Yellowstone Stars Luke Grimes and Wes Bentley Promise Satisfying, Organic Final Episodes

Yellowstone is officially on its way to the end, if Season 5 is indeed the last season. Two of the final six episodes have now aired, setting up a bitter war for the beloved Dutton ranch. Jamie (Wes Bentley) seems to currently think he has the upper hand, thanks to his role as attorney general and his part in the death of John (Kevin Costner). He's fairly sure he can undo all the moves John had made to secure the future of the ranch, screwing over his sister Beth (Kelly Reilly) in the process. Beth, meanwhile, appears to have plans that involve a lot less paperwork and a lot more blood. 

It's been a relatively slow start to the war so far, as much of the first two episodes have been spent in the weeks before John's death, when things were relatively peaceful (aside from a lot of snakes). Beth took a surprise trip to the Four Sixes, where Rip (Cole Hauser) and his ranch hands were camped (over a den of snakes, apparently), and treated her husband to a night at a nearby hotel. Kayce (Luke Grimes) and Monica (Kelsey Asbille) were busy setting up their new home, and it was all very slow, relaxed, and romantic, which would be lovely if it didn't feel like the real story is sitting untold six weeks later. How is there time for flashbacks when there are just four episodes left and the governor is dead? 

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The slower pace might seem surprising, but stars Wes Bentley and Luke Grimes assured TV Guide that the show's final stretch is right on track.

"Sometimes, life throws things that you don't see coming, and then you have to make a series of very fast choices to deal with the thing. That's sort of what happens here," said Grimes. "Nothing feels forced or out of place. It all feels very organic and like it should, and I was surprised by that. Like, how are you going to tie all this up so quickly? We've been doing this for so long, and then all of a sudden you're going to end the show? But it was the ending that [creator Taylor Sheridan] always had in mind." 

That remained true even as Costner left and both the Writers Guild and Screen Actors Guild went on strike in 2023, making Season 5's midseason break nearly two years long. 

"[Taylor] always knew how it was going to end, and he rolled with the punches," Grimes added. "He figured out a way to get right where he needed to be with the things that were happening in our lives." 

"We get a real sense of some closures, and an awakening of other wounds," Bentley said of the ending. "It's Yellowstone, so it's hard to picture a clean resolve, but there are definitely cathartic moments. I think the fans are going to be satisfied with what they see."

Yellowstone airs Sundays at 8/7c on Paramount Network.