It’s been more than a year since the first half of Yellowstone’s fifth and final chapter aired on TV. Since then, there’s been rumors of off-screen drama between creator Taylor Sheridan and John Dutton star Kevin Costner, talks of Matthew McConaughey taking over, and the news that Yellowstone is drawing to a close.
What’s more, the flagship neo-Western series has started airing from the beginning over on CBS after a rights deal was made amid the now-resolved writers’ and actors’ strikes, introducing thousands of new viewers to the Yellowstone world.
And it appears fans new and old prefer the earlier seasons – while there’s much anticipation for the final batch of episodes, Season 5 of Yellowstone hasn’t fared too well on Rotten Tomatoes compared to its predecessors.
Yellowstone Season 5 has lowest ever Rotten Tomatoes score
Season 5 of Yellowstone only has a 37% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a significant drop from the previous installments.
You can compare with the full list of the show’s audience ratings below:
- Season 1 – 83%
- Season 2 – 90%
- Season 3 – 87%
- Season 4 – 82%
- Season 5 – 37%
Interestingly, Season 5 Part 1 has received 84% from the critics, demonstrating a divide in how it was perceived by the experts and the viewers at home. You can find the full Tomatometer scores for Yellowstone seasons below:
- Season 1 – 57%
- Season 2 – 89%
- Season 3 – 100%
- Season 4 – 91%
- Season 5 – 84%
Considering there are still six more episodes left in the final chapter, this number will likely change. But some viewers have already made up their mind about the show.
As said by one viewer: “Now they are just lame characters… same story lines without any interesting surprises. Writers and producers are just being crazy over the top.” Another wrote: “Another great series turns to garbage. The whole way they treat Rip is unacceptable.”
“Mr. Sheridan seems more concerned about selling 6666 steaks than continuing his once epic storytelling,” added a third, while a fourth chimed in, “Totally disappointed in it… Not much substance to each episode & the show has lost its zest.”
Not everyone agrees, however, with one describing Season 5 Part 1 as “absolutely brilliant from start to end.” And another commented, “Rip and Beth steal the show! Love their characters!”