‘Yellowstone’: What’s Accurate About the Show, and What Isn’t? A Real-Life Rancher Tells All
18.09.2023 - 00:37
/ variety.com
William Earl SPOILER ALERT: This article discusses general themes from the first five seasons of “Yellowstone.” The heart of “Yellowstone” is the Dutton family’s work protecting, preserving and making money from their namesake ranch. With the current impasse in producing scripted shows because of the ongoing writers and actors strikes, CBS is bolstering its fall schedule by rerunning “Yellowstone,” the Taylor Sheridan-created saga that’s been a massive hit on Paramount Network since its 2018 premiere.
To commemorate the show’s broadcast network premiere on Sept. 17, Variety spoke with Jessie Jarvis, a third-generation Idaho rancher who documents her Western lifestyle on her blog and Instagram, in order to get her view of what’s realistic in the show, and what’s over the top.
Jarvis lives and works alongside her husband, parents and one other employee, raising and selling cattle on a remote ranch 75 miles north of the Nevada border. She’s a big “Yellowstone” fan, but, in a testament to its accuracy, she notes that she has a different relationship to it compared to escapist fare, like the “Real Housewives” franchise.
“When I sit down to watch TV at night, I want to watch something that is relaxing, where I can turn my brain off after work,” she says. “And ‘Yellowstone’ isn’t necessarily that for me, because it reminds me of my problems.
In a way, it’s kind of like I’m watching my life all over again.” In her own words, Jarvis details the most realistic elements of the series below — as well as a few things that only happen on TV. Realistic: Family farming (and family drama) The Dutton family has a lot of family dysfunction: 97% of ranching operations in the United States are family owned, so family business issues are
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