Yellowstone became a massive success when it first premiered in 2018, and has since gone on to become the top series for Paramount, with Yellowstone blossoming into a franchise with multiple spin-offs. These include two prequel series, 1883 and 1923, as well as the upcoming show The Madison, and even more to come. Created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson, as well as being written by Sheridan, Yellowstone stars Kevin Costner as John Dutton, the widowed patriarch of the family and owner of Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, and explores the family struggling to defend their home from a reservation and land developers.
Yellowstone’s cast of characters is one of the show’s biggest strengths, as they are typically a diverse group of people in terms of values and personalities. Taylor Sheridan has done an excellent job at giving most of them a lot of depth and complexity, which makes the situations they find themselves in all the more engaging, and one standout in particular is Walker. Walker is a musician and former convict who is hired by Rip Wheeler to work as a ranch hand for Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. With an amazing performance from Ryan Bingham, Walker is Yellowstone’s best character.
Walker Was The Best Character During His Early Time On The Show
Walker Opposed Much Of The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch Did Some Things
When Walker was first introduced in Yellowstone, he was released from prison and took up Rip Wheeler’s offer to work as a ranch hand at Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Being that Walker was a convict, he is given the Yellowstone brand, which happens when criminals are granted loyalty and family in exchange for a lifetime of service at the ranch. The Duttons and the rest of the workers at Yellowstone Dutton Ranch typically engage in illegal activities, violence, blackmail, and even murder to protect the ranch, but Walker is opposed to all of that, choosing to keep his hands clean.
Of course, the ranch hands know a lot of the secrets and illegal activities the Duttons partake in, so if any of them ever decide to leave Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, they are killed to protect the family and the land What makes Walker the best character early on is his values compared to the Duttons, who he morally opposes for what they do, and wants no part of it, especially given his criminal history.
Walker tells Rip that no one warned him that taking the brand would mean breaking the law, so he eventually decides to leave the ranch early in season 2. Upon quitting, Kayce Dutton drives him out of state to a train station to presumably kill him. Instead, Kayce lets Walker live, warning him to never set foot in Montana again, or he would be dead. It was a sad ending for Walker in Montana, and the eventual start of an entirely new beginning that would change Walker and Yellowstone Dutton Ranch in the process.
The Show Lost Something When Walker Returned And Changed His Ways
Walker’s Return To The Ranch Was Much Different Than Before
Walker eventually leaves the ranch once more, this time with his girlfriend Laramie.
It can be interpreted that Walker’s compliance is merely for his survival, but his less antagonistic approach to the activities of the ranch weakens his character a bit, which is a shame given how great Walker was during his early time on the show. It even gets to the point where Walker chooses to remove Wade’s brand in a brutal way, to save his own, which then leads to Wade getting hung. Walker started out morally opposed to what was going on, only to eventually become complicit in it.
Walker’s Compliance With Yellowstone Is Part Of A Frustrating Trend
Most Of Those That Oppose The Ranch Eventually Kowtow To It
Walker eventually kowtowing to the rules of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch is just another instance of a frustrating trend with Yellowstone as a series. Not every character in the show is okay with the ranch’s practices, with some even opposing them altogether, much like Walker, but most of them ultimately stop resisting. Of course, that can be seen as the overwhelming influence that Yellowstone Dutton Ranch has on people, but it doesn’t make it less vexing.
What Ryan Bingham Has Said About Walker’s Moral Dilemma
He Is Caught Between A Hero And A Villain
Walker is a complex character in Yellowstone who is really easy to root for in the beginning, only to be frustrating throughout his second stint with the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. In a lot of ways, Walker began to toe the line between hero or villain and, in an interview with Taste of Country in 2022, Ryan Bingham talked about his character when asked if he would choose one or the other eventually. Of course, Walker never fully becomes a villain, even if he does become more complicit with the Duttons and how the ranch operates. His full answer states:
I think so. There’s a bit of a conflict there. He’s damned if he does and damned if he don’t. They’ve tried several times to send him down the line to the train station, and he always seems to bounce back and find a way out of trouble.
Where Ryan Bingham Has Been Since Yellowstone Ended
His Music Career Continues To Flourish
| Ryan Bingham’s Studio Albums | |
|---|---|
| Mescalito | 2007 |
| Roadhouse Sun | 2009 |
| Junky Star | 2010 |
| Tomorrowland | 2012 |
| Fear and Saturday Night | 2015 |
| American Love Song | 2019 |
In terms of upcoming movie or television roles for Bingham, there appears to be none on the horizon. It makes sense, though, as he is first and foremost a musician who also happens to be a fantastic actor. In his personal life, Yellowstone also brought Bingham love, as he married his TV partner, Laramie actress Hassie Harrison, in 2023.
It’s possible that Bingham could return to the role of Walker at some point in the Yellowstone franchise, especially if Taylor Sheridan and Paramount continue to come back to that world for a while. Hopefully he’ll come back, given that Walker is arguably the best character in Yellowstone.
