‘Yellowstone’ Beginner’s Guide: What You Need to Know About TV’s Biggest Show

“Yellowstone” is a runaway TV hit. The story focuses on a family that owns a large ranch outside Yellowstone National Park. As various forces oppose the family, the story winds through murder, politics, drug use, kidnapping, and good old-fashioned cowboy fights.

If you’d like to get started with the show, here’s what you need to know.

Where Can You Watch ‘Yellowstone’?

New Episodes

New episodes of “Yellowstone” appear on Paramount Network. You can watch for free with a trial of several live TV streaming services. Your least expensive option is Philo. The next season is scheduled to premiere on November 13, 2022.

Older Episodes

Importantly, Paramount Network doesn’t always air reruns of the older episodes. A few times a year, they’ll do a marathon of all four seasons, but unless you catch one of those, you will need Peacock. That’s the only place to watch all four seasons on demand.

Spinoff Series

Multiple “Yellowstone” spinoffs are in the works. The first was “1883,” and you can watch it exclusively on Paramount+. Future spinoff series will appear there as well.

Who Are the Main Characters on ‘Yellowstone’?

The series focuses primarily on the Dutton family that owns the ranch. The family has struggled for several decades since the death of the wife and mother, Evelyn Dutton. As the series begins, there are 11 major characters who should be on your radar. Minor spoilers follow.

Father - John Dutton (Kevin Costner)

The father of the clan operates almost like a mafia boss, controlling the levers of power as he seeks to maintain control of his ranch. He is somewhat estranged from his four adult children as the series begins. John is gripped by fear that he may lose his ranch, and he’s not sure which of his children might be ready to take over when he dies. John also serves as the Livestock Commissioner of the Montana Livestock Association.

Son #1 - Lee Dutton (Dave Annable)

Lee is the apple of John’s eye. As the eldest son, he seems like a surefire bet to take over the ranch someday.

Son #2 - Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley)

While most of the Dutton family is at home on the ranch, Jamie is an attorney who spends most of his time dressed in a suit. He doesn’t seem entirely comfortable with his career, and Jamie faces a lot of hostility from his family. He is especially tormented by his sister, Beth.

Daughter - Bethany “Beth” Dutton (Kelly Reilly)

Beth is an alcoholic trainwreck. She blames herself for her mother’s death, and she’s spent her entire life putting up walls and bracing for a fight. She hates Jamie with a passion. Although Beth loves her father, she would be happy to be rid of the ranch and all the drama that surrounds it.

Son #3- Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes)

Kayce is the wayward son of the Dutton clan. The former Navy SEAL abandoned the ranch, married a Native American woman, and had a son of his own. He’s great with horses, but struggles with people.

Kayce’s Wife - Monica Long Dutton (Kelsey Asbille)

Monica is a teacher at a school on the Broken Rock Indian Reservation. She’s naturally wary of her in-laws, mindful of the conflict that has always raged between the Native Americans and the white settlers of the Yellowstone Ranch. John Dutton seems to resent Monica for pulling Kayce away from the ranch.

Kayce’s Son - Tate Dutton (Brecken Merrill)

Tate often feels torn between two worlds: his Native American heritage and the wealth and opportunity of the ranch. John Dutton loves his only grandson, and has to work carefully to build the relationship with Tate without upsetting Kayce or Monica.

Yellowstone Ranch Hands

Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser)

Although Rip isn’t in the Dutton family, John treats him like a son. Rip is the ranch foreman, and the man most often called upon to do John’s dirty work. Rip is fiercely loyal to John, for reasons that become clear later. Like all the ranch hands, Rip has a large “Y” branded on his chest, bonding him to the Yellowstone forever. Rip has been with the Dutton family most of his life, and he has an on-again/off-again relationship with Beth.

Jimmy Hurdstrom (Jefferson White)

Jimmy is a thief and a drug cook when the series begins, but John allows Jimmy joins the ranch as a favor to Jimmy’s grandfather. Jimmy often serves as the audience’s “point of view” character, since the new guy is useful in explaining how the ranch works.

Others

There are many other ranch hands who factor into the story, although they often come and go. Rip and Jimmy are the ones to keep your eyes on.

Antagonists

Chief Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham)

As chief of the Broken Rock Indian Reservation, Rainwater fights to reclaim the Yellowstone ranch from John and his family. The tribe considers the ranch stolen land.

Dan Jenkins (Danny Huston)

The billionaire land developer from California would love nothing more than to take the ranch and turn it into golf courses and resort homes.

How Many Seasons Are There?

There are currently four seasons of “Yellowstone,” all available on Peacock. It is unknown how many seasons the show will run, but as the most-watched show on TV, you can bet it will run for a few more years at least.

Is the Paramount Network the Same as Paramount+?

No. Paramount Network is a TV channel. Paramount+ is a video on demand (VOD) service. If you enjoy “Yellowstone,” many series from Taylor Sheridan (the show’s creator) are on Paramount+ or will be coming to Paramount+ soon. An upcoming “Yellowstone” spinoff, “6666,” will appear on Paramount Network.