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“other” than someone who wants the same thing as Dutton — namely, the land — and who schemes and maneuvers to try to get it.

The true hero of “Yellowstone” is traditional masculinity as reflected in the ideal of the American cowboy. Of course, there’s an exaggerated emphasis on fisticuffs and violence. But in a show where most people are unhappy, the grace notes tend to come via the bunkhouse, where the ranch hands socialize among themselves, and in honeyed moments of appreciation for the outdoors and for horses.

In a culture that relentlessly boosts college degrees and other credentials, “Yellowstone” at its best is an oasis of a different way of looking at accomplishment and value.

This aspect of “Yellowstone” must account for a large part of its appeal. The progressive critics who see the show through the prism of “white grievance” are only proving that they, not Taylor Sheridan, are the ones obsessed with race.

Rich Lowry is editor of the National Review.

Synd., Inc.