‘Yellowstone’ fans divided by “bittersweet” finale: “It ended up devolving into trash”

16 December, 2024

‘Yellowstone’ cast in series finale

*Spoilers ahead*

The final episode of Yellowstone aired last night (December 15) with plenty of drama, and fans are divided over the ending of the neo-Western drama.

Patriarch John Dutton, played by Kevin Costner, receives his funeral in the finale of the Paramount series, while the Yellowstone Ranch was sold back to the Native Americans who previously owned the land.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) – John’s son – isn’t invited to the funeral and is unaware that it is taking place. He assures the public that he’ll find his father’s killer, but is attacked by his sister, Beth (Kelly Reilly), who stabs him in the chest in one of the show’s most dramatic scenes. Beth then tells police that her brother attacked her and fled after she confronted him about their father’s death.

Kayce (Luke Grimes), John’s youngest son, sells the ranch to Chief Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), the chairman of the Confederated Tribes of Broken Rock for $1.25 an acre, the price his ancestors originally bought the land for generations ago.

Fans were divided by the finale, however, with some finding the ending – and particularly the outcome for Jamie, satisfying, while others weren’t so impressed.

One, who was pleased with the outcome, wrote on X (Twitter): “Jamie’s had this beating coming for YEARS!!! He had her sterilized w/o her consent then blamed her for it! His birth father attacked the whole family leaving her back covered with burns & he got her dad killed!”

Another said, “If this is the last Yellowstone ever I could be happy with it,” while one described the ending as “bittersweet”.

One who wasn’t as impressed wrote: “This Yellowstone finale is lazy writing. So, Jamie is the scapegoat and the rest of them get away with it? Sure ok.”

Another viewer shared: “The way the family legacy was desecrated and Beth and Casey [sic] seemingly ok with it I can’t understand. Neither of them loved the ranch and they were the survivors speaks volumes. Not wanting family heirlooms and putting them in storage… not one of John’s kids appreciated it.”

Writer, director, and co-creator Taylor Sheridan was criticised by some fans, too.

One wrote: “Well it ended and not well. Taylor Sheridan tried to be a star and boy was it unbearable. Yellowstone ended with Season 4 or the first part of 5,” while another simply said: “I think I’ll cancel Paramount and forget Taylor Sheridan exists. This show started so well and ended up devolving into trash.”

It was announced last year that season 5 of Yellowstone would be the last after the news that Costner wouldn’t be returning – the actor committed to the Western epic feature Horizon.

However, the spin-off 1923 is returning from February 23 next year, while The Madison, another spin-off, is set to premiere next year. The Madison stars Michelle Pfieffer, and focuses on a family from New York City who find themselves in central Montana.

Further spin-offs 6666 and 1944 are in the works, while in August this year it was confirmed that Beth and her husband, Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) are set to reprise their roles in another as-yet-untitled spin-off.

Last month, Hauser told The Hollywood Reporter about Beth and Rip, “You can go on forever about these two. There are no walls when it comes to them, no limits. As long as Taylor wants to write something special, I know Kelly and I would be interested to do it.”

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