There’s a fun connection between Yellowstone and its prequel spin-off series 1883 that is very much ‘blink and you’ll miss it.’ And it comes from the mouth of creator Taylor Sheridan himself, no less. Sheridan has a supporting role as Travis Wheatley in the hugely popular TV series, and there’s a scene where he shouts out the ‘best movie ever made.’
And that movie is 1989’s Road House starring none other than Sam Elliott, who would go on to star in 1883. Even more incredibly, the conversation takes place in a scene where Sheridan is setting up another spin-off – Yellowstone 6666. Sheridan really is playing 4D chess and the rest of us are just trying to catch up.
In the scene from season 4, Sheridan’s Travis and Jimmy Hurdstrom (Jefferson White) bond somewhat during their trip to the 6666 Ranch in Texas. 6666 is a real-life super-sized ranch comprising over 140,000 acres which Sheridan owns. And t he main reason Yellowstone has so many spin-offs is so he can afford to pay for it (it reportedly cost nearly $200 million when Sheridan purchased it in January 2022).
Travis tells Jimmy that he doesn’t need him to drive, and says; “Buddy – I’ll get all the sleep I need when I’m dead. Remember that movie? The best movie ever made – Road House.” Jimmy questions this; “wait – you’re saying that Road House is the best movie ever made?” Travis responds; “Ever fuckin’ made. Ever. Goddamn, when I grow up I wanna be Sam Elliott with Patrick Swayze‘s hair. Man, I wish the mullet would come back in style, don’t you?”
Travis proceeds to tell Jimmy that he looks homeless and needs to shave – because “they will not stand for that in West Texas.” Travis will probably be dismayed to learn that a remake of the 80s movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal is on the way – and it doesn’t look like there’s going to be a mullet or a fabulous Sam Elliott moustache to be found in it.c