Yellowstone's John Inconsistency is the Primary Example of Bad Writing

And while the original show seems to be way more solid and well received than some of Yellowstone spin-offs, namely the 1923 prequel, some aspects of the main series' plot still leave one scratching their head. This is especially true for John Dutton's story, fans think.

Despite the excellent acting of the cast, the characters themselves sometimes make you wonder how well written they are.

Plot holes, retcons of what the characters say, strange messages that raise questions even in the most conservative members of the audience — all in all, Yellowstone is full of such issues.

However, fans’ attention is mostly focused on how the Dutton family patriarch treats his children, changing his attitude from season to season and showing a seemingly unmotivated antipathy toward some of them.

Perhaps the most striking example is John's attitude towards Jamie. Although at the beginning he clearly showed paternal feelings for his adopted son, as the series progressed, the writers decided that John must begin to hate him.

We're not to say that this change is entirely implausible — after all, family relationships can deteriorate over time, but viewers believe John's hatred for Jamie does not feel overly motivated.

"This is one of the things that makes me hate John so much. He needed a smooth talking city slickin' lawyer, and Jamie had to become that lawyer. Then he hated Jamie for being one, and made sure he knew that any ambitions Jamie might have had for himself didn't matter; only the ranch mattered," Reddit user gmharryc says.

And other fans seem to agree: John and Beth needed a dog on a leash, and it's strange that they don't like Jamie for being exactly what they want him to be.

Also, John has expressed completely contradictory thoughts about his sons throughout the series.

"Sort of like how he also says he has four children to Rip, right after he tells Clara he has only one son (Kayce). Is John showing early stages of dementia?! Maybe this is how they can write him off the show!” Redditor AmericanWanderlust speculates.

While fans appreciate the character for his complexity (which makes him the toxic antihero of the story), John's contradictory nature only suggests that the series' writing is rather weak. There are also rumors that Kevin Costner has decided to leave the project — and perhaps his poorly written character may be the major reason for that?