There’s nothing like a first kiss, a last goodbye, or a ride through the sunset with your one and only.TheYellowstonefranchiseis hopelessly romantic, and that’s what makes it so good. It’s no secret thatTaylor Sheridancan write a great Western. He’s made a whole career out of it, from his filmsHell or High WaterandWind Riverto his television hits. But what makesYellowstone, and its spin-offs,1883and1923so special, is thathe can write a fantastic love story.
InYellowstone, the ultimate ship has become Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, played byKelly ReillyandCole Hauser. They are fan favorite characters, thanks to their fiery relationship, which can go from being on the rocks, to cool as water in seconds. In the two prequel series, Sheridan was able to branch out with more creative freedom and create even wilder, thrilling affairs. Sometimes, Sheridan’s storylines of cowboys fighting over land can get tired. But with a good love story, the heartbreaks, love triangles, and forbidden marriages never get old. Whether it’s Beth and Rip, Elsa and Sam in1883, or Spencer and Alex in1923, the romances have always been the best part of theYellowstonefranchise.
Beth and Rip, Elsa and Sam, & Spencer and Alex Are the Best Core Romances in the Yellowstone Franchise
Across five seasons, Beth and Rip went from enemies to lovers, to friends, to husband and wife. The relationship has grounded the series in a show rich with unexpected deaths, departures, and casting changes.Kevin Costner’s announcement that he would be leaving andnot returning for the final part of Season 5was a major blow to fans and the series. But, now that allows Beth and Rip’s relationship to shine. What makes their love story so beautiful is its longevity, and how they’ve persevered through hardships since they were kids.Reilly and Hauser play Beth and Rip like fire and ice, and it’s that explosive chemistry that takes the series beyond being just another western, and instead transforms it into a profound love story through the ages.
The ‘Yellowstone’ Plot Hole You Didn’t Notice
This continuity error points to a problem within the early years of ‘Yellowstone.’
In1883, the series received universal critical acclaim for its performances, story and writing.Isabel Mayled the series as Elsa Dutton, a 17-year-old girl comes of age on the perilous Oregon Trail as she falls in love for the first time with the Comanche warrior, Sam (Martin Sensmeier).Faith HillandTim McGrawco-starred as her parents, Margaret and James Dutton,in tremendous performances.Sam Elliottalso co-starred as the man leading the many travellers embarking on the trail, Shea, andMay also narrated the series. A large part of her growing up arrives during her sexual awakening and her fast and fleeting romance with Sam.Their love became the heart and soul of the series, and easily theYellowstone franchise’s most beautiful and tragic romance.
The following prequel series,1923, was no different.Brendan SklenarandJulia Schlaepferportray two free spirits falling in love in the African desert, Spencer Dutton and Alex. They too quickly became fan favorites of the show, and with their passionate affair, it’s not hard to understand why. Sklenar is charming as a shy cowboy with a dark past, and Schlaepfer livens up the series as a modern flapper, embracing newfound independence as a carefree woman.1923 alsoco-starsHarrison FordandHelen Mirrenas the current Dutton patriarchs, Jacob and Cara Dutton. The bleak conditions the Duttons find themselves in as they fight to keep control of their ranch is harsh. Sklenar’s storyline as Spencer Dutton, a war veteran living an incredibly different lifestyle on the other side of the world, is a welcome change.Renewed for Season 2,Sklenar became the break-out star of the series, with his many rippling muscles and cool cowboy persona making for a swoon-worthy romance.
In ‘Yellowstone’ Beth and Rip Are the Original ‘Endgame’ Couple
Beth and Rip were the first original end game shiponYellowstone.Their meeting scene is electric, as Beth waltzes back into town like a storm herself, forced to return home as her family’s ranch has entered tough times.It’s clear from the start that Beth carries resentment on top of her attraction to Rip. Their chemistry is wild as they rendezvous in the Dutton household, with charged emotions that mark the series' first foray into romance. The sorrowful performances turned in by the actors during their first meeting, with just the subtle pain in their eyes, is in part what setsReilly and Hauser’s commitment to telling a powerful love story above the rest. Every scene with them is do or die, and while their first meeting is steamy, it doesn’t hold a candle to their even more charged, first date.
Rip drives Beth out to watch wild wolves hunt while they drink whiskey, and Beth runs out of the car screaming into the night, chasing the wolves.It’s an iconic first date.Reilly is a live wire and embraces Beth’s free spirit and anger in one exciting blow as she sprints like an animal herself, a whiskey bottle in her hand.Hauser is the perfect pairing for Reilly, with his calm, reserved cowboy demeanor. As he watches her run into the night, it’s clear that they are meant to be together. She is the storm, and he is the calm. Rip never tries to control her, he simply allows her to be. That’s what made it so clear they were endgame from the start. In a show filled with back-stabbing, lies, and deceits, Beth and Rip are the light at the end of the tunnel, and brighten up the screen every time they appear.
Elsa and Sam’s Relationship Takes Flight in ‘1883’s Best Episode
When talking about iconic first dates, nothing beats getting caught up in a tornado.Episode 7 of 1883, “Lightning Yellow Hair,” is like pure poetry. The haunted mountains, wild horses running, and rampant tornadoes ripping across the terrain as Elsa and Sam fall in love in real-time, are its prose. Sheridan cleverly uses a tornado to symbolize the whirlwind, out-of-control feeling you get when you fall in love for the first time,which is what happens when Elsa meets the Comanche warrior, Sam. Sheridan is wicked with a pen, but he lets words take a breath in1883and instead allows the action to unfold through imagery alone. It’s love at first sight for Elsa and Sam, embodied through a race they both compete in to see who’s horse is faster. When Elsa wins with her horse, Lightning, Sam re-names her, “Lightning Yellow Hair.” And just like that, she is reborn.
The entire episode is then dedicated to Elsa and Sam falling in love, and the most electrifying scene of the entire series arrives when a tornado sweeps through the trail, and the two are alone in a field and seek cover. As Sam embraces Elsa in her arms, she lets out an earth-shattering scream as the tornado swoops down from above them.Choosing love over fear at that moment, she embraces Sam and kisses him as the tornado passes by, and it’s a stunning moment.Thanks to Mother Nature, Elsa does not just come alive — she becomes free, and through love, she becomes fearless, embodied through the tornado. Martin Sensmeier carries a quiet sensitivity for Sam that is the perfect match toMay’s slow-burning performance of a woman breaking free. Both outsiders in their own worlds, together they get to be two lost souls in the wild, finally belonging to something.Elsa and Sam’s romance is some of Sheridan’s finest work.The heartbreaking ending with her deathis part of what makes1883the stinging dramaand beautiful romance that it is.
Brendan Sklenar Gets the Steamiest Romance as a Hunter in ‘1923’
Talk about the unpredictability of Mother Nature, and1923raises that uncertain danger times one hundred. In its most exciting storyline, the break-out star of1923, Brendan Sklenar, gets to be a major-game hunter in Africa, who tracks down dangerous animals wreaking havoc on towns across the wild terrain.His then blossoming, passionate love affair with the daring, modern woman, Alex, is easily theYellowstonefranchise’s steamiest relationship.They get to have fantastic scenes, including getting chased by elephants, where Sklenar and Schlaepfer’s physicality is put on display, making riveting action heroes alongside being a swoon-worthy couple.
Their romance is also an opportunity for some of the most stunning cinematography of the series in beautiful locations, as they travel all over the world to return to the Yellowstone Ranch to save the Duttons. A forbidden affair, as Alex is to be engaged to a wealthy society man, they have the most breathtaking scenes as they travel the country while they fall in love.One particular breathtaking momentis when they take a small row boat to a remote island, and stay there for the day as they skinny-dip in the water and have countless make-out sessions.It’s just the two of them amid the ocean and sand, with many shameless shots of Sklenar’s abs and strong, glistening arms.Once again, Sheridan uses Mother Nature and untouched land to symbolize the sanctuary the lovers in his series find in having a safe space to love each other.
All three partnerships across theYellowstonefranchise carry a sincerity and authenticity that is unmatched. The various shows have lost that integrity at times, thanks to the righteous cowboys and villains, who can become caricatures in their fight for good versus evil. Sheridan never allows his love stories to be caricatures — instead, they invigorate each show. It also should be noted that it’s where he createsfantastic material for his female characters. Whether it’s Beth, Elsa, or Alex, all three of them are the pursuers, not the objects of affection.Through his romances, he has rejected the age-old standards of women needing saving from a man in the Western genre.Instead, inYellowstone,1883, and1923, they are the ones doing the saving, by giving each man a new reason to live and love. It’s become clear through the die-hard ships, from the longevity of Beth and Rip, to the instantaneous obsession fans have with Spencer and Alex, that romance is what sells the most, because who doesn’t love a good love story?
Yellowstoneis available to stream on Peacock in the U.S. For1883and1923, head to Paramount+.
Yellowstone
A ranching family in Montana faces off against others encroaching on their land.
