While Yellowstone fans were thrilled to learn that Beth and Rip will continue to get focus going forward, a different spinoff outside the Dutton Family is the more exciting development within Taylor Sheridan’s shared TV universe. It has been confirmed that the story surrounding Beth and Rip will continue following the Yellowstone season 5 finale. However, the more exciting prospect is Sheridan’s next spin-off, The Madison. Originally dubbed 2024, The Madison will remain in the same universe as Yellowstone but will shift focus to an all-new cast of characters.
Although the latest spin-off will reportedly take place after the events of Yellowstone, fans are already being told not to expect any appearances by anyone who makes it out of the flagship show alive. According to reports about the new show, the shared setting of Montana will be the only common ground between the two shows. This is for the best, however. While it’s exciting to see that Beth and Rip’s love story will continue, an opportunity for a fresh break is an exciting development for the franchise going forward.
Yellowstone’s Spinoffs Have Surpassed The Main Show
Taylor Sheridan Continues To Expand The Yellowstone Universe
The expanding Yellowstone universe is overshadowing the flagship series, with The Madison being the latest exciting addition to the franchise. Sheridan may have struck TV gold when Yellowstone premiered in 2018, but his prequels quickly stole the spotlight. While 1883 and 1923 told stories of the Dutton Family, the Paramount+ originals stepped away from the soap opera storylines set in the present-day for sprawling tales of the family’s ancestors and their history in Montana. The spinoffs continued Sheridan’s habit of landing big names, with Sam Elliot and Tim McGraw starring in 1883 and Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren in 1923.
Sheridan’s upcoming The Madison will feature big names like Michelle Pfeiffer, and will continue to expand the universe outside the show’s established ensemble.
However, star power and the Dutton name are where the similarities end between the shows. 1883’s self-contained focus explored the story of Elsa Dutton and her pioneer parents struggling to trespass the West against impossible odds, giving it a throwback vibe to earlier eras of the genre. 1923 continued that story, showing the family’s ranching hardships during Prohibition and just ahead of the Great Depression. Like his other spinoffs, Sheridan’s upcoming The Madison will feature big names like Michelle Pfeiffer, and will continue to expand the universe outside the show’s established ensemble.
Beth & Rip’s Spinoff Risks Being Yellowstone Season 6
A New Spinoff Based On Well-Known Characters Risks Just Being A Continuation Of The Original Show
Just ahead of the series finale of Yellowstone, news broke that Cole Hauser’s Rip Wheeler and Kelly Reilly’s Beth Dutton’s saga would continue on a new spinoff. Reilly herself confirmed the news in the comment section of her Instagram post, responding to her onscreen “son” Finn Little about the announcement. However, this continued focus on well-trodden storylines and characters could turn this spinoff into a Yellowstone season 6 in all but name. After all, Beth, Rip, and Carter just ended up on a different ranch in Montana, and will likely contend with similar drama and conflict as the main show.
While they might live further from her brother Kayce and his family than they used to, those characters could still make appearances since they still live on their small part of the Dutton Ranch. Even though Lloyd may have turned down Rip’s offer to come be a cowboy on the new ranch, that doesn’t mean he won’t change his mind. This could add another Yellowstone fan-favorite to the cast. While it’s exciting to see Yellowstone’s story continue, this does undercut the conclusive nature of season 5. That’s what makes something like The Madison so exciting.
The Madison Is An Exciting New Direction For Yellowstone
The Montana-Based Yellowstone Spinoff Will Introduce Fans To A Whole New Family To Become Obsessed With
Sheridan might be playing it safe by creating a series based on two of Yellowstone’s most beloved characters, Beth and Rip. By contrast, Sheridan is taking an exciting gamble with The Madison, his first Montana-based show that does not center around the Dutton family. Instead of cattle and cowboys, The Madison will reportedly focus on power brokers, environmental conflicts, and a cast with questionable morals fighting over a new kind of empire. The show will reportedly tell the fish-out-of-water story of the McIntosh family, a New York City family living in the Madison River valley of central Montana.
Pfeiffer will play Stacy Clyburn, the mother of Abigail Reese (Beau Garrett) and Paige McIntosh (Elle Chapman). Suits star Patrick J. Adams will play McIntosh, an investment banker married to Paige, while Garett’a Abigail is a recently divorced mother of two. Matthew Fox has been added to the cast as Paul, while other stars like Kurt Russell have been rumored for the cast. All of these new stars are exciting because they bring fresh energy to the franchise. The shift in tone will give the Yellowstone universe a fresh perspective while reinforcing a consistent setting and universe.