By the time the final episodes of Yellowstone premiere on the 2024 TV schedule, we will have been waiting almost two years for them. So, we’ve had a lot of time to think about what will come next and ruminate on all the loose ends that came with the last episode we saw. With that in mind, here are the five questions I can’t stop thinking about ahead of Yellowstone’s final episodes.
How Will Kevin Costner Be Written Off?
While we officially learned that Kevin Costner wouldn’t be back on Yellowstone in June – not long after Season 5B’s premiere date was announced – there’s been speculation about it for well over a year. After things started looking really bleak regarding his return, I actually came to the conclusion that Taylor Sheridan’s show might be better without John Dutton.
Now, before you try to take me to the Train Station over that, think about it for a second. The patriarch dying (or leaving) creates a new problem for the kids regarding who will succeed him when it comes to the ranch.
While I’m convinced that will be a primary plot point of Season 5B, I’m not so sure how they’ll write Costner off. They could bring back the cancer he had in earlier seasons. He could be killed by one of the Duttons' many foes. Honestly, the possibilities are endless, and I’ve been questioning them for a long time. And as we’ll discuss in the next question below, I can’t help but wonder if Jamie will have anything to do with how John is written off…
Is Jamie Going To Kill John?
We know Jamie and Beth’s feud has risen to a level of all-out war, and I don’t think it’s unreasonable to speculate about John getting stuck in the crossfire. According to the Jamie actor himself, Wes Bentley, the final part of Season 5 is gearing up to be a “crazy bloodbath,” and by mixing the fact that Kevin Costner isn’t returning with the notions that Jamie is actively trying to take down his sister and get his father impeached, we have to at least consider "yes" as a possible answer to the above question.
Also, let’s think about Jamie’s violent past. While I don’t think he knows how cruel and evil he is, he’s arguably one of the scarier characters in the show. Not only did he kill that journalist during the early days of the show, but he also murdered his biological father.
His relationship with Beth, John and the rest of the Duttons has always been rocky at best, now it’s fully broken. He’s trying to take the ranch, and I fully believe he’ll do some truly terrible things to do it. And who knows, that might include him being the one to take out Kevin Costner’s character.
How Will Rip Moving With The Cows Impact His Relationship With Beth?
At the end of Season 5A, we saw Rip and a lot of the bunkhouse boys packing up to travel with the cattle down South. He and Beth have a conversation about their relationship, and they both are determined to keep it alive, however, it’s unclear how this move will impact them.
Rip and the other branded Yellowstone characters have (for the most part) always been at the ranch, seeing them gone will be odd on a lot of levels.
However, the piece of this story that draws the most questions for me is how the move will impact Rip and Beth’s relationship. While I’m certain they won’t break up, this could be the cause of major tension, and it could serve as a major turning point for them – and that could be a good or a bad thing.
How Will Kayce And Monica’s Move Impact Their Place In The Dutton Family?
Lately, I’ve had a bone to pick with Kayce’s story, because it feels like they’re underutilizing him.
In the finale, John asks Monica if Kayce would be willing to run the farm, since Rip is leaving with the cows. The patriarch offers them a house that’s nearby. When the couple talks about this, Kayce explains that his vision quest told him that eventually, he’d have to choose between Monica and the farm.
Monica says “Maybe this is the way we have both” in reference to John’s proposal, meaning they’ll probably take on a leadership role in the Dutton family on the ranch side as they move to the home on East Camp.
However, I’m more curious about how that will impact how they interact with Jamie, Beth and the rest of the family. They've always been pretty separate from the rest of the family, and I'd love to see them in the middle of all the action.
Jimmy's Return Was Teased In The Mid-Season Finale, Will He Come Back?
For the majority of the first half of Season 5, Jefferson White’s Jimmy wasn’t in it much, which makes sense, because he moved to Texas to work at the 6666. However, in the end, he popped back up on screen, and we got to catch up with him and see his growth as a cowboy and overall human.
Upcoming Yellowstone TV Shows: What’s Ahead For The Series And Upcoming Spinoffs
He seems to be doing really well, and the 6666 has been great for him. However, the implementation of his story at the very end of Season 5’s first part seems to imply that he’ll play a bigger role in the final episodes.
My best guess is he’ll be sent to work with the Yellostone’s ranchers who have left Montana. I don’t see him fully returning to his old ranch. However, viewers love to see him with the other bunkhouse boys, so I think this is the most likely way he’ll be written back into the story.
Above all else, I don’t want to see Jimmy regress. He’s improved so much since leaving the Yellowstone, and I want it to stay that way. So, hopefully, he’s able to help the guys – whether that happens down South or in Montana – without losing the happiness and stability he’s seemingly found at his new ranch.
Pretty soon, all these questions and more will be answered when the final season of Yellowstone starts airing on November 10. To go back and catch up before the big premiere, you can stream the first four and a half seasons with a Peacock subscription.
