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Yellowstone follows the story of the Dutton family, who own the largest ranch in the United States. The close-knit family lives in Montana and have plenty of internal drama and conflict with the bordering Native American reservation. The plot and setting of Yellowstone are unique, but many fans have drawn parallels between the characters and the famous film The Godfather.

Yellowstone star Kevin Costner as John Dutton in an image from Paramount Network
Kevin Costner as John Dutton on ‘Yellowstone’ | Paramount

‘Yellowstone’ takes place at Dutton Ranch in Montana

More than anything, Yellowstone revolves around the story of a family. John Dutton is the sixth-generation patriarch and owner of the Dutton Ranch. Throughout the series. He faces off against outside forces seeking to take control of his ranch. John has four children, Lee, Jamie, Beth, and Kayce who live around the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.

John also adopts Rip Wheeler. As a young teenager, Rip’s father killed his wife and brother. Rip then killed his father in retaliation and John gave the young boy a place to go. Although it’s not a perfect match, fans have noticed certain similarities between the Dutton family dynamic and the family in The Godfather.

‘Yellowstone’ and ‘The Godfather’ have some interesting parallels

The Godfather focuses on the Corleones, an organized Italian crime family based in New York City. The Godfather, Vito Corleone, leads the family, and he certainly parallels John in some ways A Reddit user listed out comparisons between the rest of the characters.

“Lee = Sonny the heir taken out by enemies,” the fan said. Sonny and Lee are both the oldest sons in the family who die early on at the hands of enemies of the family. Lee dies in season 1 while attempting to rescue the family’s stolen cattle. Sonny is ambushed by Barzini’s men.

“Jamie = Fredo with a dash of Tom Hagen,” the Reddit user continued. This comparison seems most appropriate when considering that Jamie and Fredo both end up turning against their families. Jamie and Tom are similar in that they are both lawyers and both adopted. However, Rip could also be compared to Tom. Rip was taken in by the Dutton family just like Tom. Tom and Rip are both loyal to their adoptive families.

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“Beth= Connie with extra-large helpings of inner strength & determination,” the Reddit user said. Beth and Connie have in common that they are the only daughters, though Beth is definitely more cutthroat. Finally Kayce is obviously Michael, “the reluctant future Don,” said the Reddit user. Both men are the youngest. They try to leave their families for a different life but end up getting sucked back in and taking charge.

Another fan pointed out that “Monica is very much the Kay Adams of this story.” It’s fitting considering Michael and Kayce both marry outsiders. Michael marries Kay, who isn’t Italian and has no knowledge of the family business. Kayce marries Monica, who is a relative of the Native Americans that the Duttons feud with.

Who will die in season 4?

If Yellowstone continues to follow the storyline of The Godfather, then things don’t look good for Jamie. Like Fredo, it seems that he has already betrayed the family. His family members may turn on him for revenge. Beth certainly seems angry enough to be incredibly unpredictable in Yellowstone Season 4.

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