As it turns out, Taylor Sheridan is not Aaron Sorkin.
Like the latter, Sheridan came out swinging strong with three critical hits in theaters to start his writing career. Then he decided to create TV series, a logical step because if there was anything wrong with Sheridan’s work between Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River is that there wasn’t enough from him for the audience.
Unlike Sorkin, Sheridan doesn’t look like he takes residence with television as Sorkin did. His TV debut Yellowstone is not Sports Night (Sorkin’s first show) and certainly not West Wing. Though, it had all the ingredients to be in the conversation.
With Sheridan as one of the industries brightest new talents along with an ace ensemble headlined by Kevin Costner, it had peak TV written all over it. With the exception of Sheridan’s Sicario sequel releasing next week, the wait for a new Sheridan project would be just a week for the next month on the Paramount Network.
But perhaps the wait for his new projects and their relative brevity was for the best. At least, Yellowstone’s first episode doesn’t make a convincing argument the series shouldn’t be a theatrical release.
Despite a bold intro with Costner shooting an injured horse from a traffic accident, the drama seems far too low with even lower stakes. There’s no justification given that the series should extend beyond the first episode, which at 93 minutes would be eligible feature-film status on its own.
Sheridan’s strongest writing comes with a sense of urgency and anticipation. Add in a dash of dread for good measure. That’s been the hallmark of his screenplays so far. He’s also proven socially and politically aware. At least Yellowstone has that working in its favor, attempting to understand the dynamic between government, business, and Native American through a property battle.
Otherwise, the whole project feels disjointed. With 90 minutes to chew in the first episode alone, there’s more development around the corner but the conflict still feels slight. That’s not just in reference to the expectations Sheridan has set with his theatrical work (by this time in Wind River, Jeremy Renner was already setting up his trap) but also a critique on its own.
The conflict that arises in Yellowstone is not just lackluster but disconnected. While there’s a good job done introducing characters without much background, they still fall flat. There’s little to no flow between the characters inhabiting the same screen, let alone moving from scene-to-scene.
It would be understandable if there was an inept director at the helm, but Sheridan — like with Wind River — directed this himself. He’s already proven to be a good director, making the tonal shifts seen here all the more frustrating. Even down to the title sequence, the whole affair feels sloppy and misplaced.
Combined with a soaring theme song, the use of animation in the scene places the atmosphere with the likes of True Detective. But that tone doesn’t carry over to the storyline. Not only does that hurt the story, but gives fewer chances for a top-flight ensemble to shine.
Costner is given the most to work with, and once again, makes for a show-stopping cold open. It’s once the story moves into the rest of the plot when everything falls apart. Most unforgivable is the role Gil Birmingham was given. His role as a grieving father in Wind River was a stirring performance and emotionally devastating despite its brevity. So far, there’s been little to bite into.
As the main antagonist here — seen so far — he has an expanded role but the complexity has fallen off. The same goes for West Bentley, unable to contend with Costner. Though, even Costner’s gruff magnetism goes so far when Sheridan is virtually selling the farm. It feels like an ill-conceived crossover between Hatfields & McCoys and Seinfeld.
There’s no need to spend watching the minutiae of the legal battle and family drama, or even the farm work. A cow giving birth is just a cow giving birth here, at least within the realm of the first episode. Costner and the ensemble do their best to sell the work, but when the show takes itself so serious either through overly-dramatic commercial breaks and a mismatched, self-serious score, that’s of little consolation.
Sorkin didn’t find his full stride until his second series. Maybe Sheridan is still looking for his West Wing, but first he needs to right the ship here. Yellowstone isn’t a complete failure, it’s just a shell of what could be another great movie.
Overall Grade: 5 out of 10
Yellowstone airs Wednesday nights on The Paramount Network.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j2R4fNxTdY
