From Justified to Hell On Wheels, here’s Outsider’s Top Picks for Westerns to watch in the wait for Yellowstone Season 5 and where to stream them.
Yellowstone may be redefining Westerns for a modern audience, but the genre never went away. It’s mainstream bankability, however, very much did. But now, Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount universe (which now includes prequel 1883 and soon-to-be Texas-based spinoff, 6666) is taking audiences by storm, and the hunt is on for more Westerns worth watching. Let’s get to it.
Outsider’s Top Western Picks for ‘Yellowstone’ Fans #6: Westworld
There’s no other show on television like Westworld. Fans have had uneven responses to more recent seasons, but the combination of Western and sci-fi storytelling is nothing short of groundbreaking. Evan Rachel Wood’s Dolores has become a pop culture icon, and the show is returning for Season 4 in 2022, making now the perfect time to get caught up on the first 3 seasons.
The trailer above gives a lot away, but with iconic performances from Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, and Jeffrey Wright, the first season alone is worth every minute’s investment. Especially for Yellowstone fans craving another top-notch, beautifully shot Western with a twist.
Westworld is available to stream now with an HBO MAX subscription.
#5: ‘Hell On Wheels’
Much like 1883, Hell On Wheels takes place after The Civil War. Anson Mount leads the fray as former Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon, whose wife’s murder at the hands of Union soldiers sends him on a revenge bender during the time of America’s railroad construction.
Hell On Wheels ran for 5 seasons and is available to stream with an AMC+ subscription, or for free as part of ROKU TV.
#4: ‘Hatfields & McCoys’
Want more of Kevin Costner as a gruff Western icon? Look no further than HISTORY’s stellar mini-series, Hatfields & McCoys. Within, Costner leads the Hatfields, while Bill Paxton heads the McCoys.
There’s no American family feud more famous, and this show’s single-season delivers the best film version of the tale to date. It’s chock-full of the same stakes, violence, and drama of Yellowstone but with a true Western setting.
Hatfields & McCoys full run is available to watch now with a Hulu Premium subscription.
#3: ‘Longmire’
If there’s one show that Yellowstone gets compared to on a daily basis, it’s Longmire. This stellar modern Western holds the same aesthetic as Taylor Sheridan’s flagship, starring Robert Taylor as Walt Longmire. Taylor’s Walt is as grizzled and historied as Kevin Costner’s John Dutton, but focuses on the law of his sheriff’s office instead of running a familial mafia.
The original show received a renewal courtesy of Netflix, where all 6 seasons are currently available to stream.
#2: ‘Deadwood’
Deadwood fans were elated when HBO announced a film to wrap up the show’s story. Now able to be watched as a complete arc, the combination of the original Deadwood seasons and HBO’s movie is a killer watch, literally.
Deadwood is a true period-correct Western, akin to Yellowstone prequel 1883. This gritty, brutal actioneer focuses on the residents of crime-ridden Deadwood, South Dakota; a frontier town with heaps of baggage. It holds as many shades of Tombstone as it does Yellowstone, and would cement Timothy Olyphant as a Western icon alongside Justified.
Both the original Deadwood series and movie are available to stream with an HBO MAX subscription.
#1: ‘Justified’
Now’s the perfect time to get caught up on Justified. The Timothy Olyphant-led series remains a fan-favorite Western and one of the best shows to ever grace the genre – which is exactly why it’s getting renewed with Olyphant’s return as U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens.
Justified centers around Marshal Givens’ reassignment from Miami to his childhood home in the coal mining towns of eastern Kentucky. It’s a Southern tale, to be sure, but one that holds all the Western bravado Yellowstone fans love. And if anyone can hold their own against Kevin Costner as a Western lead, it’s Timothy Olyphant. Case in point: #2 on our list, Deadwood, also stars the iconic actor.
To watch Justified, head on over to Hulu where you can stream the full original series with a subscription. Then, get ready to watch the revival on FX, which should hit Hulu, as well.
