Although it may have originally been intended to go longer, the hit neo-Western dramaYellowstonecame to an end with the season 5 finale, which unfortunately earned an undesirable record within theYellowstonefranchise.Each season ofYellowstoneand its spinoffsprior to the back half of season 5 earned generally positive reviews, regardless of review platform. However, the over-stuffed six episodes that closed the show out once and for all were met with mixed reviews for a plethora of reasons, virtually all of which stem fromKevin Costner’s early departure from the show.
Costner left the show to pursue his passion project, the epic four-part Western drama seriesHorizon: An American Saga, and in doing so essentially hit the fast-forward button onYellowstone. It’s widely accepted that the ultimate ending to the series occurred as intended, with Kayce Duttonfulfilling the1883prophecyand selling the land of the Yellowstone Ranch to Thomas Rainwater and the Broken Rock Tribe. MostYellowstonefans also believe that John Dutton was always going to meet a violent end, but the fallout from his off-screen death yielded an unwanted record for the series finale.
Kevin Coster’s Horizon Character Should Meet The Same Fate As Yellowstone’s John Dutton, But His New Western Saga Can Do It Much Better
The narrative for Costner’s loner cowboy character Hayes Ellison is setting him up for a tragic death, just like Yellowstone’s patriarch John Dutton.
Yellowstone Season 5’s Finale Is The Franchise’s Lowest-Rated Ending On IMDb
Yellowstone’s Season Finales Are Typically Among Its Strongest Episodes
Most ofTaylor Sheridan’s shows,Yellowstonein particular, are marked by strong season finales. In the specific case of1883, which had only one season, the series finale was among the highest-rated episodes on IMDB that Sheridan has ever produced. However, the series finale ofYellowstonecarries the ignominious designation asthe lowest-rated season finale of anyYellowstoneseason, including the spin-offs.
8.4/10
8.9/10
9.2/10
8.2/10
7.8/10
1883
9.0/10
1923, Season 1
8.1/10
While IMDB is of course not the ultimate authority when it comes to judging the quality of a TV show, it’s a good reflection of the general public’s opinion of a specific episode or movie.The IMDB score summarizes the ratings of its registered users on a weighted average, and there are enough registered users on IMDB that it’s a fairly accurate representation of the consensus. IMDB also has some of the most granular data on individual episodes as opposed to an entire season of TV, as other platforms typically highlight.
Why Yellowstone’s Series Finale Has The Franchise’s Lowest Finale Rating
A Completely Satisfying Conclusion Was Next-To-Impossible
With Kevin Costner leaving the show midway through season 5, and no prior setup for his sudden departure, it was always going to bea nearly impossible task for Sheridan and his writers to come up with a perfectly satisfying conclusionto all the narratives that had been built up across four and a half seasons of television. With just six mega-sized episodes in which to wrap everything up,Yellowstonehad to address the murder of John Dutton, put an end to Jamie and Beth’s deadly conflict, write off all the ranchers, and fulfill the1883prophecy.
Based on context, Tate Dutton technically represents the seventh generation of the Dutton family in Montana, which is when it was prophesied the Yellowstone Ranch’s land would be given back to the indigenous tribes of the region.
Despite a truly admirable attempt by Sheridan and his team, the final six episodes were simply unsatisfying. Everything was actually wrapped up neatly, down to each of the ranchers getting a send-off, which is impressive enough. Chances are good thatthe upcomingYellowstonespinoffslike6666and Beth & Rip’s spinoff series will address some of the events of the season 5 finale, and audiences will likely see some familiar faces floating in and out. However, that still won’t make up for the disappointing series finale of the flagshipYellowstoneshow, which is what yielded the record-breakingly poor IMDB rating.
