Yellowstone might be the TV obsession of the moment, but not everyone’s buying what the Duttons are selling. Reddit is buzzing with some seriously wild takes that could totally change how you see the show. Whether you’re team John or just here for the drama, these unpopular opinions are about to flip your Yellowstone world upside down!
“John is very selfish. He’s nothing more than a mob boss in a cowboy hat,” one fan bluntly states.
Embed from Getty ImagesAccording to this take, John demands loyalty without giving much back, treating everyone, including Rip, like expendable tools.
Another Redditor doesn’t hold back on their dislike for the patriarch, saying, “John Dutton is an absolute [expletive].”
Embed from Getty ImagesThey point out his cruelty toward his kids, his obsession with protecting the land, and his constant “wisdom” that feels more annoying than inspiring.
Remember when Beth and Rip were relationship goals? Not for everyone.
One user shared, “I loved Beth and Rip in the first couple seasons…But after season 4 and 5, watching how they treat the kid they took in, it’s made me start to really dislike them.” Their parenting skills (or lack thereof) are a major turn-off.
Meanwhile, a fan favorite among some isn’t even a Dutton.
“My favorite character is Rainwater,” a Redditor confessed. “I wish he would get more screen time. He is devious but still has a set of principles he follows. He’s aggressive in rushing to get the land back from the Duttons yet patient in willing to wait and play the long game. Most of all I like how his character makes sense, no out of character motivation behavior.”
Dan Jenkins doesn’t get much love, but one Redditor felt for him, saying, “He just seemed like a nice guy and was probably the most morally just character in the show.”
They couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Dan, who was always in over his head with the Duttons.
Some fans find Beth’s character to be polarizing.
“Is Beth supposed to be a likeable character?” one Redditor asked. “I’m halfway through the 2nd season of Yellowstone because my brother keeps telling me how great the show is and I want to give it a chance. But I’ve gotten to the point where if I’m gonna continue I’ll have to fast-forward through every scene where Beth shows up.”
Another take suggests the Dutton family’s plot armor is too thick.
“All of the Duttons are sociopaths, and the plot armor is so stupid around each of them,” another Redditor shared. “Imagine how awesome this show would be if it suddenly became like Fall of the House of Usher. At the end only the ranch remained which then got turned into an amusement park.”
RELATED STORIES
Not all of the show’s characters are receiving criticism, however. “Jimmy FTW,” cheers one Redditor, who finds Jimmy’s underdog story to be the most relatable.
“Can I just say I [expletive] love Jimmy? I find him to be one of the more relatable characters on the show. It’s such a good underdog story,” someone penned. “What we have is a character who displays more growth than any other person in the series.”
Another harsh critique of John Dutton compares him to the likes of other famous TV characters, including Walter White from Breaking Bad.
“I’m the only one who finds his character 99% evil, corrupted, and mean?,” the Redditor shared. “I mean, ok, he’s a businessman but damn, Tony soprano and Walter white are better people than him.”
Season 5 left some fans cold.
Embed from Getty Images“I find Season 5 to be one of the most mind-numbingly boring seasons of television I’ve ever watched,” a user lamented. “There is no progress for the storyline or the characters. There is no more drama.”
One Redditor pointed out the unrealistic portrayal of property taxes on the show.
“The most frustrating thing about the show is the laziness of the plot,” they wrote. “Farms do not pay the same property taxes as other properties… You could build a ski resort, golf course, planned community, and Indian casino. You could build Manhattan next to the Dutton ranch, all it would do is make them richer on paper while not in any meaningful way affecting their property taxes.”
Another fan chimed in on Reddit, saying “Jamie deserved better writing.”
“I can’t help but feel bad for Jamie,” they penned. “He was written as a badass lawyer in season one, but they made him weak starting with the second season until he eventually became a liability… I hope Jamie gets redemption in the final season.”
One person criticized Rip for being a “terrible foreman.”
Embed from Getty ImagesThey prefaced their take by calling Rip “a total badass.” However, “He never challenges JD on any decision. He will do absolutely whatever JD says… A good lieutenant will challenge the bad ideas that a boss proposes. A good foreman will act as a firebreak between the workers and management. More than anything else JD needs someone that he knows is loyal but will tell him when he is wrong.”
And finally, a surprising amount of love goes out to Dan Jenkins.
Embed from Getty Images“Did anyone else really like Dan Jenkins?” one fan asked. They saw him as a “morally just character” who unfortunately got caught in the Duttons’ crossfire. “The man just wanted to build apartments lol.”
