Spoilers below for the latest episode of Yellowstone, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched.
Another day, another Yellowstone character death to mourn, though once again it wasn’t exactly predictable, and I didn’t expect to see Colby’s murder-by-horse play out in the back half of Season 5. But while we’re giving Denim Richards’ character all the R.I.P. love, that’s not what I’m here to talk about following the events of “Counting Coup.” Rather, I want to talk about the preview for the penultimate episode, and why it has fans thinking Season 6 is definitely among upcoming Yellowstone projects.
Yellowstone Previews Keep Referring To The "Season" Finale
For quite a while now, fans have anticipated the back half of Season 5 serving as the final chapter of the Dutton family’s saga, with Kevin Costner’s exit seemingly stemming the need for more seasons. That is, until the point when Season 6 rumors started making waves well before the spinoff The Madison was confirmed and ordered up. Then it seemed like an official announcement about the future was coming, only to never materialize.
And now fans are looking to the show’s upcoming-episode previews as a sign of potential proof that Yellowstone will survive even beyond the shocking death of John Dutton and its presumed resolution. Because here’s how the preview voiceover dude words things as the footage plays out:
Only one episode left until the season finale of Yellowstone.
That statement technically isn't wrong, but carries the implication that the season finale won't be the endgame for this western drama, even though no one at Paramount Network or from Taylor Sheridan's camp has confirmed anything else is coming beyond prequels and spinoffs. Regardless of what's been confirmed or not, fans were definitely aware enough to catch the specific language used in the promo, as seen by the smattering of reactions seen below.
- Did I hear that right @Yellowstone? One more episode BEFORE THE SEASON FINALE? Not SERIES finale, SEASON finale! #Yellowstone #YellowstoneTV - @msAJF
- I’m sorry did they say SEASON finale???? #Yellowstone - @MIKEYOUMADETHIS
- Another phenomenal episode of @Yellowstone tonight. The preview for next week said it's the last episode before the Season Finale. Will there be another season after all? Usually they call the last episode of the last season the Series Finale, not a Season Finale. - @countrydarts
- That was one of the best hours of television, EVER. My goodness. One question though - How in the world will they wrap all of this up in 2 episodes? I did notice that SEASON finale line instead of SERIES finale line. That didn't go unnoticed. #Yellowstone #YellowstoneTV - @BillBernardoni
- Maybe I’m a little out of the loop but the bumper said “season finale” of #Yellowstone not “series finale” as I had been lead to believe. Did they officially announce a 6th season? - @ToddDClark
Granted, those posts came among a similarly sized batch of harrowing reactions to all the bloodshed going down in these episodes, and how there may not be any characters left to lead a sixth season if the next two episodes continue this body-dropping trend.
Why I'm Skeptical About Anything Seen Or Shown In Yellowstone Previews
Seemingly more so this season than any other in the past, Yellowstone has gone the Grey's Anatomy route when it comes to future-episode previews. In the sense that the teasers are setting up highly dramatic moments that don't actually play out anywhere nearly as interestingly as they do in the promos.
For instance, the longer preview containing footage from the rest of the season featured several moments, such as Rip throwing a glass into the fireplace, that seemed to be teasing wild moments. But in this case, "Counting Coup" revealed he was lightly coaxed into throwing the glass by Beth, who said it would help keep him from bottling up his feelings about Colby's death. Interesting and helpful, sure, but not so dramatic.
As well, the Season 5B trailers hyped up Kayce throwing Jamie across his desk, but that ended up being the only big physical moment during that sequence, with Wes Bentley's character convincing his brother that he wasn't responsible for John's death. Hoodie-wearing Kayce threatening the man who set up John's death also seemed like it would be far more hectic and thrilling in the previews, as opposed to just a short car ride. (Granted, the military vet holding a child at gunpoint was wild, but not quite in the same way.)
It's not a new trick for TV trailers to set audiences up for one thing only to pull off something else entirely, but it's not a trick that Yellowstone has had to fall back on very much, since the series built up its core audience without such endless arrays of hype. But now that we're perhaps so close to the end, all the stops are being pulled out.
So while I will be just as happy and celebratory as anyone else if Paramount Network officially confirms Season 6 is coming to the 2025 TV schedule, I don't necessarily think that the trailers' specific wordage is proof of anything.
