All 3 Yellowstone TV Shows, Ranked Worst To Best
Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone franchise has expanded into spin-off shows, with more soon to follow. Here's how they compare to each other.
- Yellowstone has been a successful TV series that has expanded into two prequels, exploring the nature of land and power in the United States.
- The prequels, 1923 and 1883, offer different perspectives and stories within the Yellowstone franchise, but their quality and storytelling differ from the original series.
- Despite its flaws, Yellowstone has provided depth in character development and explored complex themes, making it a thought-provoking and entertaining show with a loyal fanbase.
Yellowstone has been a massive success as a modern Western television series, spawning spin-off shows that range in quality. After the tremendous success of the first Yellowstone series, the franchise has expanded into two prequels. The world of Yellowstone was created by Taylor Sheridan, a writer and producer who’s been churning out shows for Paramount+, including even more planned spin-offs for his Western universe. Sheridan has developed a reputation as one of the industry’s most engaging writers, known for creating gritty, complex characters and exploring real-world social and political issues. The franchise is crafted to offer a mix of classical Western genre ideas with soap opera drama.
Yellowstone follows the Dutton family, exploring the nature of land and power in the United States, with the prequel shows 1883 and 1923 examining the occupation and development of that land. The Yellowstone franchise has released seven TV seasons so far, introducing audiences to a world of cowboys, family drama, and political intrigue. Taylor Sheridan has repopularized the previously dormant Western genre in a way that’s relevant to the polarizing landscape of 21st-century America. Granted, the quality of Yellowstone franchise shows differs, allowing for a deeper dive into a ranking.
3, 1923
1923 is the second prequel series introduced in the Yellowstone franchise, following the story of the Dutton family during the Prohibition and Great Depression eras. 1923‘s cast is highlighted by Cara and Jacob Dutton, expertly played by Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford. The prospect of those great castings alone is enough to win viewers over to 1923, and the first season manages to hold its own with its storytelling. While 1923 has encouraging potential, season 1 isn’t particularly special, with similar story beats to Yellowstone, following the Dutton family contending with rivals seeking after the ranch.
In one season, 1923 fails to capture the lightning-in-a-bottle entertainment of 1883’s lone season or the wider intrigue of Yellowstone. 1923 resides somewhere between the two, with the possibility of telling an extensive story that remains more consistent than Yellowstone, as it did have a more effective first installment than the original series. However, after only one season, 1923 is the weakest Yellowstone show. It’s still a testament to Taylor Sheridan’s abilities that the franchise can continue to find new, intriguing voices in different eras, and it will be exciting to see how the series pans out.
2, 1883
1883 is the first prequel to Yellowstone, exploring the Dutton family’s rigorous journey north toward their future in Montana. With Tim McGraw and Faith Hill leading the series and Sam Elliott in a supporting role, 1883 expectedly offers some of the strongest performances in the franchise. The series also stars the young actress Isabel May in the prominent role of Elsa. Through one season, 1883 sees the Yellowstone universe with its highest stakes made immediately apparent as the family finds itself on a perilous frontiersman path, detailing how the Duttons came to claim ownership of the Yellowstone Ranch land.
Elsa is a particular standout, offering the series a fresh perspective. Instead of Yellowstone’s conflict of power and political intrigue, Elsa offers a unique scope on the Western genre from the viewpoint of a teenage girl. Her spirited and adventurous nature forges a perfect contrast to the horror of frontier America, an idea neatly tied together by Elsa’s tragic demise in the 1883
While 1883 is a captivating singular piece of television, it isn’t as great as Yellowstone at its peak. The miniseries format doesn’t allow the level of exploration into characters and ideas that Yellowstone has over time. 1883 offers adventure, excitement, and consistent violence and action, but it lacks the natural development and examination that Yellowstone has, relying too heavily on Elsa’s narration to guide the story in its limited run time. Even when considered as a miniseries, 1883’s ending feels abrupt. There is certainly more story to tell in this era of the Dutton family.
1, Yellowstone
While the original series certainly has its low points, it also has the best television seasons in the Yellowstone franchise. In five seasons, Yellowstone has been able to explore its characters and the thematic ideas of the franchise in the most depth. Set around Kevin Costner’s John Dutton and the modern-era ownership of the Yellowstone ranch, the series offers a great mix of unique personalities and dynamics, over-arching storylines, and thematic exploration.
Yellowstone season 1 isn’t the smoothest start to the series, with a slow-paced zigzagging narrative that often felt over the top. However, the prestige performances and vast beauty of the Montana landscape are enough to carry the show to its second season, where it begins to hit its stride. Yellowstone seasons 2 and 3 see the Dutton family and ranch face off against a series of threats to their control, from the violent and vicious Beck Brothers to the behemoth Market Equities corporation. These varying antagonists begin to complicate matters as although the Duttons own more land than anyone deserves, it’s clear that there are worse people out there.
Yellowstone follows in the footsteps of shows like Breaking Bad or The Sopranos, following a morally complex lead who seems to be building toward his demise. John Dutton would be easy to write off as a bad man, being that he’s a wealthy landowner and essentially a criminal. As the series delves deeper into his motives, it becomes clear that he isn’t purely evil but rather a man who wants to defend the natural world against modernity. The character study of John Dutton’s morality is the central question of Yellowstone, creating a framework for thought-provoking television that neither of the prequels has matched.
While the recent seasons of Yellowstone may have audiences feeling dismayed over the decline in quality, the show’s ending could prove to make the show’s low points worthwhile. A satisfying conclusion could solidify Yellowstone as a great TV series, but it’s fair to say that even during its most ridiculous points, Yellowstone has always been entertaining. The series has so many great characters, from the unique personalities of the Dutton family to the humorous and exciting ensemble of supporting ranchers in the bunkhouse. Viewers have grown heavily attached to the inhabitants of the Dutton Ranch, which can be attributed to Yellowstone‘smeaningful overarching narrative.
