[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for the Yellowstone Season 5 finale, “Life Is a Promise.”]
Yellowstone brought the story of the Dutton ranch to a close in the December 15 Season 5 (and possibly series) finale, revealing the fates of the Dutton family members and the cowboys on the ranch (get a full recap here). The family had to lose the ranch in order to save it, but giving the land back to the indigenous people of the Broken Rock Reservation was unlike anything seen before on TV and brought the prophecy from 1883 full circle. With the ranch sold, the cowboys had to move on to new beginnings. Some of their endings set up the possibility for select actors to reprise their roles in upcoming spinoffs.
While it’s been a long time since there’s been any update about the 6666 spinoff, there’s never been an announcement that the Texas-set series isn’t still happening. Bringing Jimmy (Jefferson White) back into Yellowstone this season reminded viewers about his character and gave updates on his life in Texas. Jimmy is now working for Travis (played by series creator Taylor Sheridan) as a horse trainer, and Teeter (Jen Landon) snagged herself a job with Travis in the Season 5 finale as well. Teeter’s final scene showed her in Texas watching Travis and Jimmy work and learning the ropes. She wanted a change of scenery following the tragic death of her partner, Colby (Denim Richards).
With such a long (and unpopular) focus on Travis in the penultimate episode of the season, you could argue that that Travis-focused episode was a backdoor introduction into the Texan spinoff. Even though Travis doesn’t work for the Four Sixes ranch, his business being in Texas — along with Jimmy’s connection to both of these worlds — lays a foundation for the series set in that state. Bringing Teeter into the fold adds another layer of familiarity for Yellowstone fans.
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Ryan (Ian Bohen), Walker (Ryan Bingham), and Laramie’s (Hassie Harrison) endings are taking them on the road, leaving room for them to appear in any Yellowstone future spinoff, even if just for guest-star appearances. Ryan quit cowboying and got back together with Abby (country music star Lainey Wilson), whose music career was taking off. He’s joining her on the road as she goes on tour (Sheridan is also making a reality competition series with Blake Shelton about country singers going on tour). And Laramie’s going to work on her rodeo career with boyfriend Walker’s help (the actors are married in real life).
As for Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith), he helped Rip (Cole Hauser) dispose of Jamie’s (Wes Bentley) body and car after Beth (Kelly Reilly) killed him. He’s without a job now, but we could see a world where Smith reprises his role in the Beth and Rip spinoff. Beth and Rip could ask Lloyd to come work on their new ranch in Dillon, Montana given Rip and Lloyd’s close friendship. And as Kayce (Luke Grimes) said in the finale, one cowboy can wrangle one cow and two cowboys can wrangle two, but three cowboys can move an entire herd. Beth and Rip’s adopted son, Carter (Finn Little), would be their third cowboy, should Lloyd join them in Dillon.
The events of the Yellowstone finale also make it possible for any of the surviving characters to appear in the upcoming spinoff The Madison. Starring Michelle Pfeiffer, The Madison will be set in the present day in the Montana River valley, which is a less than two-hour drive away from Beth and Rip’s new home in Dillon and Paradise Valley, where the Yellowstone Dutton ranch is located. Kayce, Monica (Kelsey Asbille), and Tate (Brecken Merrill) are now living in the east camp on their family’s former land, now owned by Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham). All of the characters in Montana could now feasibly appear in The Madison. And if Beth and Rip are trying to modernize the ranching way of life and make it a sustainable business, working with fellow nearby (enough) ranches would be wise.
Yellowstone may be over, but the franchise seems far from done. We likely haven’t seen the last of these characters.
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