In a post on Screencraft, Ken Miyamoto says that the series Yellowstone successfully blends positive qualities into its family of antiheroes. “On the surface, we shouldn’t be rooting for them,” Miyamoto writes. “Their morals and ethics are mixed, and we don’t always agree with the decisions they make. But we do understand those decisions in the context of their situation—a side we normally don’t get to see with most antagonists or villains.”
How do the writers do it? Miyamato examines each main character to show why audiences root for them.
- John Dutton/Patriarchal Loyalty. The family patriarch is ruthless, but also shows unwavering loyalty to his family and their land. While many of his decisions seem brutal, the show reveals how the family has fought for generations to preserve its legacy, against enemies who are even more ruthless.
- Beth Dutton/Unforgiving Fierceness and Loyalty. Daughter Beth is a ruthless and vengeful businesswoman, but harbors a strong love for her father and brother, with whom she can be vulnerable. Audiences live vicariously through Beth as she takes drastic action that regular people could only dream about.
- Kayce Dutton/Compassion and Sense of Justice. A former Navy SEAL, Kayce thinks before he acts – unlike many of the family – but is also willing to do what he believes is right, regardless of personal cost. Kayce is ruthless as well, but also serves as the audience’s entry point into the family.
- Jamie Dutton/Vulnerability and Intellectual Ambition. Son Jamie is weak and unlikeable but his intelligence and need to be acknowledged by his father reveal his vulnerability.
- Rip Wheeler/Unquestionable Loyalty and Devotion. Unique among the family – and also not a family member – Rip embodies all of the other characters’ redeeming qualities, which he uses in service to the family.
