John Dutton’s (Kevin Costner) death proved that Beth (Kelly Reilly) was right about one crucial thing inYellowstone.John Dutton died inYellowstoneseason 5, part 2’s premiere, following Kevin Costner’s controversial split from Taylor Sheridan’s hit series.The event left John’s kids, Beth and Kayce (Luke Grimes), unable to afford the inheritance tax they needed to pay to keep the ranch. Therefore,Yellowstone’s finale endswith Kayce selling the Dutton Ranch to the Broken Rock Tribe, making a landmark deal with Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham).
The Dutton family members had been dreading their downfall, as threat after threat emerged to take the ranch from them throughoutYellowstone. However,Kayce and Beth losing the ranch could have been avoidedif only John had listened to his daughter sooner. That said, Beth also wanted nothing to do with the ranch, so herYellowstoneseason 5 endingis fitting. In the finale, Beth moves to a ranch with Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) and Carter (Finn Little) in Dillon, Montana, where they start a new life.
Beth Dutton Was Right About John’s Business Model Being The End Of The Dutton Ranch
Beth And Kayce Don’t Have The Money To Keep The Yellowstone Ranch
BeforeJohn Dutton’s death, Beth warns her father about the ranch’s financial well-being. InYellowstoneseason 5, episode 6, “The Dream Is Not Me,” John’s daughter makes a grave prophecy.Beth tells her father,“Your business model is gonna be the end of us.”John brushes off his daughter’s concerns, saying,“Business model’s worked for a hundred years,”but the patriarch’s death proved that Beth Dutton was right. John’s death left Beth and Kayce with no money to pay their dues, which ultimately led to the loss of the ranch.
With John’s death came a massive inheritance tax. While Beth took out a mortgage to help pay it, the family’s attempts to gain enough wealth to keep the ranch permanently weren’t viable. Beth’s sale of almost all the ranch’s assets inYellowstoneseason 5, episode 13, “Give the World Away,” only paid their mortgage for the year, not even denting their massive inheritance tax bill. In hindsight,if John had listened to Beth, the ranch could have turned a profit, leaving John’s kin with enough wealth to stay there comfortably.
Why Yellowstone Season 5’s Finale Was Still The Best Ending For Taylor Sheridan’s Show
Yellowstone’s Ending Fulfilled A Prophecy Established In 1883
Despite John’s shortcomings, Kayce Dutton’s decision inYellowstoneseason 5’s finalewas still the best ending for the show. In Taylor Sheridan’s firstYellowstoneprequel,1883,John’s ancestor,James Dutton (Tim McGraw), makes a promise to the Indigenous community. When a Crow elder named Spotted Eagle (Graham Greene) tells Elsa Dutton’s (Isabel May) father about the Paradise Valley, saying he can lay his daughter to rest and ultimately settle there, the favor comes with a warning. In seven generations, his people will rise and reclaim the land.
Yellowstone’s ending was an empowering reversal of settler colonialism.
Therefore, Kayce fulfilledTaylor Sheridan’sYellowstoneprophecy from1883.Faced with the decision about how to preserve his family’s ranch, Kayce offers to sell it to the Broken Rock Tribe for a fraction of what it’s worth. With the decision,Kayce returns the land to the ancestors of its Indigenous stewards. Rainwater had risen to take the land back, and, in the end, Dutton returned it.Yellowstone’s ending was an empowering reversal of settler colonialism, and Kayce and Beth’s inability to inherit the ranch straightforwardly opened the door to the narrative.
Beth Can Still Redeem John Dutton’s Shortcomings In Beth & Rip’s Yellowstone Spinoff
Beth Has A New Business To Run
While she couldn’t help her father grow his ranch into a modern empire,Beth Dutton can still redeem John’s shortcomings inYellowstone’sspinoffabout Beth and Rip, premiering on Paramount+ in November. Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser will reprise their roles as Beth and Rip for the series, and the show will pick up where their stories left off. WhenBeth and Rip move to Dillon at the end ofYellowstone,they discuss their future cattle operation, indicating that the couple will start their ranch in the spinoff.
Beth can enact her business ideas inBeth and Rip’sYellowstonespinoff, her new setup providing an outlet for her financial savvy. Dutton picked up many ideas through her exposure to Travis Wheatley’s (Taylor Sheridan) Four Sixes Ranch in Texas. Beth learned inYellowstoneseason 5 that 6666 sold their meat directly to buyers online, cutting out the intermediary and reaping more profit. When in Texas, she even learned that Four Sixes had their own line of vodka. Therefore, we can expect that Beth will cook up some ideas for her endeavor.
Yellowstone
Cast
Yellowstone follows the Dutton family, led by patriarch John Dutton, as they defend their expansive ranch against external threats from land developers, an Indian reservation, and America’s first national park. Released on June 14, 2025, this series examines the complex dynamics and violent conflicts surrounding the largest contiguous ranch in the United States.
