The Yellowstone TV show boasts some pretty wild characters. But none are more important than Kevin Costner’s John Dutton, and the Dutton family patriarch has literally killed to preserve his family’s honor in the past.
That said, some fans are working their way through Yellowstone while we wait for Yellowstone season 5 part 2 to arrive, and they have some criticisms about John Dutton and his habits. We can’t help but think this is a direct criticism of the Yellowstone cast member who plays him, and we don’t like it.
“John Dutton/Kevin Costner sticking his tongue into his cheek…it’s constant! He doesn’t stop,” a user recently posted to the r/YellowstonePN subreddit. “This annoys me more than it probably should, but I find it distracting from whatever he’s saying! I can’t be the only one to find this irritating?!”
I’m going to be honest, this isn’t something I clocked onto when I was watching the show. (Or the handful of times I’ve revisited the Yellowstone timeline.) But it seems to have struck a nerve with fellow fans and opened up the floodgates when it comes to roasting our leading man.
“Don’t forget the loud sniff before he says anything!” added coolcootermcgee.
“He will also start just about every sentence with a few words, pause, repeat the last word he had said, then finish the sentence. He does it all the time,” said JasonStarks. (It’s called characterization.)
Some took this as an opportunity to hit Costner where it really hurts, with EverettDonovan saying: “I genuinely think Costner is not a really good actor, not just because of this, but in a broader sense. His performance on Yellowstone is probably the dullest.”
Wow. Maybe all this bulling is secretly the reason why Costner is leaving Yellowstone. What’s more, some users even found time to pick on other Yellowstone characters, with Catts3 saying: “Rip chewing on his toothpick is worse. Look at me, I’m a cowboy!” (Strange dig at a character who is, in fact, a cowboy.)
With all this negative energy, it’s no wonder we’re not getting a Yellowstone season 6. Still, Costner has his defenders, and we’re one of them. In fact…keep his name out of your mouth! John Dutton and his (illegal?) escapades are what make Yellowstone the most addictive drama series around, so he can make whatever performance choices he wants to. After all, he didn’t win a Golden Globe for nothing.
Even amid the off-screen dramas surrounding Costner’s unexpected exit from the award-winning series, creator Taylor Sheridan is still backing Costner and his performance of the determined rancher. “My opinion of Kevin as an actor hasn’t altered,” he said [via The Hollywood Reporter]. “His creation of John Dutton is symbolic and powerful.”
If Sheridan — whose entire universe hinges on John Dutton’s fate — can acknowledge Costner’s abilities, then we think fans can swallow down criticism of a few loud sniffs, thank you very much.
For more on one of the best TV series being made (eventually), check out our guide to the 1923 season 2 release date and the 6666 release date. You can also check out the best John Dutton quotes, for more Costner gold. Plus, take a look at everything we know about the Horizon release date, and see why we think Dallas ran so Yellowstone could fly.