Yellowstone’s Most Exciting New Spinoff Is The One With The Smallest Connection To The Main Show

The flagship Yellowstone series may be over, but there are a slew of spinoffs on the way, and the one that is most exciting is the one least closely tied to the original series. Yellowstone ended rather abruptly after star Kevin Costner departed the show to pursue his passion project, the Horizon: An American Saga movie series. However, the appetite for more stories from the Yellowstone universe has never been higher, especially with so many plot lines from the original series ending on unsatisfying notes.

Creator Taylor Sheridan struck gold with both of the prequel series that spun off from the original Yellowstone. 1883 chronicled the arduous journey that the very first Duttons made to settle in Montana, while the ongoing 1923 tells the story of the post-WWI Duttons fighting to keep their hold on the precious land. Now that Yellowstone is over, many of the spin-offs will operate as sequel series, picking up where some of the show’s main characters left off or featuring a new set of characters from the Yellowstone universe. One spinoff series in particular is more exciting than the others.

1944 Is Yellowstone’s Most Exciting Future Spinoff

The Prequel Series Will Likely Feature Faces From 1923

One of the upcoming spin-offs will follow along the path laid out by 1883 and 1923, and follow a previous generation of Duttons that lived on the Yellowstone ranch prior to the birth of Yellowstone‘s patriarch, John Dutton. The title of the show is of particular interest; while there are very few plot details available, it can be assumed that, given the temporal setting, it will chronicle the Dutton family’s involvement in World War II. Depending on the amount of time covered by the show, 1944 may even lead up to the birth of John Dutton.

The date of the show is interesting in the opposite direction, as well. It’s set just 21 years after the events of 1923, so some of the younger Duttons in that series could appear as older versions of themselves. Brandon Sklenar’s Spencer Dutton, his wife Alex (Julia Schlaepfer) and their family are on track to take over the Dutton ranch when 1923 comes to an end, so 1944 could see them leading the family in a similar role to Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren’s Jacob and Cara Dutton. The cast possibilities along with the notable plot timing make it the most exciting of the upcoming spinoffs.

Of All Yellowstone’s New Spinoffs, 1944 Has The Smallest Connection To The Main Show

The Rest Of The Upcoming Spinoffs Will Feature Characters From The Yellowstone Cast

Despite being a prequel directly about the Dutton family, 1944 also has the least significant connection to the main series. As of now, every other upcoming Yellowstone spinoff will connect directly to the timeline and cast of the flagship show. 6666 is currently on hold but will follow Jefferson White’s Jimmy Hurdstrom on the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas, while The Madison, which will star Michelle Pfeiffer, will chronicle the arrival of a New York City family that lives in the Madison River Valley of Montana, theoretically one of the Yellowstone’s neighbors.

A currently untitled spinoff series starring Beth and Rip is also in development. It will presumably follow them as they deal with their new ranch, and will almost certainly feature characters from the original show. It is set to act as a de facto sixth season of Yellowstone in lieu of the once-planned sequel series 2024. With no characters present from the original show, 1944 will be the least-connected show to the original.

Yellowstone’s Prequels Are Secretly The Best Part Of The Franchise

The Shorter Series Runs Yield Powerful, Well-Paced Stories

For as good as the original neo-Western drama was, the two prequel series have actually been some of the best-reviewed seasons of the show, and for good reason. The shorter series lengths have led to exceptionally well-paced, action-packed stories, anchored by some of the franchise’s most impressive and emotional performances. 1883 in particular showed off some of the filmmaking craftsmanship of Taylor Sheridan and his team, as it looked and felt like a real Old West journey that the Duttons were on.

1944 being set in a similarly distinct time period should yield something similar. Without the need to drag out for six or seven seasons (as Yellowstone was originally planned for), the show can focus on an airtight, self-contained season of television, with the potential for two seasons if it follows the track that 1923 is currently on. No matter how it ends up developing, 1944 is the most exciting of the upcoming Yellowstone prequels despite having virtually no connections to the original show despite the Dutton family line.