Kevin Costner is officially back on television—but no, unfortunately, not in Yellowstone. Many fans are still holding out hope for his return to the iconic franchise in one form or another, but for now, that’s not the case. However, Kevin isn’t straying far from the spirit of Yellowstone. He’s back with a brand-new western series that picks up the legacy of John Dutton in a powerful and meaningful way.

Titled Kevin Costner’s The West, the show dives deep into the history of the American frontier, guided by Costner himself. Think of it as Yellowstone, but with a historical and more realistic perspective. I’ve had a sneak peek at the series, and what immediately pulled me in was how it explores the American West from multiple points of view. It doesn’t sugarcoat history—instead, it confronts its brutality head-on, which is a refreshing and much-needed approach.

One particularly gripping moment from the show features a dark reenactment of a massacre led by the radical abolitionist John Brown. In a chilling narration, Kevin describes how Brown and his followers went door-to-door in Pottawatomie, Kansas, in search of Dutch Henry—killing five people in the process. While they never found their intended target, the political message was clear: pro-slavery settlers were not welcome. As one historian in the show explains, “John Brown was sending a message. You come to Kansas—this could happen to you.”

This is not a romanticized vision of the West. Instead, The West sets itself apart from Yellowstone by digging deep into the complex, often violent, history of the frontier. The series spans 100 years and brings to life legendary figures such as explorers Lewis and Clark, and Sacagawea—the Indigenous woman who guided them. We also see lawmakers trying to bring order to the chaos, while outlaws made their own rules.

Importantly, the show also pays tribute to the Native American tribes who fought to defend their land. According to the official description, The West “illuminates both the indelible contributions of the pioneers who shaped the dream of the American West and the courageous resistance of Native American tribes who valiantly defended their ancestral land.”