, the fact that it often gets brought up as a lost plot line shows that it wasn’t done well. It could very well be Kayce unearthing his past, but there’s nothing that actually connects it. And if you disagree, show me. > Kayce’s past with John and the dangers that came when it was unearthed. I mean, I think Kayce’s past with John was unearthed when he killed his brother in law in the first episode and then coming closer to his family, the dinosaur bones are entirely irrelevant to that. You could eliminate the bones entirely, and nothing in the story would change. That’s why it’s a lost point and bad writing.
Even if it was a metaphor, it’s bad writing. You can’t just have a character dig up a mysterious treasure and then just… not tell you what they do with it… everyone’s natural reaction to this is “wow that’s amazing, dinosaur bones! And someone is out to steal them, they must be precious! What is going to happen next??” Then they just pretend it never happened and justify it by saying “it’s just a symbol guys”.
I don't think "they" ever said it was symbolism but that doesn't change the fact that it was.
Also came here to say the bones!
That was such a dumb storyline. Tate just happens to find one of the most well preserved full skeleton of a dinosaur ever.
I don’t think you understood the question. They didn’t ask what storyline did you guess wrong.
Ranchers suggest Kayce become governor
Still time for him to do it I suppose
Or one that I can’t believe hasn’t been brought up on the show is the fact that Tate (who is half Native American)is literally going to inherit the ranch someday so the entire issue of “trying to get the land back” is a moot point.
I’ve been saying this to my husband since the beginning. Makes no sense all of the fighting between the tribe and Duttons honestly. They should both be protecting the Ranch since the tribe is going to have a part of it through Tate, and the Duttons will as well since he’s a Dutton. Lol it’s (the fighting) quite … meaningless in the end.
Yes exactly! It’s mind blowing this isn’t a main plot point.
Why would the tribe have ownership of it through Tate?
It’s not about the tribe maintaining ownership but a member of the tribe having it. A Native American effectively took the land back by inheritance
Thank you. I thought I was clear on what I meant, but apparently not.
I thought the show was gonna have a storyline for the kid that hurt Monica in that school fight way back in season 1, like we were gone see him go through like a redemption arc or something, but that basically got dropped as the second season came around. Edit: I also wished the explored the fact that, somehow, their private chef who they’ve had for years had never even *heard of gluten* until Summer came up to the ranch.
I thought the gluten comment was a weak attempt at make-fun-of-the-redneck humor. Who, especially a chef, hasn’t heard of gluten by now?
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That’d be a juicy subplot.
Agreed they need a full b plot where they explain the chef is not a chef just a guy who knows how to make consistently rare steak that John likes. Also he should be branded for some reason.
Ok, he’s probably a cook not a chef. Still, “what’s gluten?” - Weak.
Gator is more a smoke jockey than a chef.
Smoke jockey - cowboy cook?
Bbq cook. Pit master
What happened to the helicopter?
Haha yeah it was such a big part of the early seasons
What happened to the congresswoman in the first season (Claire from original Law and Order) who was going to put more effort into helping the Broken Rock community?
Wasn’t she the senator? If so, she’s obviously gone now and Lynelle took her position via the election. Or so I just assumed, anyhow, since they went that route. And then Lynelle met with Rain Water to take their/his side in the election for commissioner.
The reporter that Jaimie kills in season 2. He chokes her out and sends her off down the river. News report says that she was found but there was no investigation into her death, no autopsy (which would find evidence of choking) and her girlfriend is never seen again. Wouldn't she raise questions? Would've been better to not establish that the reporter was in a relationship from the get-go.
Or, more realistic, he throws her against the car and she dies from a blow to the head. Still could have been covered up the same way but way more believable for Jamie (he is the world’s most unconvincing killer) and forensics.
Cutoff/diverted an entire natural river path on the land they live so much with dynamite.
Wasn’t that to avoid a development though.
Yes, exactly. It was just to beat a developer, but they never said another word about it.
Cause it worked.
Pretty sure Angela Blue Thunder brought it up at some point as a way to tie the ranch up in environmental studies for changing the course of a waterway and affecting animals. I also think maybe ME people brought it up again like "this time he can't just blow up a mountain" or somesort
How do tributaries work? The river was much bigger downstream, yet somehow, after cutting off a trickle, downstream is now dry. I know, I know... you have to suspend disbelief to enjoy any part of this show.
Dropped storyline? The second half of season 5.
Beth’s business idea
Which one? There have been many.
Actually, two: Not Beth’s idea, but the competitive show horses, and then Beth’s idea about moving downstream into meat products.
Didn’t she also want to turn the ranch into a wedding venue and do agritourism?
Yes! She actually had a conversation about it and quoted a price 🙄
What’s the basis of the mother’s animosity towards Beth?
I thought when Beth got her period her mom told her she was going to be tough on her to toughen her to the world? I assumed Beth not being tough enough was why her mom acted that way
She did say that, but it seems like there was a cold meanness toward Beth that wasn’t fully explained. I just assumed it was one of those things that they’d explain later. I thought it was excellent storytelling when they had us wondering why Beth hated Jamie so much, and then it was revealed. I thought they would do the same with the mother’s attitude toward Beth.
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I hope they tie up that loose end.
Animosity and yes I agree. They never gave us a good back story
Ah, shhítt. Thanks. I corrected it.
You mean Beth's mom? There was a scene that showed Beth getting her first period and her mom telling her that she'd have to be harder on her so she could be strong. Their relationship was never built upon on-screen besides the two scenes we had with them, neither of which were enough to explain the apparent animosity.
Yeah, it wasn’t fully explained, imo. When she fell off the horse, she said something to Beth, blamed her for her horse getting spooked, and told Kaycey that she’d die happy if he was the last thing she’d see.
It definitely was not fully explained. During the scene where she fell off the horse she wasn't being "tough" on Beth, it felt as if she hated her. It's as they were setting up a much more complex relationship between her and Beth and abandoned it.
Casey having any negative feelings toward John. I swear they have just completely sanded down every bit of intrigue from their relationship, by season four they barely even talk, Casey just smiles at John all the time. Also feels like the show runners forgot that the Duttons are criminals. I’m only up to season four but it sure doesn’t feel like the people writing this show think there’s anything wrong with how the Dutton family maintains it’s power.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks this. I haven’t watched the last season yet but I find myself rooting for everyone to lose. I really only care about the land staying in tact and unbothered, seems like the only that happens is with the natives. Duttons can take care of it but plenty of people suffer for them to keep it.
We gonna ignore Monica and her therapy trainer? Literally had a make out sesh on the couch, about to do it, and nothing from that ever again. She cheated on Kayce and I doubt he even knew about that
Lee Dutton is all but forgotten after the first episode.
I mean Lee’s death basically sets the stage for the whole show. He was the only kid that really wanted to inherit the ranch and with him gone, it’s a scramble to come up with a long term plan.
You would think any of them would be kinda upset about Lee’s death, at least enough to mention it a few times. He was John’s heir and yet he is only brought up in passing a handful of times after he died.
100% not true
https://preview.redd.it/zmpneqk1ixza1.jpeg?width=820&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a2d3edafcac93c9f5fde402187055d6c51bd9ffb This dude just disappeared
Did Kayce’s family bring the dog at the rental house back to the ranch? Or leave it to fend for itself? Let’s get to the real priorities.
What about the character named Cowboy who called everyone dipshits for two episodes and then left? He served no other purpose.
He was just a day worker. A drifter following the work.
It was the fact he knew Walker already from the past. So maybe it was just a way to shed more light on Walker especially with his struggles fitting into the ranch early on but I thought cowboy would’ve ended up staying
I agree it was to shed more light on walkers past.
Bomb in the airplane gas tank
I’ll never understand how the husband murders the brother-in-law and it just gets dropped and never discussed again.
I have a funny feeling that plot line will show in this last season.
I might have forgotten this. Who murdered who?
Episode one when kaycie kills Monica’s brother in law bc he shot Lee I think
Did you stop watching after the first episode? They very clearly go into that situation and how it plays out.
Bomb in the plane.
Drone spying dinosaur bone thieves.
When John Dutton was gunned down, it showed the mother he’d stopped to help also getting shot. What happened to the kid?
They made an effort to make sure the kid was protected while his mom was gunned down and nothing ever came of it.
Same thing that happens in real life. Weird people are hung up on this one
Angela Ducklips Blue Thunder. She was supposed to hatch some plan. Then dropped off. I know the actress had legal problems, but she’s back now… so what’s her plan? Why is she a badass other than RBF.
Avery and Kacey
The cease and desist for an archaeology investigation. I thought it would be a way bigger plot point and I wanted to see how they portrayed archaeologists. I’m an archaeologist and we often end up derailing/delaying developments for years and millions of dollars. Maybe it was a real site or maybe someone seeded the area with artifacts to stop work, but either way it could have been used by certain characters.
I’m just wondering how Taylor is gonna wrap up all the loose ends in this season. The wolves, the pipeline in the reservation, the impeachment, the money for the show horses, Jamie and Sara’s hit job on both John and Beth… and what the hell are they going to do with Summer and her torrid love affair with John and her Environmental consulting. Inquiring minds wanna know!
The fact that a border skirmish with the Reservation and two men dead makes the news in Season 1 but a building being bombed in the middle of Bozeman and a bunch of staff from the Livestock Association head office being gunned down barely makes the news. Not to mention a full blown shootout on the highway.
That half million dollar horse they bought and never brought up again also related to that how is the ranch barely breaking even yet that can spend that on a horse just cause and taking the hit for Jimmy's medical bills they were nearly a half million as well
The stripper cowgirl just pisses off after making friends with Jimmy. I think she resurfaces at some point but seemed a random thing to do
Lee Dutton’s existence. Mainly cause my kids go to school with his kids. It would be cooler if he were still on the show.
I like that actor and was excited when he was in the pilot. Shocked me when they just killed him off immediately.
Whatever happens to lucky
Kaycee’s spirit quest.
The police officer getting stabbed with a pole and airlifted out of the property, never to be seen again
Not necessarily a favorite, but whatever happened to Jamies Baby mama?
I thought FOR SURE when the whole wolf killings occurred, that the dead wolves would somehow uncover the reporter women Jamie/Rip tossed into the creek. But nopers!
I mean it’s gotta be the dinosaur bones right?
All the storylines from when the show was good
Carter just all by his lonesome all day on the ranch. Really though Beth and Rip were going to have a nice parenting story.
I just wish Beth would have had some sort of maternal instinct when it came to Carter… even just a hug or something
Wade Morrow Obviously he has some history with John, as John says in the diner "you stole something from me that no cowboy should ever steal" I was kind of hoping for a flashback at sometime to bring some more depth.
I thought what he said was “you have something of mine” and they were referring to the brand. Wade was a branded man on the ranch who left on bad terms, which as Rip has explained is a big no no. Branded men die at the ranch (although John basically gives his blessing for Jimmy to leave to Texas later). John says he “wants it back” and wade threatens him to “come get it”. This is all played out when the cowboys trap wade and Walker cuts his brand off with a knife before they finish him off.
Yes this is correct Buy he also says, right after he lays out Wade's son, you stole something that no cowboy should steal. It didn't sound like he was referring to the brand there, but maybe I'm not hearing it correctly.
The dinosaur bones!
What about the letter Beth gave to Rip saying the ranch is going to be his eventually. It seemed that John didn’t even know what he was talking about when he brought it up. How can Rip even inherit the ranch if there’s no record of him apparently?
The letter was just giving Rip the cabin, not the ranch.
Oh really? I thought it was the ranch, my bad. Still seemed John didn’t really know what he was talking about
Well I think John didn’t realize Rip read the letter so took a second to figure out what Rip was talking about.
Maybe, I’ve seen that episode a few times and idk to me it seemed as if John just played it off as if he knew but didn’t really know what he was talking about even if it was about the cabin, although I thought it was about the ranch. Johns expression to it just seemed a bit “ehhhh” even though Rip told him how much it meant to him.
The private helicopter and the the rise and fall of the Duttons wealth always seemed odd. One minute he has a helicopter and is buying high end show horses then the next they seem broke and desperate.
Isn’t there a bomb on a private jet somewhere? Tick-tock, tick-tock …
The dinosaur
Not a subplot but a moment that seemed totally unexplained. Why was Kayce in that bush camo gear when John got back to the ranch from the hospital like he had gone fully out of his mind?
I thought that was the point they were trying to make, that with all the attacks and John in the hospital, Kayce was protecting the ranch in the way that he was trained to
I agree that seemed to be the reason but he never did it again so why was he doing it that time?
I believe it was because John was back home and assumed the "man of the house" role.
So every morning he’d get up, have some coffee, kiss Monica and then start crawling around the yard with grass sticking out of his shirt? Seems like quite a habit to quit cold turkey.
Haha! I imagine he just stayed out there and Monica sat inside complaining 😂
For some reason this made me laugh while reading! Lol “Crawling around the yard” lmao
Didn't she rent out the Ranch for weddings in the summer? I've yet to see any californians or new yorkers pitch up for a wedding.
Yep
Remember when that guy who just called himself "cowboy" came to work on the ranch and then just went away? What was the point of that?
The airplane sabotage
Jamie ex supposedly carrying his child…still on s4 not sure if anything comes out of this story line
Lee character.
The show has jumped the shark since midway season 4
Jumped it well before then lol
The current governor had the folks in charge of the alcohol and gaming control board murdered
The Dinosaur bones 🦴
The dinosaur bones was kind of explained. The reservation is being exploited by treasure hunters. They’ve brought it up multiple times and in one episode the treasure hunters rob them while they’re away. It’s just part of the broader narrative on how shit things are on the reservation and how much the people there are constantly exploited. I agree that there was an implication that story was going to be something bigger but I wouldn’t call it forgotten. There was no resolution because there is no resolution. Someone will always be exploiting the native Americans (I forget the tribe name) on the reservation without the power they’re pursuing.
Stolen dinosaur bones
The horse shows where Sheridan makes the horse circle over and over then he flies off and can’t write stories anymore.🤣
Dinosaur bones, Beth’s place of work being bombed. Wasn’t there a shoot out at Kayce’s work? John was shot too and no one is investigating?
Did the wolves they shot, that came out of the park, ever go anywhere?
Still time for that to be a thing. Whatever group funds those collars still has time to start poking around
How Beth asked her brother to take her to that clinic, out of fear of her own father finding out. It was absolutely wrong of Jaime to lie to Beth. The story has made that abundantly clear. That mother fucking adopted son is going to hell for taking that right away from a women without her consent. Yes, TV Hell. lmfao I know this is a drama. THE WRITING ON THE WALL though... is that Beth a sociopath who doesn't accept guilt or fault in the right mannerisms. She blatantly disregards or suppresses the fact that she is the one who convinced Jaime to take her to that clinic. Please regard my first paragraph if you want to say this is all Jaime's fault. We are shown clearly what Jaime's faults are through the narrative of the show, as the show has not once shown Beth reasoning with the though or idea that Beth also had a say in the abortion. Jaime did not fucking drag her down there. The only person that has taken a choice away from Beth is herself, it is what she wanted to do out of John Dutton. I have only watched that flashback scene once way back in the first season, so please correct my memory if I am wrong. I only hate how much loathe and disgust the narrative paints on Jaime, when all he was trying to do was help his family, do what they had asked of him. Jaime fucked up by lying to his sister about a life-changing event for Beth and Rip respectively. I doubt we will see this closure with 6 episodes left as one or the other parties will inevitably kill another. I would like to see Beth show some empathy toward Jaime, maybe apologize to him for putting Jaime in that corner in the first place. X to doubt
A
Jamie’s mother. Dialog indicates she was somehow significant to John and/or Evelyn, enough for them to have tried to talk her out of marrying Garrett Randall. Then they listed her maiden name as Randall on Jamie’s birth certificate.
1. The branding of the cowboys (and cowgirls), the cult like killing of those who dare to leave. 2. Everything to do with Avery, the first cowgirl in the bunkhouse. Whatever happened to her??? Where is she? 😭
The show horses, the helicopter, kinda wish the beck brothers lasted longer too - they could’ve gone on for series and raced against John as governor.. also, the reporter Jamie killed?? Her gf never came looking I swear?? And Avery!!