1 John Dutton Line Makes Me Wish Taylor Sheridan Would Make This Yellowstone Spinoff

The Yellowstone franchise is at a turning point, as Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western television universe searches for new stories to tell after the conclusion of its flagship series. Already, the franchise has begun to expand with multiple prequel series that chronicle earlier generations of the Dutton family in the 19th and 20th centuries. However, as these series begin to catch up with the present day, Sheridan is beginning to find new stories to tell after the events of Yellowstone, including in upcoming spinoffs like The Madison, 6666, and Beth and Rip’s untitled series. However, one major Yellowstone character is conspicuously absent from these plans.

Kayce Dutton is one of Yellowstone‘s best characters, who struggles to lead his own young family without becoming the same overbearing tyrant that his father was. Portrayed by Luke Grimes, Kayce has a compelling and emotional storyline throughout Yellowstone‘s five seasons, but there may still be more story left to tell for the youngest of John Dutton’s children. One poignant line from the original series has me convinced that Kayce deserves his own spinoff series.

Kayce Dutton Needs His Own Yellowstone Spinoff

One John Dutton Line Proves There Is More Story to Be Told With Kayce

It’s no secret that John always wanted to pass ownership of the Dutton Ranch to Kayce. Many of John’s actions during the events of Yellowstone are done in hopes of preparing his youngest son to take over as the new patriarch of the family once he is gone. Though Kayce is often resistant to the idea of taking over the ranch, he gradually begins to follow in his father’s footsteps as the series progresses. In Season 3, Episode 5, “Cowboys and Dreamers,” Kayce looks to his father for advice after encountering a difficult leadership conundrum. John encourages him to break rules where necessary, putting people above the law. When Kayce finally figures out his dilemma, he suggests that he and his father join the celebrating ranch hands. John merely shakes his head and encourages Kayce to go without him, saying “I never had much luck leading men and being their friend. Maybe it can be different for you.”

This simple line sets up a future for Kayce Dutton in the Yellowstone franchise that has yet to be realized. Though John fights to harden his youngest son in hopes he will take his place someday, he also wants Kayce to be a different kind of leader. Kayce shares many similarities with his father but, at the end of the day, he is not like John Dutton when it comes to leading. John’s line at the end of “Cowboys and Dreamers” sets up Kayce as the next patriarch of the Dutton family, but one who does not prioritize the ranch over everything else in his life. This leaves me wishing that Kayce and his family would lead their own Yellowstone spinoff, exploring the youngest Dutton’s journey to becoming a better leader than his father was. Unlike Rip and Beth’s upcoming spinoff, such a series would continue the Dutton legacy as ranch owners, even if the majority of their land has been sold off. There needs to be more of Kayce’s story as he grows to better fit the hope that his father expressed for him in Season 3.

How Kayce Can Break the Toxic Dutton Cycle

Kayce’s Family Breaks the Toxic Cycle of the Duttons

A spinoff centering around Kayce, Monica, and their son Tate would finally give Yellowstone a chance to break the toxicity of the Dutton family. Though the Duttons were once upstanding people who fought for what they believed to be right, they lost something in their generations of protecting their ranch. By the beginning of Yellowstone, John is so obsessed with defending the ranch that this duty trumps even his relationship with his children. Throughout the series, he pushes away each of his children at some point or other, with some straying farther than others. By the end of his life, John lost sight of what was really important, putting the protection of the ranch over his family. Kayce, however, can change this.

After John Dutton’s death, Kayce and Beth decided to sell the ranch back to Thomas Rainwater’s tribe for a historically low price, successfully saving the land from developers. However, Kayce kept one small tract for himself and his family, where they could start their own minor operation that would continue the Dutton family legacy. A spinoff centered around Kayce and his family could show how they have grown after the events of Yellowstone, as they work hard to differentiate themselves from John. Kayce’s struggle has always been with not becoming like his father, and his spinoff could prove once and for all that he is a better man. Thus, he would fulfill his father’s hope that he would be better at “leading men and being their friend.” Thereby, the cycle of Dutton toxicity would finally be broken, as Kayce passes on a better legacy to his son, Tate.

Will Kayce Dutton Ever Get His Own Yellowstone Spinoff?

Taylor Sheridan Hasn’t Ruled Out a Kayce Spinoff

Kayce’s story was likely meant to play out with much greater detail in a planned sixth season of Yellowstone. The series was cut short by Kevin Costner’s decision to exit halfway through season five, forcing Taylor Sheridan to bring the story to a hasty conclusion. However, this has left more room for additional spinoffs which could repurpose certain scrapped storylines from the planned sixth season. As such, a Kayce Dutton spinoff could be more possible than Yellowstone fans may think. The series finale left plenty of room for Kayce, Monica, and Tate to return in a spinoff that would follow their adventures as they set up their new, much smaller ranch. So far, Taylor Sheridan hasn’t ruled out a Kayce Dutton spinoff, though he has not confirmed any such project either.

Conversely, Kayce and his family could guest star in Beth and Rip’s upcoming spinoff, which takes place after the events of Yellowstone. While Kayce, Monica, and Tate likely won’t be main cast members in this upcoming series, they will likely appear in a few episodes. If Kayce never gets his own spinoff, this series could be the perfect place to continue his story as he tries to set himself apart from his complicated father.