Yellowstone’s John Dutton is a lot of things: tough, cold, and emotionally distant. But is he a good father? That’s the million-dollar question.
What makes a father truly lovable? Is it the heart-to-heart talk over dinner? The support at every school play? Or perhaps, it’s someone who would protect his family at all costs, even if it means pushing them to the edge of emotional destruction? John Dutton, the patriarch of Yellowstone, could probably argue it’s the latter, but for many fans, the jury’s still out.
Forget the old-school “clean your room” kind of dad—John Dutton is out here running a ranch empire with the emotional range of a brick wall. While most of us survived our teenage years with the occasional grounding or curfew, the Dutton kids have just tried to survive their father’s icy stares and “tough love” that could melt glaciers. If your dad ever told you “Life isn’t a participation trophy,” John Dutton’s over here telling his kids, “If you’re not ready to bleed for this ranch, don’t bother coming home.”
When we think of the perfect patriarch, John Dutton doesn’t exactly fit the bill. Instead of offering hugs or emotional support, he’s someone obsessed with legacy, survival, and protecting his land at all costs. The Dutton kids? They’re simply tools in his quest. This makes John not just the star of Yellowstone, but also one of TV’s most complex and divisive characters.
Kevin Costner’s portrayal of Dutton has given us one of the most intense and flawed characters in modern television, and people just can’t decide if they should hate him or somehow feel sorry for him.
Yellowstone: Should we sympathize with John Dutton?
John Dutton, played by Kevin Costner, is as far from a model father as one can get. Instead of the warm, understanding figure many dreams about, he’s an emotionally cold and often abrasive man who rules his family with a sense of ownership rather than love. The Dutton ranch isn’t just a piece of land to him—it’s an empire, and everyone in his family plays a part in maintaining it, whether they like it or not.
His parenting style is strict and unforgiving.
John Dutton’s ruthlessness isn’t just about controlling his land—it’s about protecting it at all costs. And sometimes, that means using his children as pawns in his game of survival. He doesn’t hesitate to manipulate them, even to the point of breaking them down emotionally. His interactions with Jamie, in particular, are chilling. The favoritism is hard to ignore, with John offering little more than cold, calculating orders rather than fatherly advice.
On the flip side, Beth is no saint either. Her volatile relationship with Jamie is filled with physical and verbal attacks, mirroring the unhealthy dynamics John fosters. Meanwhile, Kayce and Jamie find themselves tangled in their father’s morally questionable decisions, often complicit in actions that blur the line between right and wrong.
Fans struggle to understand John Dutton’s complex legacy
For fans still trying to make sense of the Dutton family’s moral compass, it’s understandable why they might wonder if there’s any point at which they’re supposed to sympathize with them. One viewer confessed, “I don’t know if I’m supposed to like the Dutton family,” a question that mirrors the feelings of many watching John’s tumultuous relationship with his children unfold.
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Let’s read what others are saying:
John Dutton is the worst television father I have ever seen, and he is why I am bailing on this show.
byu/Skywardly inYellowstonePN
Some fans have gone so far as to label John a “murderous f*cking villain,” and while his actions are undeniably harsh, there’s a reason why he continues to capture the audience’s attention. John Dutton’s flaws are integral to his character’s depth. His cold, calculating nature isn’t a weakness—it’s the very thing that propels the show forward.
John Dutton may never be the father we all wish for, but his flaws are what makes Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone tick. The truth of the matter is, John could easily take the crown as TV’s worst father, and fan posts certainly hit the nail on the head. It’s hard to believe Costner would’ve signed on for the role if he knew his character would be a lost cause, never getting a redemption arc and staying a bad father until the bitter end.