Yellowstone was hailed the number one non-football series on television when numbers came out for 2021-2022, and for fans of the series, that statistic is not at all surprising.
The impeccable writing, the scenic backdrop in one of the most beautiful locations on Earth, and characters that make you want to fall in love and ride off into the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch sunset all come together for a series you can’t step away from once you’ve tuned in.
There are obvious front runners as far as fan-favorite characters are concerned, but some have a slow charm and a quiet power that sneak up on you. Before you know it, the person you never expected becomes your absolute favorite.
It’s a testament to the incredible writing in the series and the dedication the actors and actresses give to the characters they breathe life into. It’s also a testament to the fact that sometimes, people in this life surprise us, and they surprise us in significant ways. One of the great joys in life is the ability to be surprised, and Yellowstone isn’t short on the ability to leave us feeling astounded — in the best way.
So here’s to the surprise characters who sneak up on us and become our favorite; we’re pretty big fans of you!
Jimmy
Jimmy, one of the sweetest ranch hands Yellowstone has ever seen, didn’t have an easy road on the way to the Dutton family. He was deep in a lot of less-than-stellar activity and drug use before Rip literally, well, ripped him out of the situation. He told Jimmy he had two options: he could go to jail or work at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Jimmy picked the latter and has grown as a person in every single episode since. From his sense of humor to how he offers kindness and friendship to anyone in need — Jimmy is an easy guy to root for.
Now, that’s not saying that his life became sunshine and rainbows overnight; he’s still had to deal with ups and downs, even working on the ranch. In fact, suffering two injuries at the farm sent him to the 6666 Ranch in Texas to shape up and realize the value of wearing the Yellowstone brand. Jimmy is a series regular for season 5 of Yellowstone, so we’re hoping we see a lot more of him in the upcoming episodes.
Plus, we ended the season with the knowledge that Jimmy is engaged to the new woman he fell in love with through season 4, and we’re pretty big fans of hers too. It’s about time that Jimmy gets to embrace his happily ever after.
Mo
Mo, played by Mo Brings Plenty, is Chief Thomas Rainwater’s right-hand man and someone we’d all be lucky to have in our corner. Carrying a pearl of wisdom and a quiet vote of confidence, he often provides insight into situations without taking control or making you feel like you don’t still have a hold on the reigns.
Mo isn’t trying to steer the ship, he’s happy to be the co-pilot, and a character like that shines in a way that’s hard to describe but wonderful to experience. Mo is smart, brave, and loyal; he’s a man who has seen darkness he wishes not to greet again and steers those he loves to a happier plane of existence instead. Of course, he’s always willing to go to battle and protect Rainwater and the tribe at the Broken Rock Reservation. He’s fierce and protective over those he cares for, and once you’ve been allowed into Mo’s heart, you’ll realize just how lucky you are.
Governor Lynelle Perry
Lynelle Perry is a significant part of the Yellowstone series and someone who has a soft spot for John Dutton. He’s a rough around the edges guy with more enemies than most, so when a character takes an immediate liking to the big man on campus, we pay close attention.
Perry’s interest in Dutton is also romantic, and the two have experienced some sweet time together under the stars at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. They’re both secure in who they are as people, their careers, and what they’ve cultivated in their time spent with one another. While we adore her as a love interest for Dutton, we also love her as a person. She’s a powerful woman who knows what she wants and is willing to put it on the line for those closest to her.
Perry is sticking around the ranch even as she steps down from her position as governor, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for her on the series.
Colby
Colby is another ranch hand we absolutely adore, and it didn’t take long for him to secure a spot in our Yellowstone-loving hearts. When he joined the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, he was given an opportunity to make a better life for himself, and it’s a chance he didn’t take lightly.
Part of Yellowstone since the very first episode, Colby’s impact on the series is a massive one. He’s loyal to the core and dedicated to his work; he knows his way around the ranch and around the heart of his love interest, Teeter. While it took a while for him to warm up to Teeter’s advances, the relationship they’ve grown to have with one another is a fan favorite.
Colby brings a sense of sunshine to the ranch, even on cloudy days, and a laugh when it’s needed most. He’s kind, impressive, and another marvelous thing about Colby is that he is willing to go to battle at the drop of a hat; no one messes with the Yellowstone without feeling the wrath of Colby.
Teeter
Teeter all but rode into the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch on a majestic horse with stunning pink hair, a contagious positivity, and an accent that we’re still learning to understand. One of our favorite comedic scenes in the Yellowstone series is when Lloyd and Rip are trying to decipher her name. She doesn’t tiptoe around anyone’s feelings, telling the two men exactly how it is, and she does it with a smile.
She’s fierce and loyal, and we loved her from the first moment we met her, but a shining moment for the ranch hand was when she refused to be removed from the ranch simply because she was a female. She’d been branded, beaten, and bruised in the name of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, and she wasn’t going down without a fight. She stood up to Rip and John Dutton, letting them know that being female didn’t negate the loyalty she had for them.
While all of that is true, Teeter was also desperately trying to hold on to a place in this world, one where she felt she truly belonged. She stood up for herself and stood up to be part of something larger than herself. Her bravery and humor are next level, and she’s the breath of fresh air that Yellowstone needed.
Carter
Last but not least is the wonderful new addition, Carter. When Beth met him outside the hospital at the beginning of season 4, they were dealing with something life-altering and heart-wrenching. Both Beth and Carter were waiting on bated breath to find out if their fathers would make it. While the things that put them in the hospital were different, the fact that their lives hung in the balance bonded the characters significantly.
While Beth would be gifted more time with her dad, Carter would not, and it was heartbreaking for the young boy, but it was also evident that he knew how to live without one.
Living without a family isn’t something that he’d have to do for long, though. Beth brought Carter to the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch and gave him a place to live, but she didn’t give him an easy road. Carter was testing the boundaries as much as Beth was, and they made things difficult in the process. Luckily, Rip was there to step in, but there’s not a big happily ever after family unit for the three of them — at least not yet.
We’ve seen them bond together, but Beth has made it clear that Carter isn’t to call her mom, “you only get one,” she told him, and after losing her own mother she’s someone who understands the depth of those words. In the typical sense, Carter might not have a mother and father, but he has a Beth and a Rip, which makes him luckier than he might recognize now.
The Dutton family
Last but not least, we have to give credit to the Dutton family; without them, we wouldn’t have a series to love and characters to be surprised by. While the Duttons are the main characters, the ones the story revolves around, it wasn’t a guarantee that we’d love them all — and some fans certainly do not. All in all, we’re rooting for them, as a family and as individuals. We want them to win the fight, reign supreme in the battle and live happily ever after in whatever way makes sense for them.
You can see the first four seasons of Yellowstone on Peacock, and you’ll want to pay close attention during your re-watch before season 5. The teaser trailer promises that all will be revealed, and there are certainly some secrets that have been hiding for far too long.