After months of delays caused by creative disputes between Taylor Sheridan and series star Kevin Costner, Yellowstone’s beleaguered final season finally came to a close last week. Good riddance.

What began as a gripping Western action-drama following John Dutton (Costner), a patriarchal cattle baron defending his sprawling Montana ranch from threats as varied as real estate moguls, government bureaucrats, occasional hired assassins, and, worst of all, coastal yuppies from California, devolved into a meandering cowboy soap opera. The show once deftly balanced action with rich, character-driven arcs, delivering three solidly entertaining seasons. Then, somewhere between the fourth season and the torturous march to its finale, the writing fell off a cliff.