The latest episode of Yellowstone, the latter before the season finale, if not the series finale, has divided fans thanks to an appearance from series creator Taylor Sheridan.
Sheridan has appeared several times on the series and this season in the role of Travis, a horseman and trainer who has done business with the Duttons.
In Sunday night’s episode, Travis played a major role in the story, starting with a scene where he played strip poker with several women. It was also revealed that model Bella Hadid was his character’s girlfriend.
Hadid and Beth, played by Kelly Reilly, later watch Travis demonstrate his top-notch horse skills, something Sheridan is known for in real life.
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‘Yellowstone’ creator Taylor Sheridan is facing backlash for appearing in the penultimate episode of the season and casting Bella Hadid as his character’s girlfriend. (Rob Latour/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images; Randy Brooke)
Beth questions the relationship between Travis and Hadid’s characters, noting that he’s “misogynistic” and “condescending,” as well as a lot older than her, but Hadid responds, “Have you ever seen him drive before?”
Later, Travis and Beth participate in a one-on-one strip poker game, where the bet is that if she wins, he will come to Montana to help sell their remaining horses, livestock and equipment.
Beth loses and is about to take off her clothes when Travis stops her and says he would always come to the ranch, and she storms out after berating him.
Some fans weren’t happy with the heavy focus about Sheridan’s character in the penultimate episode of the series.
Kelly Reilly’s character, Beth, almost had to strip naked in front of Sheridan’s during Sunday night’s episode. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Viacom)
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“15 minutes of story and scenes wasted watching Taylor Sheridan showboat on his own show, partying and just doing his thing,” someone wrote on X.
“I’m definitely NOT watching #Yellowstone for Taylor Sheridan. The penultimate episode didn’t do its thing,” another added.
A third person said: “Strange fact that it took Taylor Sheridan two years to write these final episodes that CENTERED AROUND HIM! We don’t care about Travis. Hopefully he put his ego aside for the very last episode… so the viewers can actually see the Dutton family and not all these horse shows (poop emoji).”
Others were generally positive about Sheridan and his larger “Sheridan-verse” of shows.
Fans were critical of Sheridan’s choice to seemingly focus on his character in the penultimate episode of the season. (Omar Vega/Getty Images)
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“Taylor Sheridan is an absolute genius. TV and the big screen need more of his kind, he really brings that as an actor!” one person stated.
In response to someone questioning “Yellowstone,” someone replied, “That guy is Taylor Sheridan, the creator, writer and director and brains of this brilliant TV series.”
Another joked: “Taylor Sheridan writing in Bella Hadid as his girlfriend in ‘Yellowstone’ is hilarious btw (realest thing he’s ever done).”
Representatives for Sheridan did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
While some fans were angry, others praised the prolific writer/producer/director/actor. (David Becker/Getty Images for Paramount+)
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Some have placed the blame for their frustrations with the season’s final episodes on Sheridan and Kevin Costner, who left the show after the first half of the season, Season 5A, following scheduling issues with his own film project, “Horizon.”
“Somewhere along the way they wanted to change things,” Costner said of the “Yellowstone” filming process. “They wanted to do 5A and 5B…influenced ‘Horizon.’ I wanted to make my movie ‘Horizon’ and leave that show, make my movie and then do B. A show that I only did once a year, I now did twice.”
“Kevin Costner and Taylor Sheridan messed up a huge thing with the way they handled @Yellowstone. They are the Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones of Hollywood. Congratulations gentlemen,” one wrote, referring to the feud between the former coach and team owner Dallas Cowboys. respectively.
Another said the entire season has been a “boring mess thanks to Kevin Costner’s departure and Taylor’s rushed ending. Way to ruin an epic show.”
Some fans were frustrated with both Sheridan and Kevin Costner after the latter left the show. (Getty Images)
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Costner’s character, family patriarch John Dutton, was killed in the first episode of season 5B.
Sheridan’s character learned of Dutton’s death in last week’s episode and asked, “Oh really? What happened?”
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“I don’t think I ever questioned the meta-ness of it, just because it felt very organic,” executive producer Christina Voros, who directed this episode and three others from Season 5B, told The Hollywood Reporter.
She continued, “It was just a series of things that made sense. Jimmy (Jefferson White) now works for Travis and that’s where his storyline lies (at the Four Sixes ranch, where Travis finds out about John Dutton’s death). what really struck me about that scene was that it’s the first scene where we really get to see how (John’s death) affects the cumulative effect of grief and the feeling of helplessness.”
Costner’s character, John Dutton, was killed off at the beginning of season 5B. (Paramount Network)
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Originally, the current season was going to be the series’ last, hence some fans’ irritation at the lack of focus on the core cast of characters.
However, recently there has been speculation about a spin-off or a sixth season, led by Reilly’s character Beth, and her husband, Rip, played by Cole Hauser.
