Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western drama Yellowstone helped to revitalize the Western genre in television, but it has its roots in another neo-Western that isn’t always recognized as such: Sons of Anarchy. Starring Kevin Costner and a talented ensemble cast, Yellowstone became a runaway success thanks to its potent mix of drama, action, and an intoxicating Western setting. While the cowboys, rural setting, and gunfights certainly conjure classic Western vibes, the political maneuvering and corporate espionage ring of more modern dramatic fare, which is part of why Yellowstone’s audience demographics are so varied and diverse.

While Yellowstone has its own trademark aesthetic and lingo, creator Taylor Sheridan does draw on some of the best TV dramas of the last 30 years, which is a credit to him as a showrunner. The parallels between Yellowstone and FX’s crime drama Sons of Anarchy, for example, are plentiful. The similarities are so abundant that Yellowstone has been referred to as “Sons of Anarchy on horses” in certain circles of the internet. Taylor Sheridan is one of TV’s most talented and unique dramatic writers, to be sure, and the influence of Sons of Anarchy on Yellowstone is clear.

Yellowstone Creator Taylor Sheridan Was Part Of The Main Sons Of Anarchy Cast
Sheridan Played Deputy Chief David Hale

Years before he put pen to paper on Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan was a working TV actor who had a number of smaller roles to his name before Sons of Anarchy debuted in 2008. The award-winning family drama was set against the backdrop of an oftentimes violent motorcycle club’s struggle to accumulate power, wealth, freedom, and revenge, although not necessarily in that order. Taylor Sheridan portrayed Deputy Sheriff David Hale for the first three seasons of the show, the straight-edge enforcer of the law and frenemy of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club.

Sheridan’s time in the main cast came to an end when his character was unceremoniously killed in a drive-by, which was reportedly forced as a result of a salary dispute which saw Sheridan leave the show (although SOA’s creator Kurt Sutter has said Hale was killed because Sheridan wanted to pursue another project). While it was never directly addressed by Sheridan, many Yellowstone fans acknowledge that the season 3 episode “Going Back to Cali”, which sees John Dutton and the Yellowstone cowboys tangle with a biker gang from California, was a reference to Sheridan’s bitter exit from Sons of Anarchy.

Taylor Sheridan Cast Several Former Sons Of Anarchy Co-stars In Yellowstone

Former SOA Stars Can Be Found Across The Yellowstone Timeline

In addition to the biker call-out in Yellowstone, there are a few other notable cross-overs between the two shows. For example, Sheridan has used a few cast members from Sons of Anarchy in the ever-expanding cast of the growing Yellowstone universe. One of the most prominent is Q’orianka Kilcher (The New World), who starred in Yellowstone as the vengeful litigator and business consultant Angela Blue Thunder more than a decade after playing Chibs’ daughter Kerrianne Telford in season 3 of Sons of Anarchy.

Screen legend Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) makes appearances in both Sons of Anarchy and the Yellowstone spin-off 1923. He plays the president of the Sons of Anarchy San Bernadino chapter, Les Packer, and in 1923 Patrick portrays Sheriff William McDowell. Lamonica Garrett also features in both universes; he somewhat ironically plays David Hale’s replacement, Deputy Sheriff Cane, in Sons of Anarchy, while he played Pinkerton Agent Thomas in Yellowstone’s spinoff 1883.

Sons Of Anarchy Is Considered A Neo-Western Overlapping In Genre With Yellowstone
The Two Shows Share Major Plot Similarities As Well

To most, Sons of Anarchy is considered a crime drama, more in line with gangster movies and television than a Western. However, in exploring the themes of the show, many of the hallmarks of a Western emerge. The members of SAMCRO are considered outlaws, a concept born straight out of Old West, and their rebellion against or subversion of the law is a consistent element of the group’s activities. Their brand of justice often falls outside the law, and certainly fits the definition of the “frontier justice” of the West, where vengeance was often carried out on a personal level.

Most importantly, Sons of Anarchy is framed around the themes of individualism and personal freedom, with the club working to impede the march of progress and change in their hometown. Therein lies its greatest tie to Yellowstone, and why both shows can and should be considered neo-Westerns with a genuine overlap in genre. John Dutton and his family work to keep the ranch pristine and preserve their way of life, just as the Sons of Anarchy do. Whether Taylor Sheridan distinctly intended it to or not, Yellowstone is a spiritual successor to Sons of Anarchy, in theme if not setting.