Yellowstone: How the Series Can Find a Satisfying End Amid All the Controversy
Plagued by off-screen drama, can Yellowstone pull a fantastic finale?
Yellowstone had a strong first and second season, with dynamic character interaction led mostly by Kevin Costner’s award-winning and taciturn performances. Even cathartic face-offs against prodigal son (Kayce Dutton), played by versatile Luke Grimes, versus pretender to the throne (Rip Wheeler) as portrayed by the menacing but occasionally accessible Cole Hauser.
Yet the show lost its way, leading many to wonder if Yellowstone wasn’t flat-out falling apart. As savvy enthusiasts have watched the off-screen drama mount with both Kevin Costner leaving the series, many wonder if the series can pull off a fantastic finale.
The Grand Migration?
With Kelly Reilly picking up the slack as the senior Dutton sans John and Jaime (Costner and Bentley, respectively), one wonders where future plotlines could lead. The worst trend Yellowstone experienced in its sophomore efforts was the tendency to extraneously place Carter Dutton (Finn Little) into dangerous situations. Extraneous, of course, because after a time, it simply seemed to appear that Kayce was a poor father. Kayce seemingly endlessly leaves Carter alone only to have the show follow the boy as he’s confronted with snakes, chased by stray animals, or other frankly dorky farm-show tropes pulled out of Lassie.
Ratings plummeted, so as the WGA and SAG strikes continued, Yellowstone was added to CBS, and the show adopted a new method of storytelling for the re-runs of its prior seasons without the – ahem – particular freedoms afforded to the series on Paramount+ (and its other streaming home on Peacock). Now, with the dispatch of a main character, the downfall of Yellowstone seems all but signed and dated. However, if the creators and actors can pull off a miracle, Yellowstone may just yet imprint itself onto the hearts and minds of its viewers.
Uncharted Territory
It’s no secret: The cast, crew, execs, and even Sheridan were reportedly “more than frustrated” by Costner’s ego. To be fair – the man was the main draw of the show as well as the star. Yet even more melodrama was speculated to have been rooted in several probable aspects, including scheduling conflicts, pay quarrels, and personal disagreements between various key actors. While not uncommon, to have these disputes spill out into the common public is rare and could affect the end of the series.
A standard rumor concerning the end of Yellowstone is that the series will focus on Beth and Rip’s relationship. They both face challenges from her feud with her brother Jamie, and it’s likely this will all reach a climax in the conclusive episodes. The conceivable result of Beth and Rip’s future would involve them building their own home on a portion of the remaining Duttons’ Yellowstone ranch land.
While Costner is said to have demanded a reduced number of shooting days filmed on location, it’s also rumored that he limited himself to only being on set for 50 days of the fifth season – the first eight episodes, at least. Costner supposedly wanted to spend only one week filming the remaining six episodes. Such a grueling schedule was completely unfeasible for not only the other actors but indeed the supporting staff and producers as well. How best to fix this?
Let the Bad Guys Win?
To put it in plain terms, it’s worth noting that the land the main characters – the tentative ‘heroes’ if you will – occupy stolen land. There is no way around this simple but unequivocal fact. Many lawsuits over the centuries have unfortunately bore the title “The United States vs. the Sioux Nation” or “The US vs. the Cherokee Nation” (or some derivation thereof), usually ending in favor of the United States.
With Costner checked out, Yellowstone is presented with a unique opportunity – both to viewers as well as television history. When the perspective supporting characters inherit the mantle of the starring role, the tone and timbre of the show will change. Assuming Yellowstone continues to air its final episodes on CBS, will anything change for the series? The limiting standards of CBS’ distribution model could play a part (no cursing, no excessively bloody violence, no nudity, no excessive drinking or smoking, no excessively dangerous acts, etc.), and Yellowstone will have no choice but to evolve or die.
One way to do this is to bequeath disputed portions of the Yellowstone Valley to Chief Thomas (Gil Bermingham) in an official capacity by way of Governor Lynell (Wendy Moniz). Although not common in everyday news, Biden’s administration has handed victory after victory to Native Americans in court over the past few years. Tapping into America’s consciousness as we, as a society, attempt to reform our future by acknowledging and making amends for our past is surely the most satisfying way to end Yellowstone. Can’t wait until that day? Catch up on past episodes or simply satiate curiosity by making certain to tune in to Yellowstone on CBS.
