You Know Him for Yellowstone, But Taylor Sheridan’s Hidden Sci-Fi Role Will Blow Your Mind

Taylor Sheridan ​​​​​​is best known for building a television empire with Yellowstone and its various spinoffs. Not only has Sheridan tapped A-list actors like Kevin Costner and Harrison Ford to star in these shows, but he has also managed to secure a steady fan base, a remarkable achievement given the changing TV landscape. Before his early success, Sheridan was an actor with a collection of roles under his belt, including a recurring role on Sons of Anarchy. The series that fans probably wouldn’t connect him to is Star Trek: Enterprise, the series that serves as a prequel to the entire Star Trek franchise. Sheridan makes a brief appearance in the Star Trek: Enterprise Season 3 episode “Chosen Realm,” but that appearance serves as a prelude to themes he’d explore in Yellowstone and his other TV shows.

Taylor Sheridan Plays a Character in ‘Star Trek: Enterprise’ Who Embodies Themes That ‘Yellowstone’ Would Embrace

Image via Paramount Network

“Chosen Realm” finds the NX-01 Enterprise taking in a group of Triannon refugees after their ship is damaged; their leader D’Jamat (Conor O’Farrell) tells Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) that they’re on a holy pilgrimage to a sphere-like creation that will take them to their ‘chosen realm’. But D’Jamat and his followers, including Sheridan’s Jareb, forcibly take over the Enterprise to end a religious civil war on their planet. What makes things worse is that each of the zealots is equipped with an organic explosive, effectively turning them into living bombs. “Chosen Realm” was one of the stronger episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise, due to its exploration of how religious zealotry can lead people to commit terrible acts. It even drew comparisons to the stirring, yet controversial Star Trek: The Original Series episode “Let This Be Your Last Battlefield”.

While Taylor Sheridan’s role in Star Trek: Enterprise is pretty small, “Chosen Realm” would feature an idea that’s permeated most of Sheridan’s TV work: the idea of a character willing to do whatever it takes to uphold their beliefs. The Dutton family doesn’t seem too religious, but they’re willing to go to any lengths to protect their ranch and their land from being taken away. It’s an impulse that’s spread out to Yellowstone‘s spinoffs, especially 1923. Throughout 1923, Harrison Ford’s Jacob Dutton and his wife, Cara (Helen Mirren), engage in acts ranging from murder to blackmail so they can keep their land. Sheridan’s been writing screenplays for a long time, so it’s hard to say if his brief time on Star Trek: Enterprise influenced his work; those parallels are hard to ignore, though.

‘Star Trek: Enterprise’ Has a Complicated Legacy

While most of the Star Trek franchise is held in high regard, Star Trek: Enterprise is often regarded as the black sheep of the franchise. Its first two seasons were immensely rocky, not to mention the fact that its series finale is basically a clip show that takes place within the world of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Despite winning over fans, STAR Trek: Enterprise was eventually canceled in 2005. Its legacy continues to reverberate throughout Trek history, with Scott Bakula teasing an idea for a spinoff focused on Archer’s later years and elements from Enterprise showing up in Star Trek Beyond and Star Trek: Lower Decks. It’s still surprising that years before he’d explode onto the television scene with Yellowstone, Sheridan traveled a different kind of frontier.