Yellowstone season 5 is coming to a head, but it’s officially not the end of the Dutton story now that Yellowstone has confirmed a new spinoff centering Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser).
It’s been a brutal fight for Beth and her brother Kayce (Luke Grimes) to save their family’s ranch since Yellowstone season 5, part 2’s premiere.
The sixth-generation Dutton siblings have been navigating the fallout of their father, John Dutton’s (Kevin Costner), death while trying to save the Yellowstone Ranch.
It isn’t an easy feat since Montana’s inheritance tax has paralyzed them from continuing life on the ranch as usual.
Heading into the Yellowstone season 5, part 2 finale, the fate of the Duttons’ ranch is uncertain.
Kayce has largely prioritized protecting his son, Tate (Brecken Merrill), and his wife, Monica Long (Kelsey Asbille), rather than trying to save his family’s heirloom ranch.
Meanwhile, Beth held an auction in Yellowstone season 5, episode 13, which raised $30 million to pay the mortgage covering the Dutton’s extensive tax bill.
While Yellowstone‘s season 5 finale could have anything in store for the characters, we can at least breathe a sigh of relief that Beth and Rip will live another day with their own spinoff story on the horizon.
Heading into Yellowstone season 5’s final moments, a report from Deadline confirmed a new Yellowstone spinoff starring Beth and Rip.
It’s an exciting development as fans prepare to close a massive chapter of the Dutton story, with Yellowstone‘s season 5 finale leaving the franchise’s fate uncertain.
Ahead of Yellowstone‘s season 5 ending, fans noted that it was being marketed as the season finale rather than the series finale.
It’s an essential distinction since Yellowstone‘s direction after season 5 is unclear. At least the announcement of Beth and Rip’s spinoff gives us some idea of where the Dutton story is heading.
Deadline‘s report contained some exciting details about the newest Yellowstone series.
Beth and Rip’s Yellowstone offshoot promises that Reilly and Hauser will return to their roles, and the report suggests that the spinoff will probably feature other familiar faces from the Yellowstone season 5 cast.
If not tied up for a potential Yellowstone season 6, Beth and Rip’s story could include Kayce and Monica, but that depends on the season 5 finale.
While other franchise spinoffs exist, Beth and Rip’s story will reportedly be the first to include Yellowstone in its title, unmistakably tying it to the original.
Based on season 5 details, we can further deduce what Beth and Rip’s Yellowstone offshoot will entail.
Before Kevin Costner’s fate as John Dutton III in Yellowstone, some of the cowboys from the Dutton Ranch headed to the Lone Star State after brucellosis threatened to kill the Yellowstone ranch’s cattle.
While Rip manages the cowboys, Beth travels to Texas to visit her husband, surprising him at the Four Sixes Ranch with a getaway that entails two nights in a suite at a local hotel.
It’s impossible to ignore how perfectly placed the couple is in Texas during their time there.
Beth quickly notices that Texas doesn’t have the same tourist crowd as her home state. There’s an appreciation for ranching and the work the Dutton family does, which Beth notes.
However, Beth and Rip discuss the limits of their future, with a mutual understanding that their responsibility to the Yellowstone Ranch and John Dutton’s legacy tethers them to Montana.
Thus, Yellowstone season 5, episode 10, previews Rip and Beth’s ending if John didn’t die.
Considering things have changed and the Dutton siblings may give the ranch away instead of protecting it, Beth and Rip’s Texas story can continue.
Putting Beth and Rip at the helm of Yellowstone‘s latest spinoff is the perfect move. Reilly and Hauser have what it takes to lead the next chapter.
Beth and Rip are fan-favorite characters within the Yellowstone story, and their heart-wrenching romance has been one of the strongest elements, especially as series creator Taylor Sheridan revealed its depth.
One of the hardest pills to swallow about the possibility of Yellowstone concluding after season 5 was that we wouldn’t see Beth and Rip’s stories continue.
The lovebirds have the most untapped story potential, especially considering their extensive history.
It looked like Yellowstone set up season 6 with Beth and Rip’s stories, but a dedicated spinoff to focus on their lives is even better.
Beth and Rip’s spinoff story can build on the flashbacks to the characters’ adolescence in Yellowstone. Flashbacks establish Beth and Rip’s young love, including how several complications in their romance journey cause the pair to disconnect until later when Beth returns to the ranch in Yellowstone season 1.
Their spinoff can divulge more about what Beth and Rip were up to all those years ago, developing their background while expanding their futures.
