What in the Sam Hell is going on in Montana? Earlier this year, it seemed clear Yellowstone was ending this year, with a sequel series called The Madison on its heels. But then the alleged Costner-Sheridan beef hit an apex, and suddenly promo for the show called season 5B a “return†instead of an ending. And tonight’s episode is being called a “special season finale†on social media, rather than a wrap on the whole series. Okay, so … more Yellowstone? Not so fast. Kelly Reilly, who plays Beth Dutton, seems adamant that the OG Yellowstone is kaput.
Reilly made a farewell Reel on Instagram. “Whatever the future holds this is the ending of the show we have been making for the past 7 years,†she wrote. There’s a lot being left subtextual in that “whatever the future holds,†including the reported spinoff series starring Reilly and Cole Hauser, which could essentially be Yellowstone by another name, with different executive producers and new streaming rights to be negotiated. But Reilly seems ready to say good-bye to the Duttons if that is what the future holds instead. “For Taylor Sheridan who took a chance on me and continued to write her in ways I got to feel on fire as an actor,†she wrote. “Thank you Taylor.â€
Let’s look at the other cast members’ social media. Hauser’s IG post calls tonight the “extended Yellowstone finale,†which could be read either way. It’s not a sentimental good-bye post like Reilly’s, but maybe he’s just too tough of a cowboy to carry on like that. Luke Grimes, on the other hand, posted more apocalyptically. “End of an era. Goodbye Kayce,†he wrote. “You are a better man than I. To my yellowstone family, thank you for the experience of a lifetime.†Kelsey Asbille also said there was only “one episode left†in her post.
And Wes Bentley isn’t on social media. How could he show his face after what he did. John Dutton is dead. He’s dead! Dead.
Last month, Hauser suggested Sheridan could pull another season out of the show if he wanted to. “Taylor can figure out how to absolutely continue if he wants to,†Hauser told The Hollywood Reporter. “But that’s just Taylor being a brilliant writer. I’m not telling you that it is continuing, it’s just that he’s smart enough as a writer to do that if that’s something that he is passionate about.†We may have to wait for up fronts to see what exactly makes Taylor Sheridan passionate. Besides Bella Hadid, that is.