'Yellowstone’ creator Taylor Sheridan knows why critics don’t like his shows: "There’s a lot of..."
One cannot deny the fact that viewers have had polarizing opinions about 'Yellowstone' co-creator Taylor Sheridan. The high-stakes drama series may have concluded with an underwhelming season, but that does not mean the show failed to entertain, as the offscreen feud between Sheridan and actor Kevin Costner was more than enough to keep fans on their toes. Sheridan, who has always been vocal about his shows, does understand his work is not everyone's cup of tea, especially critics.
In a candid conversation with Joe Rogan on 'The Joe Rogan Experience' podcast, Sheridan discussed the success of his series, particularly the critical reception it garnered. The creator expressed frustration with critics, especially those from The New York Times, and remarked, "They’re confounded by its success. They can’t get their head around it. The New York Times has done multiple, multiple articles where they’re doing this essay on ‘How is this s**t so popular?'"
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Sheridan did not hold back. He explained that he doesn’t mind the criticism as he deliberately designs his work to challenge mainstream norms and defy conventional storytelling. As per Cinema Blend, he said, "Yellowstone’s the punk rock me. There’s a fair amount of...it has no plot really. ‘Don’t take my land. I want your land.' And in that, I have a lot of opportunities to poke fun, but also point out different points of view and kind of really study a way of life and a world. But there’s a lot of defiance in the way that I do it. It’s not surprising that critics hate it because it’s designed for them to hate."
Sheridan also described the disconnect between critics and viewers by referencing another of his series, 'Mayor of Kingstown.' "I have a show called 'Mayor of Kingstown', which is all about the decay of an American city, and I think it’s at 21% on Rotten Tomatoes and has a 94% audience rating. Something like that, something bananas," cited Sheridan. While one can easily side with Sheridan on the discussion, as it is true that even though 'Yellowstone' was not well received by critics initially, fans loved the Western drama series from day one.
However, Sheridan successfully unified fans and critics alike as they came together to slam his superfluous cameo in Yellowstone's last season. While the abrupt transition from a high-stakes narrative to a character-driven storyline was irking fans, Sheridan's emphasis on hogging the limelight got on their nerves. Sheridan's cameo as Travis Wheatley was not limited to just a few minutes of appearance, as he literally ate a big chunk of the penultimate episode to showcase his over-the-top shenanigans, as per Irish Star. Many expressed frustration, arguing that the focus should have been on their favorite characters. Not only that, but supermodel Bella Hadid playing Sheridan's girlfriend Sadie was the last straw for many as they bashed the creator online.