The season five finale of Yellowstone saddled up last night on Paramount+, offering revenge, goodbyes and more.
SPOILERS: This article will contain spoilers for the Yellowstone finale, “Life Is a Promise.”
The long journey to the season five finale of Yellowstone has finally arrived after a nearly two-year gap that found fans waiting to find out not only what would become of John Dutton but the ranch itself. And with last night’s send-off, we got nearly every answer we could want.
Clocking in at nearly an hour and a half and directed by showrunner Taylor Sheridan, the Yellowstone finale offered plenty of closure, with the funeral of the late John Dutton – brought about due to the ongoing issues between Kevin Costner and the series – and the death of Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley), whose trip to some version of the train station has been a long time coming. That it came at the hands of Beth (Kelly Reilly) was inevitable, as she has been warning Kayce (Luke Grimes) to let the deed be hers.
As for the ranch itself, it was sold back to the Broken Rock Reservation, allowing Kayce the sort of freedom he has so desired. He is also seen with Tate (Brecken Merrill) jumpstarting their own form of the life they grew into. Oddly, Luke Grimes has said that the way the show ends offers finality, suggesting a spin-off may not be for his character. And while it does in a way, one could see Kayce at least being part of one of the spin-offs. It has already been revealed that Beth and Rip (Cole Hauser) will be getting their own, adding to the ever-expanding Taylor Sheridan Yellowstone Universe. Heck, even the finale of last night’s Yellowstone was teasing season two of prequel series 1923, lest viewers be concerned they’d have to go too long without another show.
Heading into the final episodes, there was a lot on the line for Yellowstone, chiefly as it related to John Dutton. And whether you agreed with killing off Dutton in the premiere or not, I would say that Taylor Sheridan handled it remarkably well. It never felt like it was a knee-jerk decision; instead, it worked to the point that it’s hard to imagine the second part of the season without it. While some initially challenged that Dutton committed suicide, as it was completely out of character, the revelations surrounding the actual cause were finely executed (no pun intended).
What did you think of the Yellowstone finale? Does it feel like a proper send-off for the series? Be sure to let us know below!