I so miss Yellowstone’s brutal intensity.
For so many months now, Yellowstone Season 5 news has been kept secret and locked up tight, which was in direct opposition of the highly public behind-the-scenes issues involving now-former star Kevin Costner and co-creator Taylor Sheridan. Thankfully, though, we now know quite a bit more about the upcoming Yellowstone episodes that will ostensibly end the series (unless Season 6 rumors turn up positive), and the intense new trailer gives Cole Hauser’s Rip and Dawn Oliveri’s Sarah Atwood the biggest moments.
Take a look at the fiery new footage below, which is somehow mostly narrated by Costner’s John Dutton, despite all the reports that he did not return to film the back half of the season. I’m guessing it’s either archived footage or deleted scenes from the first half of Season 5, but would love to learn that he actually did return for a sequence or two, if only to give the character an honorable death.
And now let’s talk out some of those major highlights, shall we?
Rip Is Burning Cars And Breaking Glasses
Few things on TV can get my adrenaline pumping the way that “Rip getting pissed off” can. As soon as Hauser’s face flips from happy to peeved, you just know somebody’s ending up in the hospital or worse. And his rage goes unchecked a few times in the Season 5 footage, most notably when he blows up a car whose owner we’re not yet sure of.
In fact, I wouldn’t be 100% surprised if even Rip wasn’t sure whose car that was, given the way he answered Lloyd’s question about “really getting in this fight.” As he put it:
If we can figure out who to fight and how to fight ‘em.
It’s interesting that we’re going into the final episodes of the series, and one of the show’s morally wavering heroes isn’t even sure who he’s supposed to beating the crap out of.
Beyond that, we hear him telling Beth she can’t just suddenly opt out of fighting for the ranch, or else they’re going to lose it. And at least one moment enrages him enough to throw a glass (presumably of whiskey) at the wall and into the fireplace. That alone could have led to a huge fireball as it went with the car, so whatever causes him to do it must be awful.
Sarah Atwood Gets MVP Status For Fights With Jamie And Beth
Dawn Olivieri’s Sarah Atwood entered the Dutton family’s ranch drama in Season 5, and immediately made a name for herself as someone who’ll do whatever (or whoever) it takes to secure a victory. Which might have felt like more of a personal victory for her if Jamie wasn’t voluntarily willing to be used, in part so that he could use Sarah in a similar fashion.
And it looks like she may find out a thing or two about the way Jamie has attempted to take advantage of her, seeing as how she cocks back and slaps the shit out of him during an argument. And it doesn’t look at all like there’s any dominant kinks involved, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they hopped into bed right after that physical assault.
I can’t make the same predication, however, about Sarah’s scuffle with Beth, who served as the aggressor in this particular instance. Not only does Kelly Reilly’s character push the other woman against a wall, clutching her face while doing it, but Beth also throws Sarah into a table and causes a vase to smash into the ground.
Here’s hoping those comprise the opening seconds of a major brawl between the two women. Not that I need to see Beth duke it out with every woman on this show, but I do love it most when her opponents are just as feisty and aggressive, so that it’s not just a one-sided victory every single time. Not that I want Beth to get beat down like she did in Season 2, but if she gets a battle scar or two, all the better.
Interestingly, the trailer doesn’t hint at “Sarah Atwood” being a false identity, and thus doesn’t offer any clues about my grand theory that the Duttons are being long-conned. But I’m still holding out hopes for that one as we await the western drama closing out the 2024 Fall TV season.
Yellowstone Season 5B will debut on Paramount Network on Sunday, November 10.