27/44
A Montana ranching family faces off against other encroachments on their land. Forrie J. Smith, who plays Lloyd, is a veteran of the rodeo world. John Dutton (Kevin Costner) often seems to “forget” his Montana accent and revert to his usual Southern California voice. Featured on WatchMojo: Top 10 Summer TV Shows That Are Not on Your Radar (2018) (Review is for the first two seasons only) I went into this show not expecting to like it, but the plot, acting, and cinematography are top- notch. Basically, it’s Mafia Wars in Montana with intermittent giant doses of testosterone (gun-wielding cowboys on horses while fishing)! Costner is a master actor as the lead Duttons. The show is at its best when it shows the chessboard moves that the Duttons and their enemies engage in. The show gets stuck in the beginning of season two, but it starts to roll again halfway through. Kelsey Asbille is the weakest link as Monica and gives a terrible performance, the plot is thrown out clumsily and the acting just misses the mark. I think Cole Hauser as Rip might give the strongest performance (other than Costner himself) and I was looking forward to every scene Rip was in. Thomas Rainwater is also great. The plot hums along and the scenery is beautiful. Just as Cormac McCarthy’s “All The Pretty Horses” was a bit more raw and brutal than the title suggests, this show strikes a similar tone. I highly recommend it and wish I hadn’t waited so long to watch it.
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