Yellowstone's Duttons: Love Them or Hate Them, But Can You Root for Them?
Everyone has a different opinion of the Dutton family, even if they are not generally presented in a positive way.
John Dutton and the rest of the clan have been desperately fighting to preserve their land for several generations yet are frequently threatened by outsiders. For audiences, it usually puts the Duttons in a negative light since the characters come across as vindictive or greedy, even though they are labeled as the "good guys".
The love/hate relationship has contributed to the most popular show on television, which is also inherently flawed. The Duttons are the type of characters audiences either love or hate. They are compelling at the surface level, however, when fans dig deeper into each character's past and review their transgressions – it's extremely difficult to locate a single character on the show worthy of redemption.
In general, audiences agree to disagree yet when the subject is Yellowstone. Regardless, one attitude that viewers generally uphold is that all of the Duttons are unlikeable. Sure, fans may have their personal favorite character (as well as their least favorite), but most acknowledge that Yellowstone is deprived of a decent soul.
The blueprint for most successful TV shows (or any drama for that matter) is to establish a main character who usually transforms into the hero. The protagonist generally features redeeming qualities that make the individual interesting and desirable. Audiences want to watch a person succeed who they back and support.
However, in terms of Yellowstone, attempting to track down a character that is endearing is more than a challenge.
For starters, John is no saint, and the one son with the potential to do better, Kayce, is becoming as ruthless as his father. Then, there is the spineless Jamie and dreadful Beth. The two siblings spend more time at each other's throats than actually doing anything decent for the family. And, if they treat their own family members that poorly, one can only imagine their reputation with outsiders.
Accordingly, the most likable characters on Yellowstone are actually the side players.
It's something that is frequently discussed on Reddit where characters like Jimmy and Walker are idolized more than the Dutton family. Redditors acknowledge that Yellowstone sometimes feels like the "Succession of the West". The comparison is accurate considering that Yellowstone follows the same formula of a ton of drama, but very few characters that are not real pieces of cow dung.
Thus, Redditors debate who on Yellowstone is worthy of praise and who deserves to get treated like they act in the show.
"I'm confused, does the show want me to root for the Duttons?" a poster complained, pointing out that side characters like Monica and Rip Wheeler are typically more popular with audiences than any of the Duttons.