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Why the End of Yellowstone Might Be Exactly What the Franchise Needs to Thrive
Let John Dutton retire to keep the Yellowstone universe alive.
A new report from Deadline just sent shockwaves through the Yellowstone fandom, but the news might not be all bad. The site reports that Yellowstone, the flagship show, could end with its current fifth season, which is set to return this summer, while the franchise expands without patriarch John Dutton III (Kevin Costner). According to Deadline, the move stems from frustration over Costner's proposed shooting schedule—he reportedly only wanted to spend one week shooting the back half of Season 5—which has become more complicated due to him directing and starring in his own western epic, Horizon. While Paramount has not yet confirmed any of this reporting, apparently the plan is to launch a spinoff without Costner, starring Matthew McConaughey, alongside some of the current Yellowstone stars.
It might, at first, seem like this is an insane idea for Paramount to make regarding one of the most-watched shows on cable TV—and one that has only grown in popularity season by season—but at this point in the show's lifespan, it might actually be the best decision, because John Dutton is dragging things down.
This is not a diss against Costner, creator Taylor Sheridan, or even the character. It makes sense that an old man might be softening with age, and is now looking at his children and grandchildren to uphold his legacy. That's what the show's about, really. He wants his offspring to continue to run the ranch the way he has run it, and the way his father ran it, and the way we're currently watching his ancestors run it on 1923. He's tired. He's been injured. He just wants to ride horses and eventually die while herding cattle, the way he thinks cowboys should die. Instead, he had to become the freaking governor of Montana, requiring him to wear suits and go to meetings and shake hands and make decisions about things he doesn't care about. He's making decisions his younger self would hate, and things that are confusing his children, and throwing or attending way too many parties and barbecues for one Yellowstone season. Currently, he's making out with the ex-con vegan activist he has now hired as his environmental advisor and trapped in his house. Who even is this man and what has he done with John Dutton?
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It's not as if the show hasn't noticed his evolution, because it's showing us exactly how much he's changed. We've never before had so many flashbacks to young John (played by Josh Lucas), a man who would stop at nothing, including laws, to protect his ranch. He was ruthless and he never took a moment to sit and reflect on his actions. Those days are gone, and in a way, so is the original premise of the show. Now, we're just watching John reject all progress while simultaneously embodying it, all while the clock is ticking on the timeline hinted at in the finale of 1883. Seven generations after James (Tim McGraw) laid his daughter Elsa (Isabel May) to rest in that picturesque valley in Montana, the indigenous people would reclaim it from the family. John's grandson Tate (Brecken Merrill) is the seventh generation of Dutton and Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) is ready and waiting, meaning that time could come at any moment. If Yellowstone is all about the Duttons holding onto their land, wouldn't its return to the Native Americans signal a perfect ending?
But while John's retirement makes all the sense in the world, he's surrounded by powerhouses who are practically begging for a new challenge. The loss of their land, which is the only thing they've been raised to care about, might just be the perfect opportunity. Beth (Kelly Reilly) is already the show's MVP, and has proven she can win in any environment. Move her, her husband Rip (Cole Hauser) and adopted son Carter (Finn Little) somewhere new, where their ranch-bred skills are something more unique. (Like, imagine them in suburbia. What if Rip got an office job?!) Kayce (Luke Grimes) already keeps trying to escape life on his family's ranch, so what does he do when he's finally free? The midseason finale already set up a hell of a war between Beth and her adopted brother Jamie (Wes Bentley), and both have plans to kill the other. It's hard to bet against Beth in any scenario, but if Jamie survives, what is it that motivates him when there's no Dutton dynasty to fight for or against?
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Taylor Sheridan and Paramount+ have already proven that the Dutton world is richer than just John III. 1883 is a gorgeous, heartbreaking tale of the sacrifices that had to be made to keep going in the early days of the west, and 1923 is an exhilarating adventure that has already been renewed for a second season. Both shows are better than the past two seasons of Yellowstone, and they've kept expectations high for the other two announced spinoffs (6666 and 1883: The Bass Reeves Story). Yellowstone might be waning, but its universe most certainly is not.
Then, of course, there's the business side of it all. While Yellowstone airs on Paramount Network, it streams exclusively on Peacock thanks to a deal made before Paramount+ existed in its current form. 1883 and 1923 both only stream on Paramount+, and ending Yellowstone would likely allow the insanely popular, extremely lucrative franchise to unite all of its on-air shows on one streaming service.
Plus, none of this means that John Dutton has to be totally left behind. Lucas is ready to play young John in another prequel spinoff, or even to watch other ages of John in other prequel spinoffs. Why not jump from 1923 to 1963, or 1983? With the rich history that Sheridan has built for this family, there are practically endless possibilities, and none of them require Yellowstone itself to still be on the air. The show and John Dutton have planted plenty of seeds over five seasons. Now it's time to let them grow.
