Is Yellowstone ending after season 5? The reality is that this question has no straightforward answer just yet, as Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan and Paramount have given no definitive plans for Yellowstone season 6. That said, there are some clues that Yellowstone could be ending soon. This includes the rumors regarding Kevin Costner leaving Yellowstone – as many long-time viewers see it, John Dutton being out of the picture would be almost tantamount to the series finally ending.
Moreover, with Governor John Dutton seeking a conservation easement for the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, John and Beth planning to kill Jamie, and Jamie and Sarah Atwood planning to strike first, Yellowstone season 5 part 2 – slated for release in summer 2023 – seems the perfect place to wrap everything up nicely. Here’s everything else viewers need to know about the possibility of Yellowstone ending this season.
Yellowstone Could End In Season 5 or 6
Is Yellowstone ending after season 5? Narratively, it makes sense for Yellowstone‘s overarching plot to end in either season 5 or 6. Yellowstone seasons 1 through 5 have done a fine job of fleshing out a dramatic crime thriller that more than scratches the surface of the geopolitics between white ranchers, Indigenous Americans, private corporations, and the federal government.
That said, there’s nowhere for the show to go but a final resolution that reflects the Yellowstone universe’s sense of frontier justice and reverence for the Indigenous keepers of the continent. If there’s anything loyal Yellowstone audiences know, it’s that John Dutton always gets his way, which is why Yellowstone could end with the legal enactment of John Dutton’s conservation easement plan.
On the other hand, whether John’s plan pushes through or not, Yellowstone season 5, part 1 has already promised blood, ending with the Duttons plotting each other’s deaths, while Rip Wheeler takes several Dutton ranch hands on a cattle run to Texas.
From a narrative standpoint, Sheridan can still silence critics of his slow-burn plot with an ending that cements Yellowstone as the greatest contemporary Neo-Western series of all time, but it needs to happen soon. That said, being one of the most-watched television series comes with the dilemma of both audiences and the studio wanting more, despite how the perfect ending to the series would be well-placed in either Yellowstone season 5 or season 6.
Is Kevin Costner Leaving Yellowstone? Everything We Know
The rumors surrounding Kevin Costner leaving Yellowstone began in February 2023, when reports surfaced saying that scheduling conflicts between Yellowstone and Costner’s Horizon have led to a significantly decreased commitment from the actor.
Both Costner’s camp and Paramount have since denied these reports in separate statements, reiterating the actor’s support for the show, with Paramount hoping this to be the case for a long time – implying that the network could be eyeing more seasons in the future. In fact, Cole Hauser who plays Rip Wheeler in Yellowstone has confirmed (via People) that Yellowstone season 6 is in the works. It’s likely that Costner will remain onboard and that John Dutton’s story will continue until at least the sixth season.
Why Yellowstone Should End
Currently, the stakes of Yellowstone‘s plot cannot go higher than they already are, and the story seems to be approaching its organic ending. The federal government is pushing to run a pipeline through the Broken Rock Indian Reservation and the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, and Beth is intent on taking Jamie to the train station, which Jamie and Sarah could still expose to take everyone down. If Governor John Dutton’s conservation easement plan pushes through, this could even pave his way toward winning a seat in the U.S. Senate. While Yellowstone season 5 has been criticized for being too slow, plot-wise, it has set up a number of perfect endings for the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.
Moreover, Yellowstone isn’t the only show that Sheridan is working on. Currently, Sheridan seems most focused on fleshing out the upcoming spinoff 6666, which will be about Texas’ famous Four-Sixes Ranch, as well as 1923 season 2. As the world that Sheridan created with Yellowstone organically resulted in these spinoffs, it would make sense if Sheridan eventually decides to end Yellowstone and focus on expanding his contemporary Western universe instead. While Yellowstone could end soon, these spinoff shows allow Sheridan’s vision to flourish beyond the borders of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.
