Something is rotten in the Taylor Sheridan universe, and 'Yellowstone' Season 5 Episode 13 just proved it
Something is off in the world of Taylor Sheridan, or at least in the world he’s in control of, namely a myriad of TV shows. Let me state up front that I am a fan of Taylor Sheridan’s projects. When ‘Yellowstone’ first released, it was a breath of fresh air in an entertainment world that had become increasingly preachy and agenda-driven, more focused on the message rather than on the vehicle delivering it.
The follow-ups, ‘1883’, ‘1923’, ‘Mayor Of Kingstown’, ‘Lioness’ and ‘Tulsa King’ may not have matched the marvelous grit and grimness of early ‘Yellowstone’, but nevertheless, they were shows worthy of your time, even though many episodes often looked like they were written by a man with too much to do and too little time.
And then came ‘Landman’, and a heroic return to the early-season vibe of his flagship ‘Yellowstone’. Superbly led by Billy Bob Thornton (in a role that seems to be written to bring out his disgruntled, acerbic best) and featuring a cast of Taylor Sheridan staples, new faces, and a resurrected 1990s siren in Ali Larter.
‘Landman’ has all the elements of a Taylor Sheridon masterpiece, great acting, a crackling script, a fast pace, and above all a no-holds-barred attitude to a no-shits-given ethos.
It is also starting to get a bit weird, and the epicenter of the growing creepiness is its portrayal of the character Ainsley Norris (Billy Bob Thornton’s character Tommy Norris’s daughter).
Now to be honest I am not one of the people who found the much-talked-about and much-reviled scene from 'Landman' Episode 1 problematic. In fact, watching 17-year-old Ainsley explain to her father that her boyfriend was not allowed to “cum in her, but could cum anywhere on her” was absolutely hilarious for two reasons. One was that the line was completely unexpected, and the other was Thornton’s epic deadpan shock. To me, it was a piece of excellent writing that coupled shock, and catastrophic candidness, with exquisite delivery from the actors.
That scene was followed by another which saw Ainsley in a bikini bouncing into Tommy’s house to find ‘coconut oil’. I use the word bounce literally because the camera spent an unusual amount of time on her bikini-bottom-clad butt as she reached into the pantry looking for the elusive oil. What smoothed the edges of this scene was the priceless expression and reaction from Colm Feore’s character Nathan who was an inadvertent witness. No problems here then.
Now before we get into the creepy part it’s important to note that while Ainsley is 17 in the show, Michelle Randolph (the actress who plays her) is 27. The problem started when it seemed that every episode featured Ainsley in a bikini, striking poses that may have been meant to titillate, but came across as simply pointless and bordering on perverse, especially given her character’s age on the show.
I would get the constant focus on her body if it advanced the plot in any way (and I must admit, that if Ainsley turns out to be a vicious killer with a sex kitten facade, I will eat these words with relish) I would get it, but for now, on ‘Landman’, her portrayal is getting a bit creepy, and this is coming from a Taylor Sheridan fan who isn’t squeamish at all.
And so we get to ‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Episode 13, arguably the worst episode in the entire series. And it’s the worst not because it’s badly acted or even badly written, but because it will forever be known as that episode where Taylor Sheridan’s character Travis exuded some very serious predator vibes. The episode itself is dedicated to showcasing what a superb horse bro Travis (and by extension Taylor Sheridan) is. It’s an ego trip very rarely seen in mainstream TV or movies, simply because it’s excruciating to watch.
Apart from highlighting Taylor Sheridan’s horse-riding -training skills ad nauseam, the episode also features a buff Travis playing strip poker with a group of scantily-clad and topless women.
Ironically, the problem with that scene was highlighted by one of Taylor Sheridan’s characters spouting words from a script controlled by Sheridan himself (talk about shooting yourself in the foot).
Beth Dutton’s disgust at the scene may seem a bit puritanical considering that to her the moral high ground is a cocktail, but it’s her words that really bring the scene into unwelcome focus. Beth refers to the scene as a lawsuit waiting to happen, and then warns one passive observer that he could be a ‘material witness’, insinuating that one or all the girls in the scene may be underage. The fact that Taylor Sheridan’s own creation is deriding actions he himself seems to glorify is not just troubling, it’s self-defeating.
One scene in one show may be nothing to worry about, but a slew of scenes ostensibly focussing on underage women is a problem, especially because they don’t seem to have anything to do with the plot itself.
Sheridan shows have enough stunning women in them — from the absolutely gorgeous Ali Larter (Angela Norris) and Kayla Wallace (Rebecca Falcone) in ‘Landman’ to Kelsey Asbille (Monica Dutton) in ‘Yellowstone’ and Genesis Rodriguez (Josephina Carillo) in ‘Lioness’ – to not need to resort to pervy gimmicks to lure the straight male audience.
Whatever the reasons behind this latest trend in his shows Taylor Sheridan needs to tread carefully lest the rich legacy he’s creating doesn’t get mired in a swamp of smut and allegations of glorifying what for all intents and purposes is a rather predatory crime.
