Many TV viewers seem to be obsessed with Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western Yellowstone, to the point where it’s already spawned multiple spinoffs in its fifth season in a universe that is likely to continue to expand. The infinitely quotable series stars Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly and more as the owners of the largest ranch in Montana, who would go to any lengths to protect their land. But despite the delicious family drama and undeniable popularity, Yellowstone has been consistently snubbed when it comes to the awards, and actor Wes Bentley has some thoughts about that.
Yellowstone Season 5 premiered in November, and the Duttons wasted no time in continuing to make some pretty bad decisions. All the better for a fanbase that craves the drama like Beth craves smashing a beer bottle against the head of a drunk woman hitting on Rip. The fans’ opinions matter more than trophies, after all, according to Jamie Dutton actor Wes Bentley, who told DailyMail that awards aren’t an accurate representation of a series’ success:
I personally don’t think awards validate anything. It’s an honor, as they say, but as far as it saying whether we are doing something good or not, that’s not what that is. Many many shows don’t get that recognition that deserve it and many do get it that don’t deserve it. It’s just the matter of opinion of each particular academy.
Was that Wes Bentley answering that question, or his politician character giving such an objective response? I’m sure the cast certainly wouldn’t mind some recognition from the respective academies — Kevin Costner would like to see a nomination, he’s said — but the fact remains that the show has been overlooked each season. Since premiering in 2008, Yellowstone has received just one Primetime Emmy nod — for Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program in 2021. The lone award the series has garnered was this year’s Cinema Audio Society Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Series.
Wes Bentley, who has opened up about the “heaviness” required to get into the character of Jamie Dutton, said he has another benchmark for measuring how well their series is doing, saying:
I know we are a success because the people are watching it. The conversation I have with fans are so much deeper than the usual.
The actor said he can tell the series is engaging its audience because of the conversations he has with the viewers, and I can see how that would be rewarding in a different way than taking home a trophy.
Wes Bentley’s Jamie has been at the forefront of the action so far in Season 5, after he screwed himself by picking an unfavorable option in his sister Beth’s Season 4 finale ultimatum. Fans can’t wait to see how that all plays out, but Kevin Costner had bad news for anyone hoping to see his adopted son welcomed back into the family’s good graces.
You can catch new episodes of Yellowstone at 8 p.m. ET Sundays on Paramount Network, and check out the options for watching all five seasons on streaming.
