10 Yellowstone Characters Who Deserved More Screen Time

"Yellowstone" is a series defined by its colorful cast of characters. Unfortunately, not all of them get their moment in the sun. While "Yellowstone's" main stars like Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, and Cole Hauser dominate the screen, some supporting characters are limited to little more than extended cameos. In some cases, these brief appearances were enough to suggest entire stories worth exploring, making their limited involvement all the more frustrating.

Of course, the series can't flesh out every character over the course of a relatively short season, but a select few might have made the show even better had they figured more prominently in the story. As such, we've rounded up the 10 "Yellowstone" characters who deserved more screen time, either because creator Taylor Sheridan hinted at an intriguing backstory or because they were set up for something greater and ultimately discarded.

Some were even killed off abruptly before they made a proper impact, leaving them as curious distractions in an otherwise tightly written series. For a show that thrives on complicated loyalties, family rivalries, and simmering tensions, leaving so much potential unexplored feels like a missed opportunity. But hey, we never said "Yellowstone" was perfect!

Kicking off with Mo (Mo Brings Plenty), the driver, bodyguard, and personal enforcer of Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), we have a fascinating character with a compelling backstory. Unfortunately, we only hear snippets about his traumatic childhood and personal life, while he mostly lingers in the background without much of a storyline of his own.

Mo tells Rainwater that his mother was murdered, leaving him strapped in his car seat for three days before someone finally rescued him. That alone warrants more exploration, no? Throughout the series, he maintains a quiet dignity, protecting the Dutton graves in the finale after recognizing their role in keeping the land secure.

He's a cool character who, at the very least, deserved a substantial flashback to flesh out his persona. How did he meet Thomas Rainwater? How much does his family know about the violence his work entails? The series revolves around the Duttons, sure, but it almost feels wrong not to home in on characters like Mo, their lives on the reservation, and their personal quest to preserve their land.

Mo is also capable of brutal violence, essentially doing Rainwater's dirty work. Yet, we rarely see those ethical boundaries seriously tested. Does he do everything he's asked, or is there a line he won't cross? Maybe he can contribute a little more to the "Yellowstone" spin-off "Marshals."

Considering Lee Dutton's (Dave Annable) death kicks off the events of "Yellowstone" in the premiere episode, you'd think Taylor Sheridan would flesh out his character beyond "the Dutton kid who died." Oh sure, he pops up in a few flashbacks and visions, but otherwise remains a surprisingly mysterious figure whose death shakes up the entire Dutton household.

We do know that he was positioned as John's likely successor and that he was deeply involved in running and protecting the family's cattle operation. Outside of that, he's rarely mentioned. Was he a good leader? Did he agree with his father's violent approach to maintaining order on the Dutton ranch? Did he get along with Beth? Was he suspicious of Jamie (Wes Bentley)? Was he the glue holding the family together?

"Yellowstone" never reveals much about his personal life, ambitions, or relationships. His death, while seemingly monumental, doesn't drastically alter the ranch's day-to-day operations. Kayce takes on a larger role, but otherwise, life on Yellowstone more or less continues as scheduled.

Imagine a scenario where we discover that Lee was responsible for nearly all of the ranch's daily operations. His tragic death thus forces John to assume control of responsibilities he had not handled in decades. Or maybe Lee was the last person keeping Beth and Jamie's hostility in check, explaining why their relationship nosedives so quickly. Is any of this essential? Nah, but after all these years, it's weird that we don't know more about this guy.

Avery (Tanaya Beatty) is a strange entry because "Yellowstone" tried to make her a major character, but then abandoned her storyline for reasons that aren't entirely clear. A former stripper hired by Rip (Cole Hauser) to work as a ranch hand in Season 1, Avery initially feels like an integral supporting character. She develops a friendship with Jimmy (Jefferson White), hinting at a romance that never materializes. Then she vanishes, only to return in Season 4 and reveal that she has feelings for Kayce (Luke Grimes).

Oddly, she later appears in Kayce's vision quest, hinting at a potential love triangle involving her, Kayce, and Monica (Kelsey Asbille). Nope. Avery vanishes along with her storyline.

What a missed opportunity. Here was a chance to put a positive spin on the Dutton ranch by showing how someone from a completely different background could build a new life there. Watching Avery grow into a genuine rancher would have made for a captivating subplot, along with her budding relationship with Jimmy. Her family's horse operation gives her a clear path to follow beyond the Duttons and might have provided a little more insight into the troubles faced by small-time ranchers.

Basically, there were a lot of paths the writers could have taken with Avery, and they chose the least interesting one — and then didn't even follow through with it.

The biggest issue with Angela Blue Thunder (Q'orianka Kilcher) is that her storyline never receives a proper conclusion. The character first appears in Season 3, vanishes in Season 4, only to return in Season 5 to challenge Rainwater and then ... that's it. We never see her again.

So, what was the point? Angela is a tough attorney and business consultant brought in by Rainwater to help protect the reservation's interests against Market Equities. She's introduced as Rainwater's answer to Beth and appears quite competent in her role. In many respects, she's a formidable character with enough personality to carve out a niche in the series. Except Sheridan only seems to bring her in whenever he needs to give Rainwater something to do.

Angela's personal life and her long-standing history with Rainwater remain a mystery. Why not explore their relationship some more and flesh out this random attorney? At one point, she backs a political rival to Rainwater, but that conflict never receives a proper resolution. It's very weird.

Does Angela truly want to help her people, or is she in the fight to advance her own ambitions? Sadly, we'll never know.

Another character who gets shortchanged is Clara Brewer (Lilli Kay). Serving as an assistant to Governor John Dutton (Kevin Costner) in Season 5, she's as levelheaded as she is pragmatic, despite the slew of family drama hurled her way. She assists John with his political messaging, stands by him when Jamie (Wes Bentley) threatens impeachment, and even knows her way around the ranch.

In other words, she's perfect and also likable.

After John's death, Clara sits in on a meeting where she hears the new governor and Jamie discuss reviving the Market Equities airport deal, challenging the ranch's conservation easement, and potentially using eminent domain to acquire the land. After she outright refuses a chief-of-staff job, the show goes out of its way to set her up as a potential whistleblower.

We expected her to warn the Duttons of Jamie's nefarious plans. Oddly, the show never follows through with this plot. Instead, after turning down the chief-of-staff position and receiving an offer from Lynelle, Clara disappears from the story. Granted, Kevin Costner's departure forced "Yellowstone" to move forward without John Dutton, whose death proved to be an unspectacular end for such a major character. Without him, Clara likely lost her original role in the story. Still, why set her up for a potentially game-changing role and then dump her without a payoff?

The Bunkhouse Gang lives mostly on the periphery, adding a little drama outside the main storyline. Yet, after so many seasons, they became pivotal characters on "Yellowstone" to the point that Jimmy was set to get his own spinoff series.

Considering their involvement with the Duttons, including the violence they carry out on John's behalf, all of them deserved a little more screen time. Colby Mayfield (Denim Richards), in particular, likely deserved his own show.  Perhaps the most laid-back crew member, Colby spends a majority of his screen time hanging out with Ryan (Ian Bohen) and flirting with the similarly underdeveloped Teeter (Jen Landon).

That's about it.

We never learn anything about Colby before his time on the ranch, his family, or even how he arrived at Yellowstone in the first place. His death in Season 5 is tragic, but it isn't nearly as impactful as it could have been had the series given him more to do.

Maybe that's the point. The show ultimately treats him as an interchangeable ranch hand who works for the Duttons and dies after being kicked by a horse while protecting Carter (Finn Little). Talk about workplace danger. Frankly, there was more to Colby than meets the eye. We just never got the chance to see him strut his stuff.

Brash, foul-mouthed, rambunctious, but ultimately likable, Teeter (Jen Landon) unfortunately never gets her due on "Yellowstone." And that's a shame considering she remains one of the show's most memorable characters. Teeter enjoys a relationship with Colby, gets into a few shenanigans, but is rarely seen outside the bunkhouse. Why?

Imagine a few episodes that follow her back to her hometown, where we meet her equally quirky family and learn more about the life that shaped her into the woman we know and love. Or, after Colby's death, Teeter could have sought out his family to deliver the tragic news, learning more about him in the process and setting up a greater character arc.

"Yellowstone" barely scratches the surface of Teeter's character. The series uses her mostly for comedy, even though Landon repeatedly shows her ability to handle heavier material. Why not give her a more meaningful storyline that allows her to evolve into a more developed character? Why not allow her to question her role on the ranch, especially after the hit on the Duttons in Season 3? 

"Yellowstone" gave us plenty of Jimmy-centric episodes. And maybe the plan was to include characters like Teeter and Colby on the "6666" series. Unfortunately, on the flagship series, she's merely a goofy supporting character who rarely gets the sustained attention she deserves.

Garrett Randall (Will Patton) is an enigma. This dude pops up in Season 3 as Jamie's (Wes Bentley) biological father, does some crazy stuff, and then dies in the most unceremonious way imaginable. Despite some intriguing details about his backstory, the show uses Garrett more as a plot device than a genuine character, then bumps him from the lineup once he's no longer needed. His main function is to drive Jamie further away from the Duttons.

That's it.

"Yellowstone" could have squeezed so much more out of this guy. Early on, Garrett claims he killed Jamie's mother to protect him from her drug use and neglect. Okay, but the series never fully explores his past, leaving us questioning the validity of his account. Was he telling the truth or merely spinning a web to ensnare Jamie?

Garrett also orchestrates the hit on the Duttons at the end of Season 3. After Garrett's involvement in the attacks comes to light, Beth (Kelly Reilly) eventually forces Jamie to kill his old man. And that's that. Considering his history with John and Evelyn (Gretchen Mol), Garrett could have added more depth to Jamie's struggle between two manipulative fathers. His storyline starts off promising but concludes in lackluster fashion, making him another undercooked addition to the Dutton family saga.

"Yellowstone" often sets up worthy adversaries for the Duttons to contend with, only to eliminate them as quickly as possible. Each season presents a new credible threat, but few stick around long enough to live up to the hype. Roarke Morris (Josh Holloway) falls into this mold.

The wealthy hedge fund manager and Market Equities representative first appears as a fisherman casually enjoying the outdoors. Eventually, he proves to be a terrific villain, besting Beth in the financial world. Market Equities scores a few victories, but Roarke's time as a major threat to the Duttons is short-lived. Before these two can really get into it, he's dead.

Granted, he did hire Wade and Clint Morrow to harass the Duttons. The guy wasn't merely playing business manager. Still, having Rip (Cole Hauser) chuck a rattlesnake at his face feels like a ridiculous way to wrap up his story.

"Yellowstone" then moves on. Market Equities keeps fighting the Duttons, sure, but Roarke's death barely causes a stir. Where's the investigation? Do his colleagues even know what happened to him? The show never gives us much of an aftermath, which sucks because Roarke vs. the Duttons could have lasted multiple seasons. Give him time to recover from Beth's financial attacks and hit back.

Instead, Roarke goes down in "Yellowstone" history, remembered more for his shocking death scene than anything he actually accomplished.

Felix Long (Rudy Ramos) is Monica's (Kelsey Asbille) grandfather and Tate's (Brecken Merrill) great-grandfather. He lives on the Broken Rock Reservation and makes several appearances in Season 1. So, it stands to reason the old feller would play a pivotal role throughout the rest of the series.

Eh, not really.

While he supports Monica early on, he only makes minor appearances later and surprisingly doesn't figure prominently in the plot. We see Tate spend a lot of time with John, but his relationship with Felix is rarely explored. Felix could have helped Tate understand his family history and traditions on a more personal level.

Heck, more scenes with Felix could have helped develop Monica's character and provided a sharp contrast to John's parenting style. After Kayce kills Monica's brother, Robert, who is also Felix's grandson, the show could have spent more time exploring how the incident affected Felix's relationship with Kayce. And once the Duttons sell the ranch to Broken Rock, it would have been great to see his reaction, particularly given his lifelong connection to the community.

"Yellowstone" spent most of its time following the Dutton family, which is fine. However, for a show infused with politics, squabbles over land, and conflicts involving Native American communities, it would have been nice to see a little more light shed on everyday Indigenous life.