It’s been a long and incredibly bumpy road to the Yellowstone finale, but now, we can finally say goodbye to this modern era of Duttons – or at least, that’s what we thought.
As the sun sets on the Yellowstone ranch for the last time, some may be looking to the future, and some may be hoping they’ll never have to utter the words “John Dutton” ever again.
Unfortunately for the latter, there’s a new spinoff in town, and it’s about to undo everything that came to a perfectly acceptable close in the final episode.
The newly-revealed series, which is said to focus on Beth and Rip, is just another example of Yellowstone and Taylor Sheridan’s secret mission to ruin their legacies. And after that ending, there’s no way this is going to work. (Warning: spoilers ahead for the Yellowstone finale!)
Beth and Rip get their happy ending
For a show so rife with death and drama, the Yellowstone finale was surprisingly chirpy. (If you ignore Beth brutally stabbing Jamie in the stomach, that is.) Thomas Rainwater can finally return the land to his people, Kayce and his family start life anew on East Camp, and Beth, Rip, and Carter move to Dillon, Montana, to make a little ranch of their own.
The Beth-Rip-Carter dynamic has been questionable at times, ranging from toxic and borderline abusive to a rather touching found-family situation. So, it makes sense to give them a nice little sign-off, with hope on the horizon now they’ve found their own way.
The problem is… that’s about the most boring thing that could have happened. Everyone loves a happy ending, but the image of Beth smiling, staring into the sunset, finally content with life isn’t conducive to a compelling sequel series.
As Beth herself says, Dillon has a bar with only two other patrons and zero tourists. How is this supposed to result in drama worth an entire spinoff? Unless the ghosts of Beth’s past come back to haunt her (the fallout of gutting her adoptive brother, for instance), then there’s not much opportunity for adventure – and even then, seeing Beth get her comeuppance would undo the finale’s entire purpose.
Nobody wants a Beth and Rip spinoff
Nobody can deny that Beth and Rip are two of the most dynamic and exciting characters in Yellowstone. That’s not to say they’re good characters – they’re just the loudest and most violent, hence why they’ve become the poster children for Sheridan’s gun-slingin’ fever dream.
But in all honesty, a Beth and Rip spinoff isn’t at the top of my Yellowstone wishlist. If anything, Beth and Rip are at their most insufferable when they’re together, with Beth often saying something vicious and Rip lovingly putting up with her.
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There are many more stories that would make for much more compelling viewing instead. (Even Kayce, Monica, and the sullen, monotone-voiced Tate would have a more interesting story to tell post-Yellowstone.) Teeter is all teed-up to join Jimmy and Travis on the next big Yellowstone adventure, 6666, but what about the other ranch hands?
Lloyd expressed his wish to find another ranch somewhere in Yellowstone to settle. Ryan just hit the road and finally devoted himself to his country star girlfriend, Abby. And what’s going to happen to Gator, for Christ’s sake? We’ve had an entire five-season arc of Beth and Rip’s tiresome back-and-forth – why not let someone else be tiresome instead, for once?
Yellowstone should learn its own lesson
Ultimately, the Beth and Rip spinoff is just another example of Sheridan’s fatal hubris. This is the man who’s always looking for another plate to spin. If it’s not 6666, it’s The Madison, 1944, or Landman. And now, there’s one more to add to the ever-growing pile.
Unfortunately, what Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 has proven is that, when it comes to Sheridan, less is more. The Dutton tale has always been built upon over-the-top drama, unrealistic characters, and lines of dialog that belong on coffee mugs you’d buy as a Father’s Day gift. But in the beginning, at least, it was earnest enough to still be entertaining.
As the fan backlash has proven, Season 5 Part 2 is the work of a man who A) doesn’t have the time to spare and B) has run out of care for his biggest project in his collection. Shoddy character deaths and out-of-character turns littered these episodes, and it certainly won’t help any upcoming TV shows if he keeps adding more to work on.
Much like John Dutton himself, Yellowstone needs to be laid to rest… for now. The most diehard of fans won’t say no to a spinoff with Michelle Pfeiffer or a series to fill the bridge between 1923 and 2024.
But there’s a limit to what Sheridan can do, and more importantly, there’s a limit to what viewers will put up with.
For more, revisit some of the most shocking Yellowstone deaths. You can also see what other Western shows you need to watch, or check out some Western movies for something more epic.
