Yellowstone has returned to TV screens and both new audiences and seasoned fans are invited onto the ranch for a sweeping American neo-western that infuses melodrama, violence, and romance. However, if it’s not your first rodeo then you may notice that something’s a little different about the episodes.
Created by Taylor Sheridan, the home of Yellowstone is Paramount+ but fans have been left waiting for season 5 part 2 and new episodes since January 2023. In response to the writers’ strikes, the concluding episodes have been delayed. With less content to put out, networks are having to be resourceful. CBS, for example, began rolling out its debut of the Kevin Costner series this September, with episodes premiering weekly beginning with season 1.
However, when fans tuned in they discovered that the installments had been censored as a result of network restrictions on mature content.
“If you’re new and watching Yellowstone, don’t watch,” one fan tweeted in a warning. “They edited out too many funny scenes and kept all the legal drama. The CBS version is missing the barnyard scenes with the workers.”
Another added, “This episode of Yellowstone is so cut up and edited for network TV I can’t follow, and I’ve watched every season of this show two or three times!”
CBS is the worst thing to happen to #Yellowstone
, as it will have to edit out much of the interesting content.Advertisement— Hugh Campbell (@HughScot) September 24, 2023
Among the censored content is bad language and nudity during sex scenes, for example, the opening of Beth’s robe in the premiere.
“Way to go CBS for editing Yellowstone, so what you gonna do edit and censor 3/4 of the show now,” a fan reacted. “Why does this country continue to censor shows and songs on the radio when kids now these days watch and listen to music that has every word you can think of.”
“First Rip/Beth sex scene truncated,” another responded in reference to the scene in which some of Beth’s nudity is cut. “That was a quick love scene lol” one similarly noted.
“Already cut to bits,” a viewer put it plainly.
“For all you folks watching Yellowstone on CBS, don’t bother,” another wrote, going into detail that censorship compromises the true nature of a fan-favorite character. “It’s just not the same without Beth swearing like a sailor! No one does it better. They must’ve had cut or VO 1/2 her scenes. Pay for Peacock. I promise some part of you will come to love the complexity of her character.”