Yellowstone season 5 sees the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch now owned and operated by Montana Governor John Dutton, and this new position of power is bound to come at a high price for the Dutton family. Yellowstone confirming that John Dutton becomes the governor of Montana before the actual premiere of season 5 served as a huge surprise for eager viewers, as the results of the election was one of the biggest mysteries left behind after the Yellowstone season 4 ending. More importantly, this is a crucial development in the season that may actually result in the death of John Dutton or the end of Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.
Yellowstone season 4 ended with Market Equities CEO Caroline Warner, the manager of the largest private fund in the world, catching Beth Dutton using her position in the company to sabotage its holdings. Caroline threatened to put Beth in prison and pave over the Dutton family’s ranch, telling Beth that she will “put a public restroom where your *****ing house is.” The Duttons have faced and killed much worse people than Caroline in the past, but this is the first time for the family to actually take on someone with near-infinite resources.
That said, the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch leveled the playing field against Market Equities with John becoming governor. The Duttons aren’t billionaires, but they’ve been running a thriving political dynasty in Montana for years – Jamie is the attorney general, Kayce is livestock commissioner, and now John is the governor, further supporting the idea that John Dutton is the real villain in Yellowstone. As the Yellowstone season 5 trailer revealed, the process of being sworn in as governor also renewed John’s resolve “to uphold the constitution of the state of Montana… against all enemies… foreign and domestic,” during which the camera cut to Caroline Warner, and then to Chief Thomas Rainwater and Mo. This is a reminder that the original land dispute that kicked off the events in Yellowstone still hasn’t been resolved – the Confederated Tribes of Broken Rock’s ancestral claims to the Dutton property. Indeed, while Market Equities is a relatively new headache for the Indigenous Americans of Montana, the Duttons have been displacing them for over a century. In Yellowstone season 5, whatever John does with his newfound power as governor could determine his final legacy to the 7th generation of Duttons, and the people who actually voted for John.
Governor John Dutton Will Be Market Equities’ Worst Nightmare
As governor, John will have the power to convene the Montana State Legislature, approve or veto bills passed by the body, and grant pardons and reprieves in Yellowstone season 5. Guided by Jamie – the attorney general – and Beth, Governor John Dutton could literally change the laws in favor of private ranchers like himself, or pass measures to stop multinational, billionaire-backed private companies like Market Equities in their tracks. That said, a new addition to the Yellowstone cast suggests that Caroline Warner will be entering this fight prepared.
Dawn Olivieri’s Sarah Atwood Is Yellowstone Season 5’s New Villain
It’s been confirmed that Dawn Olivieri will join the cast of Yellowstone in season 5 as Sarah Atwood, a corporate shark hired by Caroline. More specifically, Caroline will be using Sarah to target Beth in Yellowstone season 5. Not much else has been revealed about Sarah Atwood, but it’s clear that, unlike Caroline, Sarah actually enjoys the world of corporate espionage and sabotage as much as Beth Dutton, so this could result in an interesting match up.
Can The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch Still Ally With Broken Rock Against Market Equities?
As both Governor John Dutton and Chief Thomas Rainwater are facing their biggest mutual enemy yet, the Yellowstone season 5 trailer shows that Thomas may try to negotiate with John. Governor John Dutton’s choices in this matter are the ones that will ultimately determine whether he is a true villain. As the state’s preeminent political dynasty, the Duttons have the power to pass and execute laws that could change the future of Montana’s displaced Indigenous nations. The alliance between the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch and Confederated Tribes of Broken Rock has been teased as early as Yellowstone season 3, which also hinted at a potential team-up between Beth Dutton and Angela Blue Thunder – and the show has yet to deliver either. Yellowstone season 5 would be the perfect time to pull the trigger on these plot points.
Yellowstone Season 5 Trailer: What “Power Has A Price” Means
The Yellowstone season 5 trailer ends with these words appearing onscreen: “Power has a price,” and the phrase hints at what the Duttons could lose in the process of abusing John’s authority. This implies that the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch will be facing permanent losses this time around, potentially even leaning into theories that John Dutton may die in the season. As Kayce’s wife, Monica Long-Dutton, says before the words flash onscreen, “When I say we give everything to this land, I do mean everything.”
