After waiting over a year, Yellowstone‘s final season – season 5 part 2’s first episode has been released, and the fans are going gaga over it. But due to the Hollywood writer’s strike and Kevin Costner’s exit reports, there have been reasons behind the massive delay in releasing Season 5 Part 2, after Part 1 hit the streaming platform in 2023. However, since it premiered in 2018, the Paramount Network series has garnered millions of fans. And now that the series is back, there are a lot of expectations from it.
But so far with one episode out, fans are disappointed to see how the series has taken its turn. Now, as the series comes with one episode per week, the fans have to stay put this year to know what finally happens to the Dutton family. But worry not, there are a lot of other neo-Western cowboy dramas that have been made on the backdrop of multi-generational, dysfunctional families.
So, here are the ten TV series (from Western crime thrillers to Taylor Sheridan shows) that you must watch to fill the hole in your heart that has been created by Costner’s show.
1883
Your watch list must have 1883. It is the prequel series of the Kevin Costner starrer created by Taylor Sheridan (who is also the creator and showrunner of Yellowstone). The storyline of 1883 revolves around how John Dutton’s (Costner) ancestors James and Margaret Dutton found their famed Montana ranch and how they came into the wild West from East Texas.
The show aired between 2021 and 2022 and garnered a lot of views. If you haven’t watched Yellowstone yet, you might wanna start with 1883 to know the origin of the Dutton family and how they became who they are. It stars actors like Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Isabel May, Sam Elliot, and others.
It can streamed on Paramount +.
1923
1923 is another prequel to Yellowstone and a sequel to 1883. Taylor Sheridon made a follow-up series set on a timeline of 40 years later of its previous show. After James and Margaret Dutton, the storyline brings Cara and Jacob Dutton into the picture. It further explores the Dutton family’s struggle in the post-WWI era and how they created the empire along with all the bloody battles they had to fight to build it.
Aired in 2022, the show was headlined by Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. However, there were reports that 1923 has been renewed for a second season. But the release date is still yet to be announced. So, there’s no confirmation for now.
1923 is available on Paramount+.
Longmire
Longmire is quite like Yellowstone. This neo-Western drama is about a widowed small-town sheriff in Wyoming who is trying to keep his peace while trying to maintain the crimes. The series is everything that you would want to have in a cowboy family drama – Western setting, dysfunctional family with a hint of crime-solving pinch.
Longmire which aired between 2012 to 2017 is based on Craig Johnson’s mystery novels. It stars Robert Taylor, Katee Sackhoff, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Zahn McClarnon. This TV show has a separate fanbase.
Stream Longmire on Netflix and Peacock.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves
Taylor Sheridan‘s Lawmen: Bass Reeves does not have any connection to Yellowstone but definitely has the Old West lawmen, criminals, and situations that might take you back to those days. The series tells a real-life tale of the first Black U.S. Marshall in the American West, Bass Reeves (played by David Oyelowo). He brought more than 3000 outlaws to justice over the span of his 30-year career.
The anthology series also stars Dennis Quaid and Donald Sutherland as other important characters. The show further explores more lawmen and outlaws in the following seasons.
Lawmen: Bass Reeves can be watched on Paramount+.
Justified
If you enjoyed rugged cowboy Rip moments from Yellowstone, Justified should be the right pick for you. Inspired by a novella by Western legend Elmore Leonard, the protagonist of the series US Marshall Raylan Givens is a beautiful mix of a charming gentleman and a rule-breaking bad boy.
The storyline follows Raylan who moves back to town in Kentucky to follow his ethics and clean up the crime. However, when his past connection with some questionable friends will complicate his quest for justice how he will handle everything is all about the drama.
Justified streamed from 2010-2015. It stars Timothy Olyphant as the lead. The series returned with Justified: City Primeval last year. In this new series, Olyphant once again dons Raylan Givens’ character but this time, he is in Miami. But soon the drama takes a turn to reach Detroit. His 15-year-old daughter Willa is played by his real-life daughter, Vivian Olyphant.
Stream both shows on Hulu.
Succession
Succession may not be a Western show but the concepts and themes of the drama are quite similar to Yellowstone. Both have complicated families but are wealthy and powerful while the next generation struggles to maintain and hold that power. However, in Succession it’s about business conglomerate instead of ranch history.
Succession has a huge fanbase as a TV show which stars Kieran Culkin and Matthew Macfadyen. It aired between 2018 to 2023. The twists and turns of the series and the outstanding performances of the cast will keep you glued to your screens.
Watch it on Max.
Deadwood
Timothy Olyphant’s another iconic cowboy drama is Deadwood. Before Justified, Olyphant proved his worth as a Western actor in this series. Set in the 1870s, the HBO show first streamed in the early 2000s where the actor gets himself in a more lawless place in the South Dakota camp.
Based on the real-life historical events in South Dakota, the show was created by David Milch and it ran for three seasons. It also stars Ian McShane.
Watch it on Max.
Outer Range
Just like Yellowstone, Outer Range is also a neo-Western drama released in 2022. This storyline as well is set on a ranch but it does not have the fight sequences with the land developers. However, the family of Outer Range has much a bigger problem which is like an ominous threat – a mysterious black void in the middle of their pasture in Wyoming.
Outer Range‘s star cast includes Noah Reid and Josh Brolin. Reid garnered a lot of appreciation for his cowboy look while Marvel fans will be stunned to see Brolin in a different light. He plays a conflicted rancher who can do anything to keep his family safe and sound.
It can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.
Hatfields & McCoys
Another Kevin Costner cowboy drama is Hatfields & McCoys. The miniseries was based on the infamous real-life Hatfield-McCoy, and Costner as the lead had fitted so perfectly that it can be said he was made for Western dramas. Probably this is why he looked like a natural in Yellowstone.
Set in the backdrop of the late 1800s, the series revolves around the patriarchal mentality of the families. From giving hits of the Civil War to building tensions to massive drama – Hatfields & McCoys cover all aspects. It also stars Bill Paxton. Paxton and Costner played the heads of the two most famous families, and their partnership onscreen was widely appreciated by the viewers.
It is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
Dark Winds
In Yellowstone, we see a subtle version of the building tensions between the ranchers and Indigenous people. However, if you want to know in detail about the Indigenous people and experience that then watch Dark Winds. This psychological thriller was based on a series of novels written by Tony Hillerman.
The 2022 series revolves around Navajo Nation police officer Joe Leaphorn (played by Zahn McClarnon) and his deputy, an aspiring FBI agent, Kim Chee (portrayed by Kiowa Gordon) who are trying to uncover the truth behind the mysterious strings of murders in the 1970s. However, as they dig deep, the powerful people continue to disrupt their mission. The crime drama will surely keep you on the edge of your seats.
Watch it on AMC+.
Yellowstone: Episode & Plot Details
Well, these are the ten TV shows that can be watched in the meantime while waiting for the other episodes of Yellowstone to drop. Episode 9 of Season 5 Part 2 premiered on Sunday, November 10, 2024. The release date of the rest of the episodes follows:
| Episodes | Release Date |
| Episode 10 | November 17 |
| Episode 11 | November 24 |
| Episode 12 | December 1 |
| Episode 13 | December 8 |
| Episode 14 | December 15 |
Yellowstone’s 5B will explore Dutton Ranch’s fate. While Jamie and Beth will continue to fight to take control of another. The series has a stellar star cast, including Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, Wes Bentley, and Cole Hauser.
Kevin Costner’s Exit
Kevin Costner played Dutton Ranch over the five seasons but he made his exit between part 1 and part 2 of the show. Luke Grimes who plays Costner’s onscreen son in Yellowstone recently shared how was it to not have Costner during the filming of the show in an interview with People. He said,
Him not coming back felt like, ‘Okay, we’re going to have to land this plane now for real.’ I think the patriarch leaving was always going to be part of the story. That’s always where it was headed is like, what do these kids do? What does this family do when their rock is gone?
Even though Luke Grimes admitted that the drama was leading up to leaving Kevin Costner out of the storyline, his scheduling conflicts just led up to the point. Luke Grimes further added,
It definitely felt different. He’s a big presence, man, guy’s an icon. So not having him around to set felt a little different. But as always, I mean, we’re a big family now. It was just as special and hopefully, the fans will be able to connect with the story just as much … I think they will be able to.
As the fans are getting quite nervous about the drama to know in which direction it is heading, Grimes suggested,
I think when anything is this successful, there’s a pressure to keep it going because they know they have an audience and that’s what they’re looking for. But it all comes down to Sheridan’s vision. He has to see it to be able to write it, and I don’t think he’s going to write something that he doesn’t want to. Basically we’re just going to see if Taylor has an idea that he gets excited about, and that’s going to make all the difference here.
Stream all seasons of Yellowstone on Paramount+ and Peacock.
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