The Perfect Western Show To Watch While Waiting For Yellowstone’s Return Actually Released 12 Years Ago

Viewers have been waiting for Yellowstone’s return and finale for quite a while, but another show from years ago could help them endure the wait.

With the second part of the final season of Yellowstone still a ways off, viewers who are looking for another series to fill the gap already have a perfect replacement from 2012. Yellowstone season 5 part 1 showed that there is a lot to be excited for in the conclusion of the show’s story, but there have also been worrying behind the scenes problems for Yellowstone. Kevin Costner left the show, and it’s unclear if John Dutton will be in Yellowstone season 5 part 2’s cast of characters. Still, despite the drama, the final fate of the Yellowstone ranch is a highly anticipated moment.

Yellowstone season 5 part 2 won’t be released until November 2024, even though part 1 began at the end of 2022. It’s a very long wait to see how the Dutton family dynasty’s story ends, and there’s still months of waiting left. With so much of John and the ranch’s story left hanging in the balance after part 1, the delay in Yellowstone season 5 part 2’s release can seem excruciatingly long. Luckily for viewers who can’t wait to see the conclusion, there’s already another show that’s perfect for Yellowstone fans, and it’s already been around for years.

Why Longmire Is Perfect For Fans Of Yellowstone

John Dutton (Kevin Costner) wears a stoic expression in Yellowstone while next to him stands Walt Longmire (Robert Taylor) with his head tilted down and his hat covering his face in Longmire
Custom image by Sean Morrison

Longmire could be the perfect Yellowstone replacement. The show follows Walt Longmire, the sheriff of a small county in Wyoming, and Longmire and Yellowstone both share striking similaritiesLongmire began as a simple police procedural, but through Longmire‘s six seasons, it grew into a sprawling, intricate story that encompassed the entire county, just like Yellowstone. Walt had to deal with land disputes from outside business interests and manage relations with the local Cheyenne reservation and its people, conflicts that are familiar to Yellowstone. Walt also has a striking resemblance to John Dutton, as both are tough old men hard set in their traditional ways.

Is Longmire Better Than Yellowstone? How The Shows Compare

Rating Platform Yellowstone Longmire
Rotten Tomatoes Critics 84% 88%
Rotten Tomatoes Audiences 76% 92%
IMDb 8.7/10 8.3/10
Metacritic Metascore 57 68
Metacritic User Score 6.9 9.1

Though Longmire and Yellowstone are extremely similar shows, they have been received differently. Though Yellowstone has become a dynasty in its own right that has spawned several spinoff shows, Longmire could be even better. Longmire has received better reviews than Yellowstone in almost every category on major review aggregators. Some of its success can be attributed to Longmire‘s satisfying series finale, while the finale of Yellowstone is still a ways off. However, Longmire‘s impressive reception is also well-earned, as it is a tremendous show with well-developed characters, a compelling story, and incredibly smart writing.

While Longmire has better reviews, there’s no way to say for certain whether it’s better than Yellowstone. The finale of Yellowstone could also help boost its ratings considerably, and join Longmire‘s critical success. The show has been building up to the fate of the ranch for years now, and viewers are excited to see how it all turns out, for good reason. Yellowstone season 5 part 2 has a lot riding on it, and Longmire could be the perfect way to pass the time until its release.

5/5 - (1 vote)