Warning! SPOILERS For Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 14, “Life Is A Promise”
Kayce Dutton’s (Luke Grimes) CBS spinoff explains one of the most disliked elements ofYellowstoneseason 5: its divisive flashbacks to before John Dutton’s (Kevin Costner) death. The final chapter of Taylor Sheridan’s original neo-Western show was riddled with controversy overJohn Dutton III’s death due to Kevin Costner’sYellowstoneexit. TheDances with Wolvesstar didn’t return to the series when the involved parties failed to reach a working agreement. The divisiveYellowstoneseason 5 flashbacks showed life before John’s death, confusing viewers as they witnessedYellowstoneseason 5, part 2, unfold without him.
Yellowstoneseason 5’s flashbacks showed Kayce, Beth (Kelly Reilly), and the Dutton Ranch hands before John’s death. A common piece of feedback was thatthe flashbacks wasted previous time in the series’ final chapter, homing in on trivial moments when there were more serious matters at hand for theDutton family tree. In terms of divisiveYellowstoneseason 5 elements, I could have done without the cameos of Taylor Sheridan, but the flashbacks didn’t bother me so much because I interpreted them as a lens into the show’s future, rather than a view into theYellowstoneseason 5 characters’ past.
Yellowstone Season 5’s Divisive Flashbacks Set Up Kayce’s Spinoff
The Flashbacks In Yellowstone’s Final Installment Were Confusing
After watchingYellowstoneseason 5, episode 10, “The Apocalpse of Change,“I distinctly remember thinking that Taylor Sheridan had just set up continuations for both Kayce and Beth, independent of one another. In the chapter, Kayce settles into East Camp with his family, redoing the floors, cabinets, and roof of the Dutton family lodge with Tate (Brecken Merrill) and Monica (Kelsey Asbille). WhileI agree the flashbacks in “The Apocalypse of Change” felt trivial, I also understood showing Kayce and Beth’s lives before their father died, since season 5 would have shown how John’s kids’ lives were developing independent of him.
The flashbacks help us understand how their lives were developing outside John’s death, contextualizing Kayce and Beth’sYellowstonecontinuations.
Kayce and Beths stories would continue after John Dutton’s death, soit made sense to me to haveYellowstonemoments that weren’t about John. Since losing the Duttons' patriarch was paramount to his family once it happened, I assumed flashing back was to show us simpler times. Ahead ofYellowstoneseason 5’s finale, Taylor Sheridan announced aBeth and RipYellowstonespinoffstarring Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser. Then, ahead of1923season 2’s finale, Kayce’sYellowstonecontinuation was announced. Therefore, the flashbacks help us understand how their lives were developing outside John’s death, contextualizing Kayce and Beth’sYellowstonecontinuations.
What Kayce Dutton’s Yellowstone CBS Procedural Could Be About
Yellowstone Gives Us A Big Hint About Kayce’s CBS Show
Kayce Dutton’s story inYellowstoneseason 5 also gives us hints about what his continuation will be about.Kayce’sYellowstonespinoffwill reportedly be a CBS procedural. Therefore, it will revolve around some aspect of investigation or law enforcement. Kayce’s spinoff could follow him as the Livestock Commissioner for Montana. Kayce solved compelling crimes while working in the position, and that could translate into a procedural. That said,Kayce threw away his Livestock Agent badge inYellowstoneseason 5’s finale, saying he was free from the position that was traditionally used to protect the Dutton Ranch.
I Think I Know What CBS' Kayce Dutton Yellowstone Spinoff Is About (& It’s Going To Be Great)
Yellowstone season 5 gave us a vital clue about what Kayce Dutton’s CBS spinoff is about, and it would be the perfect setup for Luke Grimes' show.
I also believe that Kayce’s present timeline inYellowstoneseason 5, part 1, set up his continuation. InYellowstoneseason 5, episode 3, “A Tall Drink of Water,” Kayce talks toThomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham)and Mo Brings Plenty on his porch. He tells them he wants to trade his livestock job for a policing gig for the Broken Rock Reservation, and Mo answers by saying Kayce could be appointed the investigator for the Montana Department of Justice.Yellowstoneseason 5 never follows up on the development, but Taylor Sheridan could be saving Kayce’s new job for his procedural.
