With Yellowstone season 5 reportedly serving as the final chapter of Taylor Sheridan’s keystone Neo-Western, one possible setup for the finale breaks the show’s biggest rules. Yellowstone has risen to become the most-watched Neo-Western series of the century. As the story of the Duttons approaches its natural ending, the show’s penchant for twists could be what finally silences Yellowstone and Sheridan’s harshest critics.
In Yellowstone, there’s only one twist that has the potential to accomplish all this: Governor John Dutton’s conservation easement plan for the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch actually getting executed. As explained on Yellowstone, a conservation easement is an agreement that allows landowners to voluntarily give the state complete control over their property. In Montana, conservation easements have been historically “effective in maintaining natural resources which are compatible with existing land uses.” Aimed at preserving the state’s valuable natural resources, “a conservation easement is the formal expression of the property owner’s concern for continued responsible land use and stewardship.” While John’s plan risks the ire of loyal viewers expecting a complete bloodbath in Yellowstone season 5, part 2, it’s actually the best decision Sheridan can make for Yellowstone‘s ending.
Why Yellowstone Could Benefit From A Twist Ending
Seeing John Dutton actually sign the conservation easement agreement with the state—and thus end much of the show’s conflict peacefully—would be a major plot twist, as it would conclude the plot on less violent terms than what has been teased. However, this ending is the sort that can stay iconic over time for the way it can elevate and satisfyingly put a cap on the complete Yellowstone timeline. While having one big, unexpected twist leans into Yellowstone‘s soap opera criticism, it can also subvert this trope by completely redefining John Dutton’s legacy as a landowner and politician.
Notably, the title of the episode where John’s plan was first introduced, Yellowstone season 5, episode 2, “The Sting of Wisdom,” further hints that this is where the show is headed. Blood is still bound to spill in the final days of Yellowstone. However, if the show’s team of writers can figure out a way to make this twist work, any violent reckoning that comes with the conservation easement pushing through would only make this ending that much better.
A Surprising Yellowstone Ending Could Cement It In TV History
Not only does Yellowstone‘s ending have a reserved place in the history of the Dutton family, whether it can pull off the conservation easement twist will determine the show’s final station among other prominent Neo-Western and anti-hero crime series of the time. Potentially giving Yellowstone an iconic ending akin to the memorable finales of comparable dramas like The Sopranos, Ozark, or Better Call Saul, Yellowstone‘s ending carries with it the weight of not just Yellowstone‘s socio-political themes, but also the sensitive parts of American history already tackled by Yellowstone spinoffs 1883 and 1923. If the show really does end with Yellowstone season 5, part 2, the only way to satisfy loyal viewers is through one final, soap opera-subverting twist that still stays true to the show’s core messages and themes.
Indeed, Yellowstone ending with the conservation easement signed doesn’t necessarily negate the fact that John Dutton is Yellowstone’s real villain – another cardinal rule. Like his ancestors in 1883 and 1923, John sincerely aims to preserve the ranch for Montana’s next generations. Yet, as Beth only found out in Yellowstone season 5, the family’s efforts at doing just that has resulted in a massive body count that’s been ticking for over a century.
Moreover, though the conservation easement aligns with the Confederated Tribes of Broken Rock’s goals of protecting the land, it also secedes ownership of primarily Indigenous American land to the state. John Dutton’s plan, once executed, could also help hide evidence of the family’s murders – including the wolves – and potentially even fast-track Governor Dutton’s way to the U.S. Senate. Laying the groundwork for the perfect, unexpected, and still realistic finale and epilogue to Yellowstone, this twist ending has the potential to be truly memorable. However Yellowstone‘s ending plays out, as the show’s universe continues to expand in Taylor Sheridan’s spinoffs, the story of the Duttons is far from over.
