Amazon’s Yellowstone replacement series Outer Range confirms that Josh Brolin was built for westerns. Outer Range season 2 recently premiered on Amazon Prime Video with all seven of its new episodes available to stream on May 16, 2024. Brolin reprises his original role as Royal Abbott, a rancher who throughout Outer Range season 1 has to fight for his land in Wyoming before his family discovers an incredible life-changing mystery. The series expertly blends classic western tropes with modern sci-fi elements.

Reviews for Outer Range season 2 have been mostly positive, debuting with an impressive score of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. Many unanswered questions from Outer Range season 1 are touched on in season 2, and the plot is heavily layered to provide viewers with a rich and engaging experience. While Outer Range is certainly quite different from Yellowstone, which is widely considered one of the greatest western television series ever made, it has a lot to offer especially with Brolin in the spotlight.

Outer Range Season 2’s Success Confirms The Amazon Western Is Josh Brolin’s Greatest TV Show Yet

Brolin has dabbled in the western genre throughout his career

Outer Range has already proven itself to be one of, if not the, greatest television performance of Brolin’s career. Brolin did quite a few television shows in the ’80s and ’90s starting with an episode of Highway to Heaven in 1986. He has dabbled in the western genre throughout his television career, most notably playing James Butler Hickok in the celebrated western series The Young Riders (1989–1992). Still, Outer Range’s consistency across seasons, unique premise, and incredible lead performance by Brolin prove it’s his best show yet.

Brolin is coming off the massive success of Dune: Part Two, in which he reprised his role as Gurney Halleck from Dune (2021). His career as an action star soared to new heights as Thanos, the antagonist of Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Brolin also has an illustrious career as a character actor, appearing in acclaimed works by the Coen Brothers (No Country for Old Men, True Grit, Hail, Caesar!), Paul Thomas Anderson (Inherent Vice), and Denis Villeneuve (Dune, Sicario).

Josh Brolin Needs To Star In More Western Movies After Outer Range

Brolin should not lay down his cowboy hat anytime soon

Brolin’s outstanding role in Outer Range is only more proof that he should star in more western films and television series. He was phenomenal in True Grit even with his limited screen time, and was a huge part of No Country for Old Men’s Academy Award-winning success. Outside of these great entries, Brolin hasn’t been utilized in too many western projects in recent years. Based on its positive ratings, Outer Range could continue to have legs and extend into third and fourth seasons. Regardless, Brolin should not lay down his cowboy hat anytime soon.