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With Yellowstone nearing its end, fans are bracing for a major character death. The hit western drama has never been shy when it comes to killing off characters, but who will it be this time? Behind-the-scenes drama with the cast has us worried that Monica and Jamie might be on the chopping block. Keep reading to see our predictions for who will fall in the final episodes of Yellowstone.
Yellowstone is Paramount’s successful Western drama that follows the Dutton family, who own and operate the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, the largest ranch in the state of Montana. The series first premiered in 2018 and stars Kevin Costner as John Dutton III, the six-generation patriarch of the Dutton family. Throughout the series, John and his family are constantly protecting the Yellowstone ranch from those attempting to take their land, including an Indian reservation and wealthy land developers.
In May 2023, news broke that Yellowstone will end with Season 5 due to scheduling conflicts with Costner. At the time, Paramount announced their plans to instead focus on a Matthew McConaughey-led spin-off series in the same universe, tentatively titled 2024. “Yellowstone has been the cornerstone on which we have launched an entire universe of global hits – from 1883 to Tulsa King, and I am confident our Yellowstone sequel will be another big hit, thanks to the brilliant creative mind of Taylor Sheridan and our incredible casts who bring these shows to life,” Chris McCarthy, President & CEO Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, said in a statement, per Deadline. He continued: “The Dutton story continues, picking up where Yellowstone leaves off in another epic tale. We are thrilled to bring this new journey to audiences around the world.”
According to a February 2024 report from industry newsletter Puck, main cast members Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser and Luke Grimes are all in talks to reprise their roles on the spin-off, though a salary negotiations are still ongoing. Keen-eyed fans may have noticed that several other stars are not involved in the spin-off negotiations, including Wes Bentley, who stars as John Dutton’s adoptive son Jamie, and Kelsey Asbille who stars as Kayce Dutton’s (Grimes) wife Monica.
Two main plot points from past episodes point to these significant characters not making it to the end and their lack of involvement in the spin-off only enforces our theories. For starters, power-hungry Jamie has consistently been at odds with his family, particularly John and Beth (Reilly). His rivalry with Beth took a turn for the worst in the Season 5 midseason finale when Beth suggests that she and John eliminate the politician permanently. The episode ended before viewers could know for sure what their plans were, but we fear Jamie’s time may come to an end.
Monica, on the other hand, is not really involved in any drama that could get her killed, but Kayce’s eerie vision of their future as a couple during Season 4 has us questioning her fate on the show. During the Season 4 episode “Grass on the Streets and Weeds on the Rooftops,” Kayce set out on a vision quest and had four mysterious visions. One vision, in which he saw a flying owl that symbolized death, ended up foreshadowing the Season 5 death of his baby son John and it’s possible that the other visions may also come true. His final vision was the most ominous, and it showed two paths that Kayce must chose between: the ranch or Monica. He later told his wife that he “saw the end of us.” Whether this indicates that Kayce will chose the ranch over Monica or that something more sinister will happen is still unclear, but we know that more character deaths are coming in the final episodes of Season 5.
The fifth and final season of Yellowstone has been on hiatus since January 2023 and the final episodes are set to air in November 2024. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight in September 2022, creator Taylor Sheridan teased that no one is safe in the last season. “If you look at everyone as a chess piece, in Season 5 it is impossible to keep playing the game without taking pieces off the board,” he told the outlet.