17/21
Smith, who plays Lloyd, is a seasoned hand in the world of rodeo
Story
A ranching family in Montana stands up against others encroaching on their land. Forrie J. John Dutton (Kevin Costner) frequently seems to “forget” what he’s saying, losing his Montana accent and going back to the SoCal speaking voice he normally uses. Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Summer TV Shows You Don’t Have on Your Radar (2018).
This series has been running since 2018, but this is the first time I’ve watched it
Last night I finished the first episode of the first season, it’s just under 90 minutes long. To introduce the Dutton family, we see that they have a lot of influence in their valley, but are fending off “attacks.” One from developers who want to put up condos. Another from the neighboring Native American reservation wants to get some of his land and some cattle back. To deal with all of this and the massive size of his ranch, Dutton (authentically played by 60-something Kevin Costner) has several grown cowboy sons and a helicopter with a dedicated pilot.
with sons born around 1875, 1900, 1925 and in the 1950s
The reason I watched episode one of season one (streaming on Peacock) was to get a feel for the Dutton family, because I’m currently binge-watching the ten episodes of the more recent Taylor Sheridan show, “1883.” This is the prequel, so to speak. It was (fictionally) in 1883 when the Dutton family from Tennessee joined a larger group to travel by wagon train from Fort Worth, Texas, to “somewhere out west.” They must have stopped when they reached Montana. Again, this is all fiction, but if we look at the ages of the men and the fact that Costner was born in 1955, his character would probably be the great-great-grandson of the Dutton patriarch (played by Tim McGraw) in “1883.” e.g. “Yellowstone” is a really good show, the actors are all top-notch, the camera work and sound are superb.
Now in my 70s, I prefer to spend my time watching “pleasant” movies
It’s just not the kind of program I could invest in and keep watching. It’s hard to find characters with redeeming qualities and I really don’t like programs that are constantly about arguing and fighting and often killing in the long run. Stories.NB – “1883” is a really beautiful and interesting series that authentically portrays the great struggle of putting down roots and traveling through uncharted territory to find a new life in a new place. A new season of “Silo” is one of the biggest TV and streaming premieres this month.