The future of the Yellowstone franchise remains uncertain as the flagship series may be reaching its end with the second half of its fifth season, set to premiere on November 10. The Taylor Sheridan-created series has suffered multiple behind-the-scenes setbacks, including star Kevin Costner leaving the project halfway through the season. Although the series seems to be coming to an abrupt end, rumors persist that a spinoff is in the works featuring Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler.
The rumored sequel series has a lot of work to do in explaining the past (and future) of the Dutton family ranch. If a Beth and Rip spinoff comes to fruition, Yellowstone fans will need it to answer certain burning questions left over from the original series.
10.Will Beth and Rip Adopt Carter?
In Season 4 of Yellowstone, Beth befriends a young orphan named Carter, whom she eventually brings to the ranch. As the new ranchhand, Carter has a lot to learn and, despite a shaky start, comes to admire both Beth and Rip. However, his two pseudo-parents insist that they are not his mother and father, though he clearly looks at them as such.
- Finn Little plays Carter in Yellowstone.
A spinoff centered around Beth and Rip after the events of Yellowstone could see them finally accept their parental roles in Carter’s life. Since the couple is unable to have children, it would make sense for them to finally adopt their young ranchhand and give him the parents he never really had. However, this might be too wholesome a story for Yellowstone, which prefers to give its characters dark arcs rather than positive ones.
9.Does Beth Ever Escape Her Childhood Trauma?
Beth Dutton is one of the most complicated characters in Yellowstone. Erratic and sometimes even violent, Beth’s behavior in the series mostly stems from her childhood trauma. She spends much of her adult life desperately seeking the love and approval of her father after suffering many years of feeling like she wasn’t good enough.
- Kelly Reilly plays Beth Dutton in Yellowstone.
A Yellowstone spinoff could explore Beth’s trauma more deeply while she works to get through her hurtful past and move on to a brighter future. With her parents no longer around, Beth can finally take a step back and realize how toxic her relationship with them was. Hopefully, she can escape her past and forge a happier life for herself with Rip at her side.
8.Can Beth and Rip Really Last?
Beth and Rip are one of Yellowstone‘s best couples and, despite both characters’ dark deeds throughout the series, they are surprisingly sweet to one another. They were married at the end of Season 4 but, though they are very happy together, keep finding themselves separated by their responsibilities to the family and the ranch.
- Cole Hauser plays Rip Wheeler in Yellowstone.
A spinoff following Beth and Rip needs to finally answer whether the couple can last long-term. Their turbulent romance has settled tremendously since their marriage, but now the real struggle comes as they work to hold things together despite outside forces trying to destroy their family. Their spinoff could prove to viewers that a happy marriage rarely survives life on the Dutton ranch.
7.Who Will Inherit the Dutton Ranch?
One of the biggest questions throughout Yellowstone‘s five seasons is who will inherit the ranch after John Dutton dies. The eldest of his four children, Lee, died in the series premiere, leaving things up in the air. Now, John has three children left to give the ranch to after he passes: Jaime, Beth, and Kayce.
- The Yellowstone-Dutton Ranch was settled in 1883 by James Dutton.
After all he’s done, Jamie Dutton won’t inherit the Yellowstone Ranch–and may not even survive the events of Season 5. Neither Kayce nor Beth wants the ranch, though the latter might still find herself saddled with the land given John’s intention to pass it on to Rip in Season 2. However, now John seems to be intent on preserving the land for his grandson Tate. Even so, Yellowstone needs to confirm the future of the Dutton ranch, whether in its own series finale or a spinoff.
6.Will Caroline Warner Get Her Revenge on Beth?
Caroline Warner was one of the major antagonists in Seasons 4 and 5 of Yellowstone. The chairperson of Market Equities, she works tirelessly to attain Montanan land for a new airport, including some of the Dutton Ranch. However, she is sent back to the city after failing to achieve her goals–but not before unleashing Sarah Atwood on the family that foiled her.
- Jacki Weaver plays Caroline Warner in Yellowstone.
Although she was soundly defeated by Beth, Caroline Warner doesn’t seem like the kind of person to take failure lightly. She could return as an antagonist in a Beth-centered Yellowstone spinoff. Considering her vendetta against Beth, it makes more sense to bring Caroline back in a spinoff rather than in the final episodes of the flagship series.
5.Will The “Train Station” Come Back to Bite the Duttons?
For the Duttons, there’s only one proper way to see someone out of town. For years, the family has taken liabilities to the “train station,” an area just across the state line to Wyoming. There, the victim is shot and dumped in a nearby pit where no one will find them. In a population of zero, the Duttons get away with murder scott-free.
- In Yellowstone, the “train station” is also known as “The Long Black Train.”
The train station has been one of the Duttons’ biggest liabilities since they entered the public eye thanks to John’s new role as governor. Already, Jaime has threatened to expose the truth to the public. Rip is one of the most frequent train station conductors and could face backlash in a spinoff following his adventures after Yellowstone.
4.Will Thomas Rainwater Ever Make His Move Against the Duttons?
Thomas Rainwater has been a unique antagonistic presence since Season 1 of Yellowstone. The leader of the Broken Rock Reservation, Rainwater plans to expand his casino empire onto the Dutton ranch, winning back the land for his people. However, Rainwater has found himself allied with the Duttons more often than against them, leaving fans to wonder if he will ever make his move against his one-time enemies.
- Gil Birmingham plays Thomas Rainwater in Yellowstone.
With Rainwater dealing with his problems on the reservation, it seems unlikely that he’ll finally make his move against the Duttons before the end of Season 5. If he is to ever become the Dutton’s next big enemy, it will have to be in a sequel series.
3.Do Any of the Duttons Finally Escape the Ranch?
Although they’ll fight to the death for their land, most of the Duttons don’t want to stay on the ranch. Except for John, none of the Duttons want the responsibility of keeping up the ranch and each has tried to escape at one point or another. Yet, none of them has been able to stay away forever.
- The Yellowstone Ranch scenes are filmed on the Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby, Montana.
The Yellowstone-Dutton ranch has a way of bringing people back over and over again, but a Beth and Rip spinoff could change this. While Rip would never want to leave the ranch behind and Beth would never leave him, the show could finally depict some of the other Duttons leaving the land for good, perhaps finally giving Kayce and Monica their happy ending–far, far away.
2.What is John Dutton’s Legacy?
With Kevin Costner leaving the series due to pay disputes, it seems likely that John Dutton will die in Yellowstone‘s fifth season. The character does not appear to be in any of the back half of Season 5, implying that he died sometime after the midseason finale. While this is disappointing to many fans who have followed the characters for years, it also leads to interesting future storylines.
- After leaving Yellowstone, Kevin Costner created his Western epic in Horizon: An American Saga.
John Dutton was a major presence in Yellowstone and can’t simply be forgotten because Costner is absent. The last episodes of the series and any future sequel shows need to show how John is remembered. While it would be nice to imagine that he is fondly remembered, it may be more likely that he will be remembered for the many horrible things he did during his life.
1.Is the Yellowstone Ranch Doomed?
While the Duttons fight for their ranch, most of them suspect that the battle can’t go on for much longer. The ranch hasn’t been profitable in years and it seems only a matter of time until the Duttons finally lose their ancestral home.
- There will be six episodes in the second half of Yellowstone Season 5.
A Beth and Rip spinoff could show the couple dealing with the harsh reality of leaving their land for good. With a fresh start, a sequel show should show what’s next for the Duttons after losing the ranch that their patriarch fought so hard for. Are the Duttons more than their land or will they lose everything once it is gone?
