‘Yellowstone’ Delivers Powerful Series Finale as Fans Say Goodbye to John Dutton [SPOILERS ALERT]

Yellowstone rode off into the sunset on Sunday night (Dec. 15) with an extra-long series finale that bid a final farewell to the show's patriarch, John Dutton (Kevin Costner) — and the show also delivered the much-anticipated death of one of the show's most controversial characters.

Season 5, Episode 14 of Yellowstone is titled "Life Is a Promise," and the episode centers around John Dutton's funeral, which brings all of the major characters together again just one more time as they hand-dig his grave with shovels and give him a proper sendoff. Rip (Cole Hauser) ultimately insists on finishing the burial himself, in a final act of service to the man who had believed in him when nobody else would.

Along with wrapping up the storylines of the major characters, the episode also answered the central questions of the show:

Does Jamie Dutton Die in the Yellowstone Series Finale?

Yes. In a scene that has been coming since virtually the day Yellowstone debuted, Beth (Kelly Reilly) ends up killing Jamie (Wes Bentley) in a violent confrontation at his house, after he delivers a speech that might let him slip the noose of Sarah Atwood's (Dawn Olivieri) death, as well as her planning of John Dutton's death.

After a vicious fight in which he nearly bests her, Rip (Cole Hauser) shows up and assaults him — but Beth insists that he leave the end for her, and she stabs Jamie in the chest to kill him, telling him, "Look at me ... that's right, I'm gonna be the last thing you ever fu--in' see."

Subsequently, Rip and Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith) take him to the Train Station and throw him over, ending one of the main plotlines of the entire show.

What Will Happen to the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch?

As the previous episode hinted, the Duttons ended up selling the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch to the Broken Rock Reservation for $1.25 per acre, allowing them to take control of the land with two caveats: That Kayce (Luke Grimes) and his family get to keep their part, and that the tribe never develop or sell any of the land.

What Will Happen to Rip, Beth and the Other Yellowstone Characters Now?

Part of the episode dealt with what happens to the remaining characters. Teeter (Jen Landon) is headed to the 6666 Ranch, while various other ranch hands are headed off in different directions.

Ryan (Ian Bohen) ends up reconnecting with his former flame, Abby (Lainey Wilson), who is doing well in her music career. The last we see of him, she is telling him she will introduce him to life on the bus.

How Does Yellowstone End?

The show ends with Beth and Rip living on a ranch that she bought for them, in a remote location where they will not be bothered. It's a happy ending for a couple that have been through an awful lot, and it plays against type a bit for series creator Taylor Sheridan, who very well might have killed the entire family like he killed Elsa at the end of 1883.

The last thing we hear is actually Elsa's voice, in a narration that explains how the land has come full circle since 1883.

What's Next Now That Yellowstone Is Finished?

Paramount has announced an upcoming Yellowstone sequel titled The Madison, which stars Michelle Pfeiffer, former Suits star Patrick J. Adams and former Lost star Matthew Fox.

Deadline reports that Yellowstone stars Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly have signed on to continue their roles in another Yellowstone sequel, with no further details yet available. Paramount has not confirmed that reporting.

Another season of the beloved Yellowstone prequel 1923 is also on the way, and Sheridan is also reportedly working on another Yellowstone prequel titled 1944, but has shared no information about the show.

Sterling Whitaker is a Senior Writer and Senior Editor for Taste of Country. He focuses on celebrity real estate, as well as coverage of Yellowstone and related shows like 1883 and 1923. He's interviewed cast members including Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, Sam Elliott and Harrison Ford, and Whitaker is also known for his in-depth interviews with country legends including Don Henley, Rodney Crowell, Trace Adkins, Ronnie Milsap, Ricky Skaggs and more.