It’s been nearly two years since the finale of Part 1 of Season 5 of “Yellowstone” — the massive Taylor Sheridan-created show’s most recent episode — debuted on Paramount Network on New Year’s Day 2023. Chances are, you’ve forgotten about some of the intricacies of the Dutton family feuds and overall chaos that fuels “Yellowstone,” but never fear: Here is a refresher of the events that transpired in that finale, context on the behind-the-scenes events that led to Kevin Costner‘s departure from the show — and information about the future of the series.
When we last left our cowboys…
During the first half of the season, audiences learned more about Rip (Cole Hauser) and his early days at Yellowstone. “A Knife and No Coin,” the final episode of the first half of Season 5, begins with another flashback with Young Rip (Kyle Red Silverstein) and Young John (Josh Lucas). They’re dropping off Rowdy, a cowboy Rip killed after he spoke inappropriately about Young Beth (Kylie Rogers), at the Train Station (a.k.a., disposing of his body), and Young John makes it clear that this now bonds them forever: “You’ll be part of this ranch until the day you die.” Young John also figures out that Young Rip is sweet on Young Beth himself, and offers some prophetic words — “The only time you fight working for me is to protect someone working for the ranch, or the ranch itself. You’ll be surprised how much fighting you have to do. It surprises me.” — before Young Rip gets the Yellowstone brand. Ouch!
We then check in again in the present day with Jimmy (Jefferson White), who was largely absent during the season. Living at the 6666 with his girlfriend Emily (Kathryn Kelly), he has gotten a serious glow-up, dressing snazzy to break horses while also making time to canoodle with Emily after she’s done with her veterinarian duties. These cowboy cuties are living the good life, but will the long-awaited “6666” spin-off series ever get off the ground?
Meanwhile, on the Dutton ranch, Rip is ready to lead a group of cowpokes to Texas to transport all of their cattle, avoiding an outbreak of the bacterial disease brucellosis. Beth (Kelly Reilly) gives an emotional goodbye to Rip, but also says she’s flying out in a week to see him, so they’ll be fine — she’s rich and will just take a private jet out whenever, I’m sure. Slightly more somber is Teeter (Jennifer Landon) leaving Colby (Denim Richards) behind, but she plants a big kiss on him and says “I love you,” so it’s a sweet moment.
Not so sweet is Jamie (Wes Bentley), who, as attorney general, addresses the Montana legislature and senate, asking for a tribunal seeking impeachment of his father, Montana governor John Dutton (Costner). His reasoning? By canceling funding for the airport that Jamie had worked to usher in, John violated state law, didn’t act in the best interest of Montana, opened it up for litigation, lost tax money and hurt tourism.
Beth hears the news and, enraged, heads to Jamie’s house, where she breaks in with a brick, and then uses said brick to hit Jamie in the head. While he’s bleeding, she tries to blackmail him with pictures of him taking his biological father to the Train Station, but Jamie laughs it off, telling Beth that there are decades of bodies down there via John and Rip that would take the whole family down.
Still enraged, Beth heads to John’s governor’s mansion, where she demands to know if the Train Station history Jamie spoke of is true. Once John confirms her suspicions, she’s equally mad that she wasn’t let in on the family secret as well as the fact that her leverage over her brother is now limited, so she asks her father if they should take Jamie to the train station themselves. He considers it, and they have an inaudible conversation…chilling!
Ironically, Jamie concurrently asks his love interest and fixer Sarah (Dawn Olivieri) if she knows any hitman service that could take care of Beth, as he knows she wants him dead. Sarah does know a guy! Oh no!
Meanwhile:
*John asks Monica (Kelsey Asbille) if she and Kayce (Luke Grimes) can move into a modest house in the East Camp of Yellowstone so Kayce can tend to the ranch while John governs in Helena. She agrees, as she wants Yellowstone to be a legacy for their son Tate (Brecken Merrill).
*Summer (Piper Perabo) is still stuck at the Dutton Ranch on house arrest instead of in Helena with John — awkward!
*Carter (Finn Little), Rip and Beth’s adopted son, is learning how to be a cowboy and how to flirt. Unfortunately, he seems to have more rizz with the livestock than his potential love interest.
What was all of the between-season drama with Kevin Costner? Is he going to be on new episodes of the show?
Plenty of jockeying happened since “Yellowstone” was last on the air, but largely speaking: Costner and show creator Taylor Sheridan could not get on the same page in terms of shooting schedules.
Discussion of Costner’s decreased availability to shoot more “Yellowstone” first began in Feb. 2023, when it was reported that Costner wasn’t available as many days as he had been in the past. In Sept. 2023, it was revealed while he was in court for his divorce proceedings that he had moved around the shooting of his four-part movie franchise of “Horizon: An American Saga” to participate in the first part of the fifth season. Yet Costner said scripts for the second part of Season 5 weren’t available in a timely manner, so he wasn’t able to film them — but believes he is still owed payment for the season, a matter he said he might bring to court.
That said, Costner discussed a potential return in April, saying, “I’d like to be able to do it.” He repeated the sentiment in June, saying, “I would love to go back under the right circumstances — I think that all of us want.” Yet later in the month, he seemed to rule it out completely, saying, “I just realized that I’m not going to be able to continue Season 5B or into the future.”
Is this the last season of “Yellowstone”? Isn’t there a spinoff with Matthew McConaughey coming?
Again, the answer is loaded with behind-the-scenes back-and-forth. Initial discussions about the show ending and another chapter beginning came with the first report of Costner leaving, with word that it would be “a new expansion of the ‘Yellowstone’ franchise that would feature several characters from the mothership show with Matthew McConaughey in talks to star.”
In May 2023, Paramount Network made the huge announcement that “‘Yellowstone’ is officially coming to an end, with the final episodes of the megahit Paramount Network series’ fifth season set to launch in November. In addition, an untitled sequel series has been ordered and will debut on Paramount Network in December.”
Yet in Nov. 2023, it was announced that the episodes would be pushed back a year, and two spinoffs were mentioned: The historical “1944” and the contemporary “2024.”
In Aug. 2024, “2024” was renamed “The Madison” and picked up Michelle Pfeiffer to star. The premise of the show involves “a New York City family in the Madison River valley of central Montana.”
Later that month, Variety reported that a sixth season of “Yellowstone” proper, with Reilly and Hauser set to be the leads, was being discussed — but nothing has been greenlit yet.
Meanwhile, two other previously-announced chapters in the “Yellowstone” universe are still in the works: “1923,” the prequel starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, was renewed for a second season, and the “6666” spinoff remains in development.
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