In the modern Western drama “Yellowstone” and its multiple spin-offs, even tertiary members of a growing ensemble cast end up with time in the spotlight. Plenty of “Yellowstone” fans love Teeter (Jennifer Landon), for example, despite her lack of importance relative to the members of the sizable Dutton family. Even taking into account a large number of complex or otherwise compelling supporting characters, however, one Reddit thread posited an altogether unlikely choice for the Dutton Ranch MVP and earned considerable support from fellow users of the “Yellowstone” subreddit.
This thread is titled “The true MVP of the ranch,” and includes nothing more in the body of its opening post than a photo of Dutton Ranch chef Gator (Gabriel “Gator” Guilbeau), which received more than 1,000 upvotes. Unlike, say, Teeter, Gator is essentially absent from the drama in which the Dutton family is frequently implicated. That said, it’s likely for this precise reason that so many Redditors find him worthy of this honor — even amidst unending drama, the chef simply focuses on his craft and keeps the Duttons well-fed.
The thread’s top comment, by user, u/Gamechannel360, wishes the Dutton family were capable of finishing a meal without distraction, suggesting that the family never properly appreciates his work. In one reply, u/Sweaty_Ad8772 shared that their partner feels the same way. “She was like ‘man I feel bad for the poor guy. Gets paid to make them delicious food just for it to never get ate,'” they wrote.
Fans appreciate Gator’s real-life experience
Gabriel “Gator” Guilbeau, who plays Gator on “Yellowstone,” is not just a chef on TV but the show’s head of craft services, tasked with keeping its sizable cast and crew fed. In fact, he works predominately in food service, and Gator on “Yellowstone” is his debut acting role. Of course, proponents of Gator as the Dutton Ranch’s MVP appreciate the real-life experience Guilbeau brings to his character.
“They could put out a cookbook full of Gator’s recipes, and I’d get it,” wrote u/kathatter75 in a comment with more than 60 upvotes. Since this post, Guilbeau did, in fact, publish a cookbook, and it sold so well that the official “Yellowstone” website at one point ran out of copies.
“Hardest working man behind the scenes and he still has time to be on screen,” wrote u/Mrs3anw in another comment praising Guilbeau’s multi-faceted skillset. While Gator may not be the most popular or most frequently discussed character on “Yellowstone,” fans have nevertheless taken notice of his devotion to the Dutton family as well as Guilbeau’s hard work wearing multiple hats on the “Yellowstone” set.