‘Yellowstoners’ Podcast: You’re Not Watching ‘The Godfather’ With Montana Cowboys, But You Should

The hype train is real. Eight million people tuned in this past weekend to celebrate the return of the Paramount Network’s hit series “Yellowstone” starring Mr. “Waterworld” himself, Kevin Costner. And yet, so many have no idea the show exists. Enter, Rodrigo Perez, Editor-in-chief of The Playlist, and writer-podcaster, Mike DeAngelo, to spread the good word on what we’re calling America’s show, “Yellowstone,” via a brand-new weekly podcast series titled, Yellowstoners.

READ MORE: ‘Yellowstone’ Season 4 Premiere Recap: Taylor Sheridan’s Ranchers Stay On The Throne In A Blaze Of Revenge & Payback

Surprised we watch, and care enough to do a whole podcast dedicated to “Yellowstone?” Well, so were we. But the cowboy ranchers in Montana show is pretty damn addictive, y’all. Initially conceived as an idea that would see the recent converts, Rodrigo and Mike, getting as high as the mountains that surround Dutton Ranch and talking about the finer points of the high-Shakespearian western soap opera, the joke quickly turned real—at least insofar as they really wanted to make a podcast about “Yellowstone” called Yellowstoners. They may not be high in this episode, but it’s certainly in the cards for a later episode. Let’s just say you’re really going to want to listen to the finale.

Created by macho Mid-Westerner writer/director/showrunner Taylor Sheridan (“Sicario,” “Hell Or High Water“), the appeal of “Yellowstone” feels head-scratching until you figure out the gist of it. It’s essentially “The Godfather” set in Montana or a Mid-Western version of “Succession.” So that means, family empires, dynasty, greed, money, struggle for power, and control within the moral milieu of trying to navigate family while you also cross criminal lines you can’t uncross. There’s a cost on the soul and a cost on the family. “Yellowstone” is also a little bit of “Breaking Bad” in that sense (the cross between family and crime and how the two never mix) and “Game Of Thrones,” (everyone trying to claim the throne of power). Only on this show, like “Succession,” Kevin Costner and the Dutton family already sit on the throne, but every single day, there is some kind of contender trying to get their main prize title: the precious and lucrative land they own. Sheridan’s films and TV series are always about men in their environments and how the environments shape the men who live in them.

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In the first episode of the podcast, our not-so-high hosts discuss the series as a whole, why they think it’s so appealing, how they describe it to newcomers, and, finally, they recap and review the two-hour season four premiere.

There’s a lot of roping, riding, shooting, and swearing to discuss, and you can listen to the entire episode below:

Yellowstoners is part of The Playlist Podcast Network—which includes The Playlist Podcast, Be Reel, Deep Focus, The Fourth Wall, The Discourse, and more—and can be heard on iTunes, AnchorFM, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and now on Spotify. You can stream the podcast via the AnchorFM embed below or up top to listen on this page. Follow us on iTunes, and you’ll get this podcast as well as our other shows regularly. Be sure to subscribe and drop us a comment or a rating, as we appreciate it. Thank you for listening.