Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone has reached an apparent conclusion with the season 5B episode ‘Life is a Promise’. Despite the departure of series lead Kevin Costner, the show’s final episode seemed to tie up various storylines and set up a future for the main cast of the series.

While the over 90-minute episode seemed like a finale, there have been reports of a sixth season on the horizon. There are several avenues for the Yellowstone flagship show to continue as characters such as Kayce Dutton, Beth, and Rip still survive. While some spinoffs are in active development, there are a few storylines future seasons may explore.

Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler’s life on a new ranch

The future of Yellowstone was left uncertain as lead star Kevin Costner exited the series due to a feud with the Paramount network. Initially set to end in 2022, it was delayed for two years with the show ending up without the series lead.

Split into two parts, the second part of the final season began with the off-screen death of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton. With his son adopted, Jamie, played by Wes Bentley, being one of the conspirators behind the murder of Dutton, the overarching storyline was how Beth Dutton would avenge her father’s death and save the Yellowstone ranch.

By the end of the show, Beth had delivered a fatal stab to Jamie, and the ranch was sold to the Broken Rock Reservation by Kayce Dutton. The only way to save the ranch was to give it away. The Yellowstone Ranch would be preserved by the members of the Broken Rock Reservation, something which was foretold in the spinoff miniseries 1883.

While Kayce moves in with his family in the East Camp and restarts his cowboy life, Beth and Rip buy a small ranch in Dillon, Montana. A spinoff or a sixth season with Beth and Rip has been doing the rounds for the past few weeks. It even acted as a spoiler for the finale as fans were quick to decipher that Wes Bentley’s Jamie would die by the end.

Beth is a fan favorite character and Kelly Reilly’s performance is one of the biggest reasons for that. Her never-ending and borderline dangerous love for her father has led her this far. Cole Hauser’s Rip is a worthy partner for Beth and the two will no doubt go on several adventures. Hauser implied that he was open to returning to THR,

Taylor can figure out how to continue if he wants to. 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.

Reilly also indicated that if Sheridan knew where to take the story, she would happily return in the same interview. With her being one of the surviving Duttons and with the most penchant for drama, there will surely be some interesting adventures with her and Rip. Variety reported that Paramount will be going ahead with the duo’s storyline.

Kayce Dutton aims to start his own ranch with his son Tate

Luke Grimes’ Kayce Dutton has been the Michael Corleone of the Dutton family. Initially staying separately with his wife and family at the Broken Rock Reservation, Kayce is pulled into the Duttons’ ranch wars early in the series and is torn between his loyalties. By the end, however, he becomes the man who saves the Yellowstone ranch by selling it to the reservation.

In the finale, Kayce saves the East Camp for the family and sells the rest to Thomas Rainwater, making him promise that he would never sell it for redevelopment. As Kayce establishes his base with the family, he is seen buying cattle, refusing to take the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch board from Rip and seemingly starting his own thing.

A future season could explore how Kayce would go out on his own and go about establishing his own brand of the ranch. The 1883 spinoff always indicated that the Yellowstone ranch land would be given back to the Broken Rock Reservation after seven generations, and with Tate being half-Native, the prophecy would technically come true.

Luke Grimes, on the other hand, has expressed apprehension towards returning to the role, saying that though it was a lovely experience, he would prefer it ended after seven whole years of playing the same role. He said to Esquire,

There’s always talks of spin-offs. I’d do it [but] 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.

While Kayce getting his little slice of heaven is great for the character and might be a good ending for his arc, should Paramount and Taylor Sheridan decide to carry his story forward, he might be at his most vulnerable.

Thomas Rainwater and the Yellowstone Ranch

Gil Birmingham played the Broken Rock Reservation leader Thomas Rainwater in Yellowstone. In constant conflict with Kevin Costner’s John Dutton and the Yellowstone Ranch, Rainwater believes that the Broken Rock Reservation is the true owner of the land as it has belonged to his ancestors for centuries.

Taylor Sheridan has always taken care to show the lives of Native Americans in reservations and has explored the atrocities faced by them in his films Hell or High Water and Wind River. Thomas Rainwater’s position as an opportunistic leader who is hellbent on reclaiming the ranch land is one of the most nuanced storylines in the series.

By the end of Yellowstone, Rainwater buys the ranch for the same price his ancestors had sold the ranch to years ago as neither he nor the Duttons can pay the inheritance tax for the ranch.

As destined in 1883, the ranch is returned to the original inhabitants. Future seasons could focus more on Rainwater’s handling of the ranch and how he navigates the various parties who would no doubt approach him for development and expansion.

Kayce Dutton makes Thomas Rainwater promise that he would not sell the ranch for development. However, actor Gil Birmingham described the character as a survivor and as one who gravitates towards multiple offers and this could be explored in future seasons. Birmingham told Town & Country,

Thomas is always as open to offers, and how he might be able to use them to achieve his goals. It goes to the spirit of, of the Indigenous People; you know, it’s all about surviving. [If] you were to take into account the history of Indigenous People, just being alive is an accomplishment.

A deeper exploration into the cultures and traditions of the Broken Rock residents as well as how Rainwater navigates his newfound authority would make for a compelling storyline.