Revered actor, notable for his villainous stints, spoke in defense of one unresolved story thread in Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone.

Credit:- Paramount

Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone season 2 was undoubtedly stronger and more compelling than the debut season, partly because of the introduction of Neal McDonough’s Malcolm, arguably the best villain in the entire series. But despite its highs, the season is also notorious for one unresolved story thread, which has contributed to fans’ years-long frustration.

McDonough, however, has come forward in defense of one of the story bits that had no payoff, which seemingly contributed to fans’ frustration.

Neal McDonough weighs in on Taylor Sheridan’s potential misdirection

Neal McDonough in a still from Yellowstone | Credit: Paramount

Throughout his career, Neal McDonough has leaned toward villainous and ambiguous figures, and without a doubt, his portrayal of Malcolm in Taylor Sheridan‘s Yellowstone was arguably one of his best.

Having been one of the most memorable figures in Yellowstone‘s entirety, it was easy to see why McDonough even joined Sheridan for the latter’s Tulsa King season 2.

Moreover, the actor recently acknowledged the forgotten story thread from season 2, and being well-versed in Sheridan’s writing, McDonough defended the former’s decision for the bomb that never went off.

A scene from Yellowstone season 2 | Credit: Paramount

In episode 9, a remote-activated bomb was planted into the fuel tank of the Beck Brothers’ plane by Kayce Dutton, but for the rest of the series, it’s never brought up again.

Per McDonough, it might’ve been a deliberate misdirection on Sheridan’s part, stressing (via KDHL), “Taylor likes to have mental threats to the audience”.

I think it’s just that Taylor likes to have mental threats to the audience. And if he’s always got the audience on the edge of their seats, he can slide in something different that happens. I mean, shooting my brother in a toilet, did anybody expect that to happen?

Given Sheridan’s history of incorporating red herrings into his stories, it makes sense why he might’ve included the bomb storyline to put the audience off, even at the expense of their frustration.

Neal McDonough’s shift to villainy was his way to continue acting

The role of Malcolm has been one of the many villainous and morally ambiguous stints under Neal McDonough’s belt, including his recent stint as Cal Thresher in Tulsa King. As for why he leans toward villainous gigs for the most part, back in 2010, the Yellowstone star almost lost his career after refusing to partake in an intimate scene for Scoundrels.

Neal McDonough as Tulsa King | Credit: Paramount Pictures

While he wasn’t advocating against s-x scenes in general, he personally wasn’t comfortable straying away from his beliefs. This is one of the major reasons behind the upsurge of villainous gigs in the Tulsa King star’s filmography, as it was his way of continuing to do what he loved. He explained (via Fox News):

And I guess that’s probably why I play so many villainous characters, because I love acting, and I’m really good at it. It’s a God-given talent, so for me to have a career, I have to figure out creatively and smartly and wisely how I can keep doing what I do.

Even though Yellowstone has concluded, with season 3 of Tulsa King already confirmed, hopefully, it’ll improve upon its predecessor’s shortcomings, especially with McDonough’s Cal. And as seen in Yellowstone, with the right material, McDonough can hit it out of the park.

Tulsa King is currently streaming on Paramount+ (USA).