Taylor Sheridan has been dominating the entertainment industry for several years now, but his recent success has less to do with

Yellowstone specifically and more to do with Sheridan’s recurring themes. Initially an actor before turning to directing and screenwriting, it

feels as though Sheridan’s career blew up overnight, although he starred in many projects before making his directorial debut with Vile

 

 

(2011), a horror film starring April Matson and Greg Cipes. In just three years, Sheridan’s screenwriting trajectory took off with three back-to-back box office successes: Sicario (2015), Hell or High Water (2016), and Wind River (2017).

When Yellowstone and the large Dutton family were introduced in 2018, no one could have predicted that the neo-Western series would take off and impact pop culture and the entertainment industry as it did. Over 53 episodes spread across five seasons, Yellowstone received over a dozen award nominations and raving reviews for, really, every aspect of what makes a good television series: the plot, the characters, the direction, and the dialogue, as well as its representation of Native Americans through the Broken Rock Reservation (although the last point did receive some criticism). In hindsight, HBO missed out on a golden opportunity when it declined to greenlit Sheridan’s initial vision of Yellowstone. As the years continue to pass, and Sheridan’s empire continues to grow by what feels like the day, it becomes clearer why Sheridan’s success grows despite his series being quite similar.

 

 

Yellowstone is a masterpiece by itself, but as a whole, Sheridan’s fast-growing television empire continues to expand at an incredible rate because of his all-encompassing themes. In particular, Sheridan’s work revolves around the American Dream, with Manifest Destiny playing a specific role in the Yellowstone franchise. Throughout the original neo-Western drama, the Dutton family and their struggle to hold onto their self-built Yellowstone Dutton Ranch serves as the main conflict (although the ranch exists on Native American land). In 1883 and 1923, the two Yellowstone spin-off prequels, the Dutton family’s cross-country move to present-day Montana is a prime example of the American Dream at work.

The importance and influence of the American Dream—the idea that anyone can be successful with enough hard work and determination—can be found in almost all of Sheridan’s projects. A prime example of this, of course, is through the Duttons’ ranch and its transformative journey through 1883, 1923, and Yellowstone. Landman, one of Sheridan’s more recent series, is another example, as the main character attempts to capitalize on the oil industry while navigating various challenges. On the film side, brothers Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner Howard (Ben Foster) attempt to help their families’ impending foreclosure and perpetuate success, although by committing robberies in Hell or High Water.

While the American Dream is something that many still work towards today, a lot of Sheridan’s television endeavors actually highlight the decline, or the problematic controversies, of trying to attain what may feel unattainable. The Dutton family owns a successful ranch in Yellowstone, as a glaring example. Still, their fight for control through capitalistic and societal lenses shows that in modern times, it’s a holdover from self-sustained dreams. Mayor of Kingstown operates the same way: the McLusky family wants to be successful, for instance, but struggles to overcome massive amounts of inequality, racism, and overall injustice.

With creating entertaining films and television series, Sheridan’s mastery of timeless themes continues to pave the way for success. Those about to tune into a Sheridan television series or film (whether for the first time or on a rewatch) can expect to see several things: a distinct struggle to retain, or acquire, land and power is the biggest recurring theme. Sherdian’s works also focus on familial relations and their complexity, corruption within capitalist societies and/or ventures, and the unjust treatment of Native Americans. Sheridan’s works have also shared several actors across projects, including James Jordan, Matt Gerald, Michelle Randolph, Gil Birmingham, Billy Bob Thornton, and Nichole Galicia.

Considering that Sheridan grew up on a Texas ranch and owns more than one as an adult, it’s safe to say that Sheridan is a real-life cowboy, albeit not one you can expect to see in a saloon gunfight anytime soon. With personal experience at the forefront, Sherdian’s projects consistently work because they’re grounded in realism. One of Sheridan’s upcoming television series, Four Sixes Ranch, for instance, draws heavily from the real 6666 ranch in Texas. Sheridan purchased the century-old property in 2021.