Fans of Taylor Sheridan have been noticing a pattern in his crafting of storylines, and it’s not looking good. On Reddit, a user expressed their frustration over the filmmaker’s “tired a** formula” that made it so easy for viewers to predict what’s coming for them.
The argument was seconded by several other fans, who also conveyed their distaste for Sheridan’s cameos. For someone who wrote award-winning films such as Sicario and Hell or High Water, and redefined the modern Western genre, his recent works have been plagued by controversies involving the use of formulaic structures and insufferable characters.
Taylor Sheridan’s Legacy Is Now Tainted With Accusations of Recycled Storylines
Sheridan gained worldwide popularity later in his career when he shifted from acting to scriptwriting, a decision that paid off really well. Creating Yellowstone was his major accomplishment, and the immense success of the Kevin Costner-led show seemingly became his default template in writing his other projects.
It’s not really wild to think that Sheridan’s TV empire continues to expand because he has a solid fanbase. From Mayor of Kingstown to Tulsa King, and Special Ops: Lioness to Landman, there’s no stopping his rhythm. So, how does he manage to juggle all these works while keeping his creative juices flowing?
In an interview via Utah Film Studios, the famed filmmaker revealed his writing process.
I think the best stories are when you don’t plot it out, and you let yourself go on a journey, and you’re as surprised to see what happens next as the person who’s gonna read it, and so that’s how I like to write.
With so many franchises on his plate, it’s easy to fall back on what’s familiar. Going with the flow in scriptwriting might not be a good idea when you deal with several scripts, and since many fans loved Yellowstone, it’s unavoidable to lean towards its format.
Sheridan’s Self-Insert Cameos Are Becoming Annoying For Viewers
Apart from predictable dialogues and formulaic plot lines, Sheridan’s unnecessary cameo scenes also made fans want to tear their hair out. Most of the complaints stemmed from his characters not being essentially part of the story—or the family. In Yellowstone, he played Travis Wheatley, a horse seller, across 12 episodes.
He had cameos as well in the prequel 1883 and Lioness, but this trend could be traced back to his first-ever self-insert scene in 2016’s Hell or High Water.
Despite criticisms of the quality of Sheridan’s works, he’s still considered a genius by many, as he singlehandedly built a media empire that emerged as culturally influential.
Do you believe Sheridan rehashes the same format for all his projects? Let us know in the comments!
Landman is currently available to watch on Paramount+. Yellowstone is streaming on Peacock.
