Each of Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone shows has come to a close, comprising three unique endings. Still, despite their differing themes, one finale is arguably the best. The Yellowstone franchise consists of three series thus far, beginning in 2018 with Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone. The saga followed John Dutton III and his present-day family, showing their struggle to maintain their hold on their ancestor’s ranching legacy. After Yellowstone became one of TV's most popular shows, Sheridan produced two other Dutton family stories that serve as prequels to his flagship, depicting John’s ancestors' lives, which viewers can enjoy independently.

1883 is the first Yellowstone offshoot, a Western spinoff comprising one season of ten episodes that tells the story of the 1923 season 2’s finale.

Taylor Sheridan’s flagship series wrapped with Yellowstone season 5, episode 14, airing in December 2024. The chapter absolved John’s kids, Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Kayce (Luke Grimes), of the conflict surrounding the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, garnering mixed reception. After Yellowstone season 5, Sheridan is crafting stories around Beth and Kayce’s futures, with Luke Grimes gearing up to appear in a Yellowstone spinoff on CBS and Reilly and Cole Ha set to reprise Beth and Rip in Dutton Ranch. Hopefully, Sheridan can continue his spinoff legacy with Yellowstone’s continuations, building upon Beth and Kayce’s Yellowstone endings.

3 1923

1923 Season 2, Episode 7 - "A Dream And A Memory"

The end of 1923 season 2 wasn’t the most satisfying conclusion in the franchise. While Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) finally makes it home to the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, many considered 1923 season 2’s feature-length final episode a bit of a disappointment, due to the series’ key romance not continuing. While Spencer and Alex’ Dutton's (Julia Schlaepfer) separate journeys told two robust stories of life in the 1920s, for an immigrant and a returning war hero, respectively, 1923 fans anticipated Alex and Spencer’s reunion, potentially running the ranch together, so Schlaepfer and Sklenar's lack of shared screentime was a let-down.

Alex’s death fit the grim themes of the Prohibition-era saga.

Unfortunately, Alex Dutton's death was the most significant event of 1923 season 2’s finale. Spencer’s wife died from complications of hypothermia after an extended amount of time in Montana’s unforgiving winter. While Alex’s death fit the grim themes of the Prohibition-era saga, it felt somewhat out of balance considering all the horrible things that happened to Alex Dutton in 1923, that she would die one of the franchise’s most gruesome deaths, and so quickly upon her arrival.

The Duttons navigating life in a financial depression in Montana, leading to unrest and range wars, is undoubtedly one of Yellowstone’s best stories. And with Spencer Dutton’s time jump in 1923 season 2’s finale, showing his death, the story comes to a complete and proper ending. Still, parts of the end felt rushed. For instance, Alex and Spencer’s reunion felt both too dramatic and not emotional enough, its highs and lows not striking a satisfying balance for many. 1923's story had always evoked Shakespearean themes of star-crossed lovers, but its end left many wondering if Alex’s self-sacrificing choices were necessary.

2 Yellowstone

Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 14 - "Life Is A Promise"

While 1923’s finale felt like a lot of drama without the payout, conversely, Yellowstone’s ending fell flat. Still, the ending of Yellowstone season 5 got a lot of things right. In fact, the story mostly consisted of things working out predictably for Yellowstone season 5's central characters. While Yellowstone’s finale disappointed many due to its predictability and how Taylor Sheridan saved everything for the end, at least Yellowstone season 5 delivered the conclusions that fans collectively hoped for. Most significantly, Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) sells the Yellowstone Ranch to the Broken Rock Tribe in the end, fulfilling a prophecy from 1883.

In 1883’s finale, James Dutton meets a Crow elder named Spotted Eagle (Graham Greene) who tells him about Paradise Valley. Spotted Eagle tells James he can settle in the valley, but his people will rise and take it from him in seven generations. At that moment, Dutton promises that in seven generations, the Crow people can have their land back. Kayce Dutton’s and Thomas Rainwater's agreement (Gil Birmingham) fulfilled the prophecy. Kayce relinquished the land, making Yellowstone season 5’s finale a cathartic ending despite its predictability, especially for those who had seen 1883.

Yellowstone’s finale delivered the elements fans wanted to see.

Still, some moments in Yellowstone season 5's finale fell short. Most notably, Beth’s war against her brother, Jamie (Wes Bentley). While it was visceral to watch Beth stab her brother in the abdomen, many viewers felt the conclusion, billed as a significant element of the final season, didn’t have enough build-up. The complaint is similar to ones about 1923 season 2, with the war over the ranch coming to a swift conclusion after being sold as the season’s main event. Still, Yellowstone’s finale delivered the elements fans wanted to see, fulfilling 1883's promise several years after the prequel ended.

1 1883

1883 Episode 10 - "This Is Not Your Heaven"

The most satisfying conclusion in the Yellowstone franchise is the end of 1883. In the finale, after Elsa Dutton (Isabel May) is struck by a poison arrow in the penultimate episode, James and his daughter fast-track to Paradise Valley on horseback, and Elsa’s fate anchors the end of the story. The bright-eyed narrator dies in her father’s arms, then meets her husband, Sam (Martin Sensmeier), in the afterlife. 1883's finale also concludes the stories of the other surviving wagon train , showing how it ends for Shea (Sam Elliott), Thomas (LaMonica Garrett), and Josef (Marc Rissmann).

1883’s endings strike the right balance of drama and emotional payoff.

While bittersweet in every respect, 1883’s endings strike the right balance of drama and emotional payoff. For instance, despite Elsa Dutton’s infection being one of Yellowstone’s saddest deaths, her fate feels earned. As Elliott's Shea Brennan notes to James in the finale, “I’ve watched this girl for the last six months and she has outlived us all. I’m 75 years old and she has out-smiled me, out-loved me, out-fought me… She’s outlived me.” Elsa’s death also has a robust purpose, justifying the entire Yellowstone franchise. Without Elsa’s fate, James never would have settled in Montana, where Yellowstone picks up.

Elsa’s fate and that of Shea, Thomas, and Josef are sad but resonate with the circumstances and have satisfying payouts. We know precisely why the stories end the way they do, and Elsa’s 1883 death had a powerful message. Elsa’s death results from unrest along the Oregon Trail amid westward expansion. We see Elsa’s gruesome wound in the opening scene, and then 1883 takes us back through the events to explain why it happened, telling, too, the story of the Lakota warriors who mistook Shea and Thomas’ wagon train as the ones who murdered their families.

Another detail that elevates 1883’s finale is that Isabel May questioned Tim McGraw about his daughters before filming their final scene, evoking genuine emotion that is palpable and memorable (via Taste of Country.) 1883’s ending is the best because the story was built around Isabel May’s character, with Taylor Sheridan reportedly writing the entire saga in a week after casting her (via The New York Times.) Therefore, 1883 is Sheridan’s most cohesive Yellowstone saga, just by the nature of his writing, with its end not broken into two parts like Yellowstone's and 1923's.

Source: Taste of Country, The New York Times