Yellowstone concluded on the 15th with a finale that pulled in 11.4 million viewers across Paramount Network. This milestone followed the midseason premiere with an audience of 16.4 million viewers across eight networks. While the show’s core saga is finished, its stars are far from done. Numerous plans are being worked on, from personal projects to spin-offs. Many members of Yellowstone’s core cast are off to various other projects and spinoffs. Others are moving on from Yellowstone to different projects and work entirely.
Yellowstone Stars Pressing Forward
Of Yellowstone’s existing cast, a few will be returning for a variety of Yellowstone spinoffs. Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser will be returning for roles in the unannounced, upcoming spinoff of Yellowstone. The rest of the cast has largely moved on, electing to depart for other work. While several spinoffs are in development, not much is known about them so far. While talks were ongoing to continue the core series with another season, these ultimately fell through. Reilly said, “The truth is there is nothing definitive or set right now.” She emphasized that they just want to end the current chapter of Yellowstone because “it deserves it.”
The rest of the crew have decided to move onto other ventures instead. Luke Grimes released his debut country music album and performed on The Tonight Show recently. Wes Bentley, however, hasn’t announced any specific projects he’s moving to. Kelsey Asbille, who played Monica Dutton, recently led the horror thriller Don’t Move, among other things. Finally, Gil Birmingham, who played Thomas Rainwater, will soon reprise his role in Wind River: Rising.
Why a New Series?
The likely reason for this is due to ownership rights relating to an existing contract. NBCUniversal’s Peacock has an existing contract with the show, and Paramount Global wanted to keep it in-network. Unfortunately, this decision may have resulted in them having to rush the ending of the show. The ending was widely viewed as rushed and undercooked by fans. Several even called it the worst TV series ending ever produced and worse than Game of Thrones. Hopefully, the underwhelming opinions on the final season don’t impact how an eventual spinoff performs with fans.
What is the Spinoff About?
While there is limited information on the spinoff, the final season leaves enough hanging threads to speculate. A possible Beth and Rip spinoff seems like the most likely outcome, given that ending. Beth purchases a new ranch for herself and Rip to the west of Dillon. With this ending, a sequel following their story after the core series conclusion seems likely. However, there is another option, as Kayce’s ending also leaves an opening to continue his story. While both options are plausible, a Beth and Rip-focused spinoff seems more likely between the two.
Final Thoughts
Yellowstone concluded its final season on December 15th with a finale viewed by over 11 million people. A few members of the existing cast have expressed that they will be returning for various spinoffs. There were ongoing talks to continue the show through another season but this ultimately fell through. The details of what a possible spinoff could consist of are still not known just yet. Though there’s certainly plenty of room for speculation and guesswork in the final season’s ending.
Still, the end of the final season left plenty of ideas for what direction it could take. The reception of the ending is also a worry since that could limit the audience size. Still, those fans who think the destination matters less than the journey are likely to return. Others will probably check out the new show out of sheer curiosity about where it goes.
