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What to Read If You’d Rather Be Watching ‘Yellowstone’

Whether you’re a diehard fan or just Yellowstone-curious, there’s something here about the smash-hit show for you.

Corrie Evanoff

Read when you’ve got time to spare.

Once you hit play, the pull of Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone can’t be denied. Maybe you, too, are now grappling with the urge to go live that mountain ranch life. Or perhaps you’re not yet on the bandwagon and simply want to know if the western soap deserves the award-season buzz it’s getting (short answer: yes—keep reading). This collection of articles explores it all, from the real-life cowboys running Yellowstone and its offshoots, 1883 and 1923, to the urban transplants pushing in and still trying to make the land their own. Plus—why Yellowstone is less of a ‘red-state’ show than you think.

Image by epicurean/Getty Images

How Taylor Sheridan Created America’s Most Popular TV Show

Inside Paramount’s Yellowstone juggernaut.

This Land Is His Land

It’s simplistic to label Yellowstone a “red-state drama.” But the cowboy soap speaks the language of culture war with a perfect accent.

The Old Man-ification of TV Is Here

Yellowstone has lured a litany of movie legends to take over television in shows like Tulsa King and 1923.

The Lost History of Yellowstone

Debunking the myth that the great national park was a wilderness untouched by humans.

Yellowstone’s Beefy Fantasy

How the biggest show on cable sells cattle ranching to the world.

Gator From ‘Yellowstone’ Is The Hardest Working Chef On Television

He feeds 300 people a day in harsh conditions—and wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Best Character on Yellowstone Is Also Its Worst Person

The mercurial Beth Dutton evinces the ruthless clarity of a woman in a man’s world.

Mo Brings Plenty Was About to Quit Acting. Then Came ‘Yellowstone.’

The actor wasn’t satisfied with the Native representation he saw onscreen. Now he’s helping TV’s biggest drama get it right.

The ‘Cowboy Hard’ Life and Songs of ‘Yellowstone’s’ Ryan Bingham

Already an Oscar-winning singer-songwriter with a dedicated following, Ryan Bingham is now TV famous for his role as Walker on the hit series Yellowstone.

Americans Go ‘Westerncore’ as Yellowstone Fans Adopt Cowboy Look

The TV-inspired aesthetic has taken hold even far from the ranches of the west, as New Yorkers don cowboy boots.

‘Yellowstone’ Is Set in Montana. But the Show’s Music Comes Straight From Texas.

The TV sensation, largely set elsewhere, leans on Texan artists from Uncle Lucius to the Panhandlers to set an authentic Western tone.

In ‘Yellowstone,’ Transplants to the West Are the Enemy. Is the Hit Show Right?

A writer in Bozeman, Montana, grapples with the wealthy wave of newcomers gentrifying the town she moved to ten years ago—as a dirtbag pursuing the western dream.

Why People Like Me Left California to Pursue the American Dream in Montana

People crave purpose, community and, frankly, impact.

Thinking About a Visit? How to Experience Yellowstone in Every Season

Catch elk bugling in the fall and fewer crowds in the spring, for starters.