Yellowstone fans have been itching to see the conclusion of the mega-hit Western drama. But the fate of the Dutton family — which is teetering on the brink of an all-out war after the midseason finale in January — won't be known for some time. A date hasn't been set for the premiere of the second half of season five amid a scheduling conflict with Kevin Costner and the ongoing writer and actor strikes in Hollywood.
Costner's involvement became strained because of his obligation to Horizon: An American Saga, an upcoming epic Western film that he co-wrote, produced, directed, funded and stars in. It wasn't until May that Yellowstone announced they were back in action, but with a twist — the remaining episodes would be the show's final. By then, the Writers Guild of America strike was in full swing, delaying production even further.
So, when can we expect the final episodes to air? What will they look like? And what does the future have in store for the extended Yellowstone universe? We've got some answers.
When will the final episodes air?
Unfortunately, the last juicy drops of Yellowstone drama won't hit our television screens until sometime in 2024. Hollywood's in quite the pickle with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, and they're expecting it to drag on for a while. If they don't get things sorted in time to shoot before that harsh Montana winter rolls through, it could even be pushed to 2025.
What can we expect to happen in the conclusion?
Co-creator Taylor Sheridan said that the second half of season 5 would be "truncated" to accommodate for Costner's untimely exit. Sheridan also said we can expect 10 episodes but that the network will give him as many as he needs to finish telling the story.
How Yellowstone will wrangle its sprawling cast of characters toward a conclusion and tie up its many storylines is anyone's guess. But one thing's for sure: we're in for a wild ride. Actor Wes Bentley, who plays Jamie Dutton, told The Hollywood Reporter, "Does Jamie go down with John? Does John go down because of Jamie? Does Jamie have a hand in it at all, or does it turn out Jamie tries to protect him? There are so many potential ways he deals with John's ending," he said. "We're at a point where I think everything is possible with the Duttons. It's so hot and combustible right now that it could blow them all up together. I think the potential for that is real. But I also know that I am always surprised by Taylor and the turns and directions. With the tension and danger right now, it potentially could be either they are all gone, or one of them survives."
What does the future of the franchise look like?
With the massive success of Yellowstone, Sheridan has a whole bunch of spinoff series in the works — and networks are giving them the green light despite the strikes.
It has been confirmed that Matthew McConaughey will star in one spinoff. The franchise's second prequel series, 1923, was renewed for a second season. And Sheridan says there's room for "three or four" more prequels in the Yellowstone-verse.
Stream the first 5.5 seasons of Yellowstone on Peacock.
