Forget playing strip poker with half-naked models in Season 5 of Yellowstone, Lioness Season 2 wins the award for most unnecessary Taylor Sheridan cameo of the year.

Let’s talk about some administrators first. What is a cameo? I’m going to go with the definition used by Marvel fans and say that it’s a role that appears fleetingly in films or TV shows. They’re not integral to the main plot, but they add a little spice along the way.

Essentially, that’s exactly what the TV brain Taylor Sheridan likes to participate in his own shows. This weekend, we saw his expert handler, Travis Wheatley, grace us with his presence in Episode 13 of Season 5 of Yellowstone. He’s there to save the day, except his hero status isn’t what it seems – Travis ends up forcing Beth to play strip poker in exchange for his help with the auction of his horses and cattle. He later reveals that he would have helped her anyway, and anger oozes out of him.

Surprisingly, though, this isn’t even his worst appearance of the week…or in fact, maybe ever. This comes from Season 2 of Lioness, which ended its eight-episode run with an explosive standoff over the border convergence between Turkey, Iran and Iraq. Coincidentally, Sheridan himself was there to be the hero of the hour after being coincidentally absent from the action for the last five episodes.

Cody massages Sheridan’s ego in a whole new way

Instead of a sexy cowboy, Sheridan plays action man Cody in Lioness. We first meet him when he helps Joe rescue a kidnapped congresswoman at the Mexican border. season 2, episode 1then again in time for the final all-out war in Iran. Basically, he doesn’t do much more than throw his weight around and look cool while shooting guns.

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Sound familiar? Close your eyes and Travis and Cody could be the same person. There’s a common theme in how Sheridan likes to join a show, and it’s all about making himself look as good as possible. There is horse riding! There’s shooting! It’s telling a woman that she no longer needs to worry because a big, strong man is in charge!

But there’s something that makes Cody from the Lioness even worse. Where Travis exists in Yellow stone To move Beth’s story forward (at least it does this season), Lioness Season 2 feels like it exists to see Cody win. If I’m honest, I didn’t care about him at all during the Los Tigres storyline, but Sheridan makes sure he’s all we can think about by the time it ends.

We’re used to seeing a certain level of self-indulgence from him, but this takes things to another level. We might as well hold signs reading “Hail Sheridan” as we gather around a golden statue of him every time a new episode airs. We are feeding his ego in an entirely new way…in a way that feels like it needs to be tackled on his own time.

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Wait, weren’t we supposed to follow Joe’s emotional breakthrough as she realizes that her family is much more important than almost dying on the job every two seconds? Oh yeah! I forgot about her – this helpful man took over the post-battle debriefing so she could spend some vaguely used time sobbing alone outside. What a gentleman.

It only takes a quick Google search to also see fans who are sick of this gadget. “Cody will probably save the day at Yellowstone too,” one fan jobwith another All right“Taylor has a self-aggrandizing ego.”

Look, it’s not all bad – I totally agree that if you take the lead on the other side of the camera, you’re absolutely allowed to have a badass cameo. But we understand you’re brilliant, Taylor. This is clear simply because everything you touch turns to gold. We’ve seen your dazzling skill with weapons, horses and not so much women…give us something other than a smug hero.

All seasons of Lioness are available on Paramount Plus. Learn more about Bella Hadid as Travis’ girlfriend, and what happened in the Lioness season 2 finale.

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