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With the bloody writing on the wall all season long,Yellowstone’s tragic finale felt inevitable. The fifth and final season of Taylor Sheridan’s hit TV western soap opera began with John Dutton’s ominous death at the start of Season 5B, serving as a blood-soaked harbinger for the remaining episodes. With a new character seemingly killed off every step of the way, it was always a matter of who and when would meet their maker next.
Before identifyingYellowstone’s latest gore-sodden corpse, detailing how the epic, 86-minute final episode brings the series full circle and sets up a parade of spin-offs created by Sheridan will help viewers keep track of the plot, timeline, and character fates. With several shocking spoilers ahead, here’s howYellowstoneblasted its way to the finish line after five seasons and 53 episodes.
Death Has Been Looming in ‘Yellowstone’
Death was a recurring theme from the jump,with patriarch John Dutton’s (Kevin Costner) shocking demise kicking off the motif. At first, Dutton’s death was believed to be a suicide. However, later in the season, it is revealed thatJohn Dutton was murdered in a hit arranged by lawyer Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri). The murderous motif continued, first withSarah’s death in a brutal drive-by shooting. One episode later, the beloved rancher and Bunkhouse Boy,Colby Mayfield (Denim Richards), was fatally kicked in the headby a horse after rescuing young Carter (Finn Little) from being trapped in a horse stall.
With death in the air, it was only a matter of time before the grim reaper knocked on the Duttons' door again.Sheridan took his time killing off side characters and supporting players, saving the most tragic and emotionally hard-hitting death for last. While not for the squeamish, the final death knells inYellowstonefelt earned, organic, and oddly satisfying.
Beth Sells the Ranch Back to the Reservation
Before eulogizing the dead,Yellowstone’s unresolved storylines and plot points begin tying together.The biggest revelation comes when Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) agrees to sell the Dutton Family Ranch back to the Broken Rock Reservation for $1.1 million. Beth vowed to honor her father’s legacy by keeping the ranch intact and ensuring land developers don’t purchase it. To her father’s corpse, she says “You made me promise not to sell an inch, and I hope you understand that this is me keeping it.There may not be cows on it, but there won’t be condos either. We won.”
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Selling the ranch angers Beth’s criminal brother, Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley), who has lofty political ambitions.When Beth tells her dead father, “I will avenge you,” as he’s laid to rest, fans understand that Jamie will be part of the revenge. Jamie’s girlfriend, Sarah Atwood, ordered the hit on John Dutton, giving Beth extra incentive to eliminate her brother.
Jamie’s Shocking Death
With the perfect murder planned, Beth confronts Jamie in the finale’s most memorable moment. Following John’s funeral, Beth waits for Jamie outside his house. When Jamie arrives, Beth ambushes him with bear spray.A violent tussle ensues, and Beth tells Jamie that she sold the ranch to the reservation for $1.1 million. Jamie becomes more irate and lashes out with lethal intentions.
As Jamie gains the upper hand, Rip appears in the nick of time and pulls him off her.Moments later, Beth stabs Jamie to death in the heart, crystallizing the Shakespearean family tragedy the show set up from day one. Afterward, Rip transports Jamie’s corpse to the train station, where he is reported as missing as the series concludes. Adding insult to a fatal injury,Jamie is blamed for his father John’s death.
How ‘Yellowstone’s Finale Sets Up More Story
While Jamie Dutton’s shocking demise remains the most memorable event inYellowstone’s finale, the send-off bids farewellto several beloved charactersand hints at their fate. For instance, with John and Jamie out of the picture,Kaycee Dutton (Luke Grimes) is no longer beholden to upkeep his family legacy, allowing him to expand his horizons and think about a new life for his family. He buys 300 cattle and forms a new ranch with his wife Monica (Kelsey Asbille) and son Tate (Brecken Merrill).
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Elsewhere,Beth and Rip buy a land plot 40 miles away from Dillon, Montana, the setting of Sheridan’s latestYellowstonespin-off,The Madison. Beth and Rip take Carter with them, assuring Colby’s death was not in vain. Colby’s girlfriend, Teeter (Jennifer Landon), gets a new position at Bosque Ranch.
Yellowstone’s final moments depict the new Broken Rock owners moving in and deconstructing the Dutton ranch. In addition to setting up events inThe Madison, Yellowstone’s finale connects to the prequel series,1883, when Elsa Dutton’s (Isabel May) headstone appears in the last scene.Elsa rises from the ground and concludes the series with a narrated monologue warning about the inevitable harms of industrialization. Despite John Dutton and his ancestors’ attempts to retain pristine land and avoid commercial real estate development,Elsa’s voice-over suggests that seven generations of Dutton ranching ultimately led to what they wanted to prevent, due to human greed and corruption.
