The fifth season of Yellowstone premiered to a record 12 million views making it one of the most-watched TV show premiers of 2022. It proved just how popular the show is across different demographics. The show balances the delicate historical and modern approach to sensitive topics in American culture to create what many fans regard as a true neo-Western masterpiece.
The show has since given birth to a whole franchise that now includes 1883 and the highly anticipated 1923. The franchise’s popularity isn't universal, though, as some viewers disagree with the show's applauded writing and characters. Many fans have aired their dissenting opinions about the show and characters on message boards, with several unpopular opinions raising heated discussions on Reddit threads.
John Dutton Is The Bad Guy
Most Yellowstone fans consider John Dutton to be the most likable character on Yellowstone. One Redditor thinks that he is the bad guy, though, and that those supporting him are similar to those who supported Breaking Bad's Walter White. "he may be the protagonist but he's a not a good person and neither are his kids..." they argue.
Comparing John Dutton to Walter White is not fair, though, because he has done the exact opposite of what Walter did by protecting his family and its legacy rather than risking it. John Dutton is also wise and considerate even to people that don't support him, like Thomas Rainwater and Monica.
Rainwater Is A Good Person
Jlive9 said that Thomas Rainwater is their favorite character because he is retaking the tribe's grabbed land legally rather than using brute force. "Rainwater wants to 'use the same legal system white men used to take away tribal land to get it back.'" they say. Thomas Rainwater may not be picking unnecessary fights with the Duttons anymore, but he has not been redeemed from his crimes in the first season.
He caused Lee's death when he refused to peacefully return John Dutton's stolen cattle. The fight also resulted in the deaths of many members of his tribe, including Monica's brother. Thomas is also partly responsible for the influx of developers that desecrate the land as he started it when he welcomed his partners to build casinos on the reservation, raising the land rates.
Rip Is A Bad Foreman
Rip Wheeler is John Dutton's favorite henchman and, of course, a fan-favorite head cowboy but usmcmech doesn't share that opinion. They feel that he follows John Dutton blindly and rarely puts the interests of the bunkhouse first. "A good lieutenant will challenge the bad ideas that a boss proposes," they say, criticizing his decision to fire Teeter.
While not a popular opinion, their argument is justified because Rip's management of the bunkhouse hasn't been the best since the first season. Rip nearly killed Walker mostly because he never liked him and also rules the bunkhouse with an iron fist. Rip is still a good ranch manager, though, as he is always a step ahead of the many threats the ranch faces, but the same can't be said of his leadership skills.
The Duttons Are The Villains
The Duttons aren't exactly model citizens, but most of their actions in the show have been totally justified. One Redditor feels that the Duttons are just awful people, though. "I mean, they kill people, brutalize people, are pretty toxic people to be honest," they said in the thread.
It would be unfair to write off the Duttons that way because they feel they won the ranch fairly based on the existing laws in the 1800s. Everything they have done in the show so far has been to protect each other and the ranch, which is what any family would do.
The Show Is Overrated
Every show has its critics, although many Yellowstone fans would find this opinion offensive, considering the ratings the show receives on public forums. One Redditor said they don't understand why it is reviewed so highly when the writing is apparently so bad. "There's so little character development ... It's just a soap opera in Montana," they say.
Character development has been immense throughout the show, though, with the likes of Rip, John, and Kayce becoming better protagonists with every new season. Better villains like Caroline Warner have also been introduced over the seasons, creating a complex dynamic in the drama that makes the plot less predictable and more interesting.
Jamie Is Not That Bad
"As for the reporter,... what he did was despicable, but in the world he grew up in it’s not that bad...," Deronta85 said while making their case for why Jimmy is the misunderstood hero of the Dutton family. John Dutton may be a bad father, but most of the worst things that Jamie has done have been his own decisions and had nothing to do with John.
John didn't advise him to lie to Beth, causing her to have an unwanted hysterectomy, for example. He also chose his murderous father over the family that raised him and also slept with Sarah knowing she had no good intentions for his family.
John Dutton Is A Bad Father
"If John wasn’t such a terrorist to his kids when they were young Beth could’ve approached him and received help..." one Redditor said while blaming John for the Dutton family dysfunction. There is no evidence of John being that extremely terrible of a father in the show, although his treatment of Jamie isn't the kindest.
As a father, John Dutton does everything he can to bring his children closer and protect the family. He attended the funeral for Kayce's baby and came to console Monica even though Monica doesn't like him. The Dutton family's imperfection is, therefore, not necessarily down to John being a bad father.
The Worst Crimes In The Show Go Unpunished
"... Murder, kidnapping, torture, hanging, arson, extortion, ... have zero or almost zero consequences, but God forbid you shoot a bear..." a Redditor listed the many crimes that went without punishment in the show.
Their opinion is partly justified because bears and wolves seem to have more rights than human beings in the show. However, Yellowstone is still a Western show despite its modern context, which means the show has to retain characteristics of the Wild West like other Western TV shows.
Beth Is A Horrible Person
Beth Dutton is indeed impulsive and rowdy, but few Yellowstone fans would describe her as horrible. Driveanywhere still believes that she is a horrible person, saying that they can't stand her. "I understand her hatred for Jamie, but why does she have to exercise it every time she sees him?" they mention to defend their negative opinion of her.
While nice is not the word that describes Beth, she is still the most loyal and of John Dutton's children and actually very intelligent. She defended Monica when she was abused by the store attendant and even adopted Carter after his father died, which proves his nice she can be. As for Jamie, Beth doesn't owe him any nice treatment because he ruined her life and has proved that he will betray the family whenever he gets the opportunity.
Jimmy's Love Story Was Overemphasized
"... The series keeps pushing Jimmy’s love story more than the main characters or the series story?" Bardeng complained on a Reddit thread. Although Jimmy was a pretty lovable person, the screen time the character received was overdone.
His relationship with Mia and, later, Emily received lots of attention without seeming to contribute to the plot in any way. Jimmy is meant to star in the upcoming spinoff 6666 Ranch, which means the screen time was preparing him for his upcoming advanced role in the show.