Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan has a message for anyone who thinks the show is mired in conservative rhetoric: you've probably never watched it. In a new interview with The Atlantic, Sheridan explained his frustration with those who believe the series is a "red-state show" or somehow conservative in nature.
"They refer to it as 'the conservative show' or 'the Republican show' or 'the red-state Game of Thrones, and I just sit back laughing," Sheridan told The Atlantic. "I'm like, 'Really?' The show's talking about the displacement of Native Americans and the way Native American women were treated and about corporate greed and the gentrification of the West, and land-grabbing. That's a red-state show?"
This isn't the first time Sheridan has made comments along these lines. Speaking to The New York Times in 2019, he commented on the perception of Yellowstone as a conservative show in the eyes of Emmy voters. He offered thoughts similar to the ones he shared recently.
"People perceive all my stuff as red state, and it's the most ridiculous thing," he said. "If you truly look at this show or Wind River or Sicario, these are pretty wildly progressive notions. The people who are calling it a red-state show have probably never watched it." He went on to say that he wasn't looking to preach to viewers and that he was "apolitical publicly."
Yellowstone follows the Duttons, headed by John Dutton (Kevin Costner), the widowed patriarch of the family, as they own and operate the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Though the ranch is prosperous, the Duttons are constantly on the defense to keep the land in the family as bordering neighbors, including a Native American reservation and Yellowstone National Park, vying for the land. It features a diverse cast with varying motivations and a twisting narrative that only seeks to get darker and more complex as the series carries on.
Sheridan is adamant that he's planning to show viewers "both sides," regarding the conflicts in Yellowstone and as it relates to political lines.
"I'm going to show you all sides," he previously told The New York Times. "I happen to think a Native American trying to buy back the land that was stolen from his people, like Gil Birmingham's tribal-leader character is doing on the show, is historically pretty progressive. And it's not a fantasy. That is happening."
Yellowstone Season 5 is currently airing on Sundays on the Paramount Network.
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