Kevin Costner stars in ‘Yellowstone’
Big star. Big skies. Big show? It’s a pretty safe bet that fans of TV westerns and Kevin Costner will tune in for “Yellowstone” (9 p.m., Paramount, TV-MA), a multigenerational saga set in Montana’s ranching country.
Costner (“Dances With Wolves”) stars as John Dutton, the family patriarch and owner of the biggest ranch in the United States. A father and grandfather not always in control of his brood, he’s content knowing that his vast spread is the envy of the world.
Family dynamics with a side of envy, greed and historical resentments are what drive “Yellowstone.” This tale of ranchers and branding, cowboys and stallions begins, oddly enough, in a courtroom, where John’s son Jamie (Wes Bentley) challenges a developer encroaching on the family’s property rights. Jamie looks good in a suit, but he’s a bit of a stiff.
British actress Kelly Reilly plays his sister Beth, a far more strident defender of her father’s interests. She’s first seen in the boardroom brutally explaining the facts of life to a business partner who faces a Dutton takeover or total ruin. Hard-drinking and philandering, Beth is the most interesting character. Hiding behind bangs and a relatively soft-spoken voice, her appearance is deceptive.
Dutton’s estranged son Kayce (Luke Grimes) lives close by, but at a considerable emotional distance after marrying a Native American woman, Monica (Kelsey Asbille), and raising their son on the reservation with minimal contact with Grandpa.
The problems with this relationship begin to transcend family squabbles when a politically ambitious new tribal chief (Gil Birmingham) sees Dutton’s land as rightfully belonging to his people.
“Yellowstone” is not an old-fashioned Western shot against picturesque backdrops. It depicts Montana’s wide-open spaces as both glorious and troubled. Between vistas, Native Americans live in squalid conditions, and oil and gas rigs dot the landscape.
Costner’s role as the star attraction is both the strength and weakness of the series. As a grandfather, he’s philosophical and given to long-winded regrets. Too often, he speaks in platitudes. And he’s not alone. There are entirely too many explanatory speeches in this movie-length series pilot.
Dutton may be a grandpa, but he’s not a doddering old man. He’s not weak enough to be King Lear or Vito Corleone. And so far, his sons don’t seem likely to challenge or replace him. Beth is certainly shrewd enough to pick up all of the marbles and may emerge as the driving force of this 21st-century Western.
MODERN ECHOES
Hulu streams the 10th episode of the second season of “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
Recent episodes of this series seem not so much “torn from the headlines,” but anticipating news stories. Recently on “Handmaid’s,” we’ve seen moral qualms about a religious state separating parents from children and the emergence of Canada as a beacon of resistance and an adversary to Gilead. Blessed Day!
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
› “Young & Hungry” (8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Freeform, TV-14) enters its fifth and final season.
› A brew pub sets the stage on “MasterChef” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14).
› “Gordon Ramsay’s 24 Hours to Hell and Back” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14) visits New Orleans.
› Breathless moments on “Code Black” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
› Side effects emerge on “Reverie” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
› “Shark Tank” (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-14) reviews a “Hating” app.
› Katie’s regrets on “Colony” (10 p.m., USA, TV-14).
› “NCIS: Los Angeles” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
› Two helpings of “World of Dance” (8 and 9 p.m., NBC, repeat, TV-PG).
› On two episodes of “The Goldbergs” (ABC, repeat, TV-PG), backyard bickering (8 p.m.), Halloween frights (8:30 p.m.).
› The fight to stop Serena on “Supergirl” (8 p.m., CW, repeat, TV-14).
› Terrorists seize an undercover agent on “Seal Team” (9 p.m., CBS, repeat, TV-14).