Audiences love what Taylor Sheridan brings to the table, and for good reason.

Since the Taylor Sheridan-helmed Western drama Yellowstone premiered on the Paramount Network in the summer of 2018, the series rose to prominence relatively quickly. Ignoring the initial wave of mixed-to-negative reviews upon release, the series, which is ending with Season 5, was a hit with audiences and by Season 3 and became one of the most-watched shows in America. Everyone who’s heard of Yellowstone has their own opinions on the show, but love it or hate it, there’s no denying that Sheridan’s overnight takeover as one of the most sought-after creators in Hollywood has largely been met with a desire for more.

If we could say anything about Taylor Sheridan, perhaps best well-known before Yellowstone as the scribe behind Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River, it’s that the cowboy-turned-actor-turned-filmmaker seems to know what he’s doing. If this wave of prestige Western and blue-collar dramas is indeed a limited run, then Sheridan’s getting his money’s worth before the clock runs out. Yellowstone prequels 1883 and 1923 were instantly met with favorable reviews as they returned to the traditional Western format (the latter being Paramount+’s biggest series debut), while Sheridan’s other projects, Mayor of Kingstown and Tulsa King, which star Jeremy Renner and Sylvester Stallone respectively, have made waves themselves, earn Move to Trashing sophomore seasons almost immediately. Needless to say, folks love what Sheridan brings to the table, and for good reason.

Yellowstone itself takes place primarily in Paradise Valley, Montana, a beautiful and lush mountainscape that seems as endless as the show’s ever-long-running summer. As someone who has spent the better part of his adult life in Bozeman, Montana (another primary setting for the Paramount series), it’s easy to tell the difference between the fact and the fiction of Yellowstone’s depiction of the “Last Best Place,” but regardless of the small inconsistencies (which there are in everything since most screenwriters hail from Hollywood), that doesn’t stop one from suspending their disbelief enough to engage in Sheridan’s rocky and often violent world. As the most-watched series on cable (surpassing even The Walking Dead before it ended its eleven-year run), Yellowstone has made a name for itself, but what does its popularity say about America?

The Appeal of ‘Yellowstone’s Western Roots

To understand the appeal of Yellowstone is to understand the American myth of the West. In this country, there is a continued tradition of post-Civil War myths that are retold again and again, even in contemporary times. In fact, other genres, including science-fiction, are often rife with Western tropes; it’s ingrained into American society, and by extension modern filmmaking as a whole. Yellowstone, a neo-Western itself, is naturally no exception. In fact, its popularity seems to prove this point all too well. In the past, Hollywood made history with the Western, producing more a year than any other genre combined. Films like Stagecoach, The Searchers, True Grit, and plenty of others are still highly beloved today and remain influential nearly everywhere movies are made. No wonder Australian, Italian, and Indian cinema, among others, have often adapted these Western legends themselves.

There’s something to the Western that seems forever appealing. Basic human ideas of freedom, liberty, family, vengeance, and justice flow through the genre like streams of rushing water; you can’t really tell the myth without it. Sheridan clearly understands this as Yellowstone and its prequels are no different, except for maybe the fact that the dysfunctional Duttons tend to avoid paying their dues year after year. Other Western themes, such as the mistreatment and struggles of Native Americans, the harsh realities of cowboy living, the consequences of violence and stolen land, and the battle against progress are also clearly depicted on Yellowstone, which has only helped open the door for more stories like these to be told in the future. No wonder a more traditional Western like 1883 was so popular.