Taylor Sheridan Predicted Yellowstone’s Ending In Episode 3

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As a huge fan of Westerns, I always suspected Taylor Sheridan had a very clear vision for Yellowstone. Apparently, he knew where the story was going all the way back in episode 3! It’s amazing how successful the show became on Paramount Network – it really blew up and turned into a whole universe of stories about the Dutton family. Now we’ve got spinoffs like Marshals on CBS and Dutton Ranch coming to Paramount+, all exploring different generations of that Montana family.

The popular series Yellowstone premiered in 2018 and centers around John Dutton (played by Kevin Costner), the head of a powerful family. John is determined to preserve his family’s vast Montana ranch—the largest in the U.S.—and protect it from those who want to take it over. He’ll stop at nothing to defend the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, even when facing constant threats and opposition.

The first episode of Yellowstone introduced Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), the Chairman of the Broken Rock Reservation, who was determined to reclaim his ancestors’ land from the Dutton family. Six years later, at the end of Yellowstone‘s fifth season, Rainwater succeeded in this goal. Interestingly, Taylor Sheridan foreshadowed how John Dutton would ultimately lose the ranch, explaining the process in Yellowstone episode 3 through the character of Rainwater.

Taylor Sheridan Revealed Yellowstone’s Ending In Episode 3

The third episode of Yellowstone featured a key scene between John Dutton and Thomas Rainwater that, looking back, reveals the show’s ultimate plan, as envisioned by creator Taylor Sheridan.

When Dutton had Rainwater arrested for cattle theft, Tom realized John was using his influence to get what he wanted. In response, the chairman of Broken Rock threatened to take Dutton’s ranch away from him.

Rainwater directly informed John that he planned to reclaim the land the Duttons had taken from his ancestors back in the 1880s. He also predicted that after John’s death, his children would be unable to cover the inheritance taxes – and that’s precisely what occurred six years later, during the middle of season 5 of Yellowstone.

With his sister Beth’s support, Kayce Dutton sold the Yellowstone ranch back to Thomas Rainwater and the Broken Rock reservation for just one dollar per acre. This low price allowed Rainwater to cover the property taxes, and it relieved Kayce and Beth of the Dutton family’s financial obligations and the weight of their history.

The third episode of Yellowstone featured a tense argument between Beth and Jamie Dutton that hinted at how their conflict would eventually end. During a heated exchange in the Duttons’ barn, Beth bluntly told Jamie she didn’t care about the family ranch and would sell her portion of it after their father passed away – and she later followed through on that promise.

I couldn’t believe it when Beth and Jamie finally went at it – she really laid into him at first, but he eventually knocked her down. It was a shocking fight, and honestly, it felt like a preview of everything that was to come between them. Their animosity just kept building and building throughout the whole series, and it all exploded in the finale. It was brutal – a full-on fight that ended with Beth and Rip killing Jamie and, shockingly, dumping his body at the Train Station. It was a dark ending, but somehow, it felt right given their history.

How Yellowstone’s Ending Was Different From Taylor Sheridan’s Original Plan

Looking back at the first few episodes of Yellowstone, it’s so clear Taylor Sheridan had a big picture in mind from the start – he really knew where the story was going, at least generally. It’s amazing to think he had all that planned! Of course, things got complicated when Kevin Costner decided to leave during the filming of the fifth and final season, and Sheridan had to adjust his plans.

At the beginning of the second part of Yellowstone season 5, Taylor Sheridan unexpectedly killed off John Dutton. This shifted the focus to his daughter, Beth, and son, Kayce, who were then tasked with figuring out the future of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.

In retrospect, the Dutton family was destined to lose their ranch, and the entire story of Yellowstone revolved around John Dutton’s hopeless fight against the inevitable – a fate he understood and feared. He realized that none of his children shared his deep commitment to preserving the Dutton legacy.

Taylor Sheridan may have originally planned for John Dutton to die and the Yellowstone ranch to be sold afterward. Kevin Costner leaving the show likely just sped up that plan, leading Sheridan to kill off John earlier and focus the rest of the series on Beth and Kayce figuring out how to sell the ranch.

Going back to watch Yellowstone from the start, it’s amazing to see how carefully Taylor Sheridan planned the entire series. He actually hinted at how it would all end as early as the third episode.

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2026-04-22 05:10