Yellowstone is a made for television serial type show that is set in the Yellowstone region of Montana.  This makes the panoramic views just short of breathtaking.  They use these views for effect and are absolute masters of that technique.  Dark, ominous clouds hovering over distant mountain peaks while a pivotal point in the plot is unfolding.  I near soiled myself with glee.

The show has so many subplots that I almost have to keep a score card.  However, even with these subplots the show is basically about a ranching family.  This family has values that kept many families of a hundred years ago intact and in some cases invincible. Many of the family members hate each other, but, make no mistake, when the family is attacked,  all rally together .  They are formidable. Most of the family have no qualms about killing their attackers if it prevents the family from being harmed.

The show is also about loyalty.  Again, loyalty to the family.  One of the central characters , and one I like the most, is a ranch hand who has been on the ranch since he was a runaway teen.  He killed his drunken father, who had killed his sainted mother and his little brother.  He stopped by the ranch because he had no place else to go.  He was given a chance to remake himself and to become a man.  His character depicts a man whose very core of existence is summed up by the phrase “He rides for the brand”.

The show is now in off season.  Damn.  I may start outlining thoughts on what direction season three should take.  It will provide me with some direction in my life now that I am retired.

Friends, Family and Loyalty