Yellowstone is finally back for its final few episodes, bringing Season 5 to an end after almost two years of waiting. The acclaimed Taylor Sheridan series has its work cut out for it in its final episodes, as it is forced to bring years of storytelling to a satisfying conclusion without its protagonist. Kevin Costner, who played John Dutton in the first four and a half seasons of Yellowstone, left the series during the production of Season 5, resulting in major delays and a rewrite that shifted the focus of the final episodes to the younger generation of Duttons. However, despite the many delays, Yellowstone is finally back, promising to deliver a worthwhile conclusion to the Dutton family’s long and turbulent storyline.
The Dutton family finally returned with Yellowstone Season 5B’s premiere on November 10. Dealing with John Dutton’s assassination and the fate of the Yellowstone Ranch, the final episodes make for a can’t-miss event for viewers who have stuck with the series over the last five seasons. However, watching new episodes is surprisingly complicated for fans who got used to watching old episodes on Paramount+ and Peacock. The conclusion of the action-heavy Western series can’t be found on either of these streaming platforms, so where can Yellowstone fans find new episodes?
New Yellowstone Episodes Aren’t on Paramount+ or Peacock
The Yellowstone Streaming Rights Are Complicated–And Its New Episodes Make It Worse
Yellowstone‘s streaming status has always been more complicated than with other popular television series. Despite the series being produced by Paramount, Yellowstone‘s first four-and-a-half seasons are not available to stream on Paramount+ in the United States. Through a licensing deal the first few seasons of the hit Western are all available to stream on Peacock. To complicate matters further, Yellowstone‘s two prequel spinoff series, 1883 and 1923, are both available exclusively on Paramount+. This has led to considerable confusion from fans hoping to binge the entire franchise, who now need subscriptions to two separate streaming services in order to do so. In an even worse turn for fans of the franchise, Yellowstone‘s new episodes aren’t available on either Paramount+ or Peacock.
Rather than premiering new content directly to Paramount+ and/or Peacock, Yellowstone‘s final episodes are exclusive to the Paramount Network. The show’s new content is not available through any of the streaming plans offered by Paramount+, leaving viewers without cable TV out of luck. It is unclear precisely why Paramount decided not to push for Yellowstone to premiere new episodes on its streaming service, as this would have surely drawn new subscribers. Presumably, the final episodes will eventually land on Peacock, joining the rest of the series. However, this likely won’t happen until after the finale airs in mid-December. Nevertheless, if viewers want to watch Yellowstone‘s final episodes as they come out, they will have to do so through the Paramount Network.
When Do New Episodes of Yellowstone Season 5 Come Out?
Yellowstone Season 5’s Final Six Episodes Come Out Each Sunday
Yellowstone drops new episodes on the Paramount Network each Sunday at 8 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. The new batch of episodes began with Season 5, Episode 9, entitled “Desire Is All You Need,” a landmark episode that kicks off with the tragic assassination of John Dutton and the fallout after his children discover what has happened. The episode continues by setting up the long-awaited final battle between Beth and Jaime, who now have nothing keeping them from destroying one another now that their father is dead. The midseason premiere sets up an explosive, and likely bloody, conclusion to the long-running series wherein many fan-favorite characters could die.
The final half-season will consist of six episodes, ending with the series finale on December 15. While there have been some rumors that Paramount has secretly renewed Yellowstone for a sixth season, this seems unlikely. According to all official statements so far, December will see the long-awaited series finale, bringing the story of the Duttons to a definitive ending–at least in this series.
What’s Next For the Yellowstone Franchise?
Although the Main Series Is Ending, This Isn’t The End for the Yellowstone Franchise
Even though Yellowstone is coming to an end with Season 5B, this isn’t the end for Taylor Sheridan’s television universe. There are several spinoffs and sequel series in development that will continue different branches of the Dutton family’s storyline. The second season of 1923 is currently in production, with Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren both returning for the final season of the prequel spinoff with an estimated premiere sometime in 2025. There are also several sequel series in development with uncertain release dates, including 6666, a spinoff centered around the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas, and The Madison. The latter of these two spinoff will star Michelle Pfeiffer as wealthy widow Stacy Clyburn, who moves to Montana from New York City to establish a new life for herself and her family. This series is much further along than 6666 and could be released as early as 2025.
Some rumors also contend that the story of the main Yellowstone cast could continue in some form or another. Many fans have called for a continuation of Yellowstone in the form of a spinoff following Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, though their fates in Season 5 remain ambiguous. Nevertheless, nothing of this sort has been officially announced by Paramount or Taylor Sheridan, who still insists that Yellowstone will end its main characters’ stories.
Yellowstone‘s final episodes may be more difficult to watch for fans without cable television, but it will certainly be worth the trouble to experience the long-awaited conclusion of the Dutton family saga. With new episodes building to an explosive conclusion, Yellowstone Season 5B is a can’t-miss television event six years in the making.
