Yellowstone‘s never-ending plot twists and family politics have become so convoluted after five long seasons that the final 6 episodes may not be enough to salvage the show from certain doom. As the series makes its last stand, with the never-ending volatile tension now reaching a mercurial peak, Wes Bentley says, “If this doesn’t go well… it’s probably over.”
This statement not only echoes his character, Jaime Dutton’s fate in the finale but also how Yellowstone will go down in television history. With Kevin Costner’s patriarchal figure John Dutton now dead (written off from the show in an off-screen death), it falls on the warring siblings to shoulder the responsibility of Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western creation and carry it to the finish line.
Wes Bentley Hints at Jaime Dutton’s Season 5 Fate
Yellowstone revived Kevin Costner and Wes Bentley‘s careers, bringing them to the forefront of audience consciousness by immediately launching them at each other’s throats. With one party now responsible for the other one’s death, fans are waiting with bated breath to see how Taylor Sheridan manages to tie up the ending in a neat bow.
Among the pawns still left on the chessboard, Wes Bentley represents one of the most important pieces – Jaime Dutton. After murdering his adoptive father, his own life hangs in the balance as Kelly Reilly‘s Beth declares an all-out war. But fret not, dear readers, for Wes Bentley has a plan.
As Season 5 draws to a close and the sun sets for the last time on Yellowstone, Bentley promises that this might not spell the end for his character. Sheridan-verse has launched a vast array of prequels, sequels, and spin-offs that can carry the incomplete stories of characters from one show into the next.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bentley delivers a hopeful response when asked about Jaime Dutton’s fate:
It’s a very hard character to play but if asked to carry on, I would do so. It’s been great to work with Taylor, so anything in his universe […] I want to do this for as long as I can. If I’m lucky enough.
Bentley’s message about carrying on Jaime Dutton’s arc in later Yellowstone spin-offs makes one thing very clear: his character will survive the final showdown against Kelly Reilly’s Beth Dutton. After all that his character has been through in the past 5 seasons, the fans might even find this ending more agreeable than the alternative, i.e. Beth gaining the upper hand.
Yellowstone has been lucky enough to gain the audience’s favor as far as its neo-Western plot is concerned. With the genre dying a slow death in film, Taylor Sheridan hit the jackpot with his modern and politically charged take on the cowboy-ranch lifestyle. If more spin-offs get sanctioned by Paramount to carry on the legacy of Yellowstone into the future, there will be no complaints from fans, critics, and the creator alike.
Yellowstone Makes a Last-Ditch Attempt at Glory
The amount of secrecy and cryptic mystery that shrouds Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 has given even the Marvel snipers a run for their money, as confirmed by the season finale’s director Christina Voros [via The Hollywood Reporter]. But simple tricks cannot ensure a show’s success. It falls on the writers and the actors to lend their character arcs a satisfactory closure when a series decides to drop the curtain on its third act.
Unfortunately, external factors like the clash between the show’s creator and writer, Taylor Sheridan, and his lead, Kevin Costner threw Yellowstone off its predestined track. Now, without the ship’s captain steering the series home, the crew runs around in all directions seeking an end to the meaningless venture.
Yellowstone was doomed since Season 4, with Season 3 displaying its last attempt at greatness. Sheridan can no longer silence the show’s cry for help, as shocking revelations and forced plot twists cannot serve as compelling enough distractions. The audience has become aware of Yellowstone‘s lease on life, and there is not enough time in the world to tie all the loose ends into a happy ending.
Yellowstone Season 5B is streaming on Paramount+ with new episodes launching every Sunday.
