The Dutton family patriarch’s death kicked off Yellowstone Season 5B with a mystery. The last batch of episodes ties up Dutton’s multi-generational story in the Yellowstone franchise. A deal between Kayce (Luke Grimes) and Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) settles the ranch’s fate and honors the agreement made by Jamie Dutton and the Indigenous Americans centuries ago in 1883. When James and his wife Margaret settled in Montana, they agreed to return the land to the Indigenous Americans in seven generations. Yellowstone Season 5 B’s finale sees Yellowstone Ranch becoming part of the Native American Reservation. At the same time, Beth avenges her father’s death.
Grimes previously discussed his return for a potential Season 6 with Esquire, though he didn’t think it’d make sense for the mothership to continue. The actor admitted that if the network chose to continue Yellowstone, he’d “do it.” However, with the way Season 5B left things, he didn’t think another season would work out so well with Kayce’s character arc ending. He said:
I’d do it. 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.
Still, it’s hard to imagine Grimes not making at least a cameo in Beth and Rip’s spinoff. Kayce’s story arc seems to have ended, with him living peacefully with Tate and Monica. Still, the family could visit or help the other Duttons occasionally, especially if Grimes is willing to reprise his character. Beth and Kayce live in Montana, so it’s not a long trip.
Birmingham, on the other hand, felt that the story of Yellowstone was far from finished. The Dutton family has been taking care of the land and the ranch for generations. With the family ranch now part of the Native American reservation, a new opportunity has opened up, which would allow the audience to see more of the Indigenous side of the story. Speaking about the treaty Kayce and Rainwater agreed on, the actor believes Thomas would honor the deal “out of respect” in an interview with ScreenRant. He hoped the story in Yellowstone would continue, showing more engagement between the Duttons and the reservation, especially with Tate being part of both groups. “He’s coming from both worlds,” the actor said. With Yellowstone 5B coming to a complete cycle for the Duttons since Elsa’s death in 1883, the show could bring forth a new beginning. Birmingham said, “The holding of the land was on one side, the Duttons, and now the holding on the land is on his other side, so it’ll be an interesting, growing-up experience for him.”
Since Yellowstone 5 B’s release, many spinoff ideas have been floating around among the fandom, with one being a potential Broken Rock spinoff. Gil Birmingham has shared his excitement about the potential opportunity to dive deeper into his character. “Taylor’s always been very close to the vest about any thoughts that he has about it,” the actor told ScreenRant. “I don’t know, maybe that makes it even more exciting because it lends itself to trust, you know?” Birmingham places his trust in Sheridan’s vision of whether to continue Yellowstone with a Native story. He said:
And, yeah, plenty of people have suggested that [a Broken Rock spinoff], and I think it would be a wonderful world of exploring the Rainwater-Mo world, now being the reverse scenario of the keeper of the land, as opposed to the legacy of the Dutton family.