The Big Problem That Yellowstone Fans Think The Writers Need To Solve

"Yellowstone" is nothing short of a TV phenomenon. Little by little, the show has leveraged its stellar cast, ruthless plotlines, and rough-hewn gorgeousness of its Montana setting into such a smash hit status that the show's Season 4 premiere smashed viewing records without any help from streaming. Since "Yellowstone" creator Taylor Sheridan is a scion of an actual ranching family, the show comes with an air of authenticity that translates to an impressive viewing experience. Even if you've never been in Montana in your life, it's all too easy to imagine what life at the Yellowstone Ranch might be like, right down to the fresh air and the delicious food of Gator. 

Some fans, however, have expressed the opinion that the show's various plot threads might not be quite as smooth as the show's juggernaut status implies. In fact, they feel that "Yellowstone" has a pretty major plotting issue that the writers should endeavor to solve.

Rancher John Dutton (Kevin Costner) is famously less than thrilled about his adopted son, Jamie (Wes Bentley). Though the two have plenty of reasons for animosity, fan chatter on Reddit implies that some viewers feel John's scorn isn't in line with his other character interactions. Redditor u/goodwordsbad started the discussion and called for the writers to further explain the John-Jamie animosity. They compared John's attitude toward Jamie with the Dutton patriarch's far more lenient approach to other flawed characters, including Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser), with whom John is on somewhat better terms. 

"He rewards Rip for his sacrifice but holds nothing but contempt for Jamie for giving up his girlfriend and his career, two things John KNEW tore Jamie up inside. Does anyone else think John's disdain for Jamie is out of character?" they wrote. Several others, like u/Valuabe_Time7103 and u/Rolls_Royce2, agreed with the sentiment.  

There's always a chance that the show plans to address John's animosity in the future. After all, it took a while before viewers found out precisely why Beth (Kelly Reilly) is up in arms whenever Jamie turns up, so there's a distinct possibility that the Dutton black sheep's history with his father has some hitherto undiscovered dark undertones, as well. "Clearly there is something we don't know yet about why John holds so much disdain for Jamie. I'm assuming they will at some point drop it on us," u/cowgirl0402 suggested.