Dear God, There's Another New 'Yellowstone' Spin-off
What’s this now? You thought the Yellowstone season 5 finale was the last chapter in the Dutton family legacy? Never. A franchise this popular—with two spin-offs to its name already—doesn’t just pack up its toys because Daddy Costner left the room. Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan made it abundantly clear in season 5 that the motto going forward is “No Kevin Costner? No problem!” Whether audiences agree with Sheridan is another story. (They do not.) But Sheridan has nearly a dozen other shows he’s working on for Paramount. What’s one more?
According to Deadline, Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly will lead a Yellowstone spin-off series, reprising their roles as Rip Wheeler and Beth Dutton, respectively. The story will most likely pick up after the season 5 finale—which changed its branding from “series finale” to “season finale." Eagle-eyed viewers already clocked the confusing marketing switch-up following Yellowstone season 5’s penultimate episode. As it turns out, that wasn’t a typo on Paramount’s part.
“I think America has spoken. They still love the show,” Hauser told People ahead of the finale. "We will see what happens over the next year or so and we’ll see what’s next. Hopefully, we can continue to get in people’s living rooms and entertain them the way we have over the last seven years."
Is This Just Yellowstone Season 6?
Yes, basically. In Yellowstone’s early days, Paramount Network signed an exclusive streaming deal with NBCUniversal. That’s why audiences in the US can only stream Yellowstone on Peacock, and not Paramount+ (unlike in the UK, where it is available). Spin-offs of the flagship series, however, such as 1883 and 1923, are solely Paramount+ properties. So, moving the sixth season of Yellowstone over to Paramount under a new name was likely the goal all along.
Who Else Is Returning?
Certainly not Kevin Costner. Sheridan killed off his character—the family’s patriarch, John Dutton—following a behind-the-scenes feud that placed season 5 on hiatus for nearly two years. Since the series returned, Sheridan turned his attention toward wrapping up loose ends.
In the finale, Beth and Rip purchase a new ranch near Dillon, Montana. If the spin-off is officially greenlit, that's likely where it will take place. Kayce's plan to sell the ranch to Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) pays off. So does Beth's plan to murder Jamie (Wes Bentley). There's no word yet on any more cast members joining the spin-off, but it's safe to say that the youngest Dutton sibling has finished him time on the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.
“There’s always talks of spin-offs,” Grimes told Esquire US. “I’d do it [but] I just don’t understand how it would work once the story ends. Kayce wants to cowboy and be happy with his family. He doesn’t want to kill people anymore. He doesn’t want the weight of a huge mega ranch that isn’t sustainable in today’s times. He wants his little slice of heaven. It’s that simple.”
What About The Madison?
As far as we’ve heard, The Madison is still happening as well. 1923 season 2 is next on the docket for the Yellowstone universe—which will conclude its Harrison Ford-starring tale of the post-World War I Dutton family. Then, yet another new spin-off series titled The Madison is set to air featuring Michelle Pfeiffer and Lost’s Matthew Fox. The Madison reportedly follows a New York family named The Clyburns, who move out to Montana in search of a new life.
If The Madison runs concurrently with this new sequel spin-off about Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, I could envision a Chicago Fire/Chicago P.D./Chicago Med setup for Yellowstone moving forward. There’s massive potential for crossovers—and even multipart plots involving characters from both shows. That’s the one problem with spinoffs like 1883 and 1923: everyone’s dead by the time the new season of Yellowstone saddles up.
That’s all we know for now! If Paramount is listening, a formal announcement about Yellowstone’s future would be a massive help to us all. Hopefully, Yellowstone fans will have a clearer picture of the road ahead following the season 5 finale.
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