Taylor Sheridan’s Travis Wheatley has been accused of ruining “Yellowstone” season 5. The criticism stems from the very fact he spent a lot of the penultimate episode, “Give the World Away,” taking part in strip poker with supermodels and exhibiting off his horse driving abilities earlier than promoting some steeds to bag the Dutton household a couple of million bucks. Sheridan arguably made himself the hero in his personal story, however “Yellowstone” producer Christina Voros claims that he wished to make folks chuckle.
In an interview with Selection, Voros famous that humor has all the time been a key part of “Yellowstone.” Nonetheless, it wasn’t widespread in season 5 because the present’s characters have been coping with the dying of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton and different traumatic occasions:
“That is all the time been a part of the DNA of the present. So I feel folks have been so wrapped up within the tragedy of this last season that some of us forgot that there is all the time been a component of comedy on this. It is all the time been current, and he simply forged himself because the aspect that introduced a few of that levity as a result of everybody else was so completely devastated in regards to the lack of John Dutton. It will be exhausting to search out the comedy from Beth and Rip and Kayce. I believed it was a fairly daring transfer on his half, however I feel it served the story.”
Sheridan’s character’s antics created a few of the wildest moments of “Yellowstone,” a few of that are entertaining. That stated, there’s an argument to be made that the criticisms are warranted.
Taylor Sheridan’s character undermined one in every of Yellowstone’s finest arcs
Jimmy Hurdstrom (Jefferson White) has among the finest arcs on “Yellowstone.” He is launched as a drug prepare dinner who will get a job on the Duttons’ ranch as a result of John Dutton likes his grandfather. He then proceeds to turn out to be a fairly horrible cowboy, although he finds some success as a rodeo rider earlier than breaking a lot of the bones in his physique. Jimmy ultimately will get despatched to the 4 Sixes ranch, the place he turns into a reliable cowboy and falls in love. It was an inspirational story for some time … till Taylor Sheridan ruined it by making Travis Wheatley the present’s comedic reduction.
Towards the top of “Yellowstone” season 5, Jimmy turns into the butt of the joke once more. Sheridan’s character consistently bullies him (however in a ha ha method), claiming that he is a horrible cowboy — although he was given an entire arc about changing into good at his job. What was the purpose in giving Jimmy a significant story solely to make him a punchline to mean-spirited jokes (together with a zinger the place Wheatley tells Jimmy to not put on his seatbelt as a result of nobody cares if he dies)?
The upcoming “6666” spin-off will presumably characteristic extra of Sheridan in an on-screen capability since his character runs the titular ranch. Nonetheless, he would possibly have to tone it again if he desires to maintain some followers on board, as Wheatley’s elevated position within the story has been divisive at finest and detrimental at worst.
“Yellowstone” is at the moment streaming on Peacock.
