Whenever a popular show ends, things are divisive online. Different fans have different expectations for the finale, and the creatives behind the scenes want to do their own thing. However, following the messy end of Yellowstone, fans can’t help but place the blame at the feet of creator Taylor Sheridan.
The massive fanbase Sheridan built started to turn on him following the end of Season 5A when it was announced that star Kevin Costner wouldn’t be returning. He wanted to work on other projects, and it was taking a long time for the scripts for the final episodes of Yellowstone to be ready. So, he decided to bow out, which forced Sheridan to kill off the beloved patriarch.
It was a decision many found hard to swallow, but they would’ve let it go had Season 5B wrapped everything up in a pleasing way. Unfortunately, fans believe the finale is a microcosm of the whole season, with storylines being rushed and a lot of meat being left on the bone. And one of the reasons they think that ended up happening was because Sheridan wanted to give himself screen time.
Sheridan player horse trainer Travis Wheatley on Yellowstone, and he appears in several episodes before Season 5. His presence in the penultimate episode, though, rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. His character helps give the ranch some breathing room by selling one of its show horses, but it’s the way he acts after that’s causing problems. He makes Beth play a fake game of strip poker, which leads to Rip telling a long and heartful story about how he’s a great guy. It’s a bizarre moment, to say the least.
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Wheatley even returns in the final episode, and viewers aren’t holding back their frustrations. “#YellowstoneTV finale was a letdown that never should’ve happened,” said one X user. “Sheridan ruined the best series on TV. Worse, he inserted himself and his wooden, blowhard character in the finale.”
“He used the entire season to set himself and 6666 as the spin-off,” added another.
The only thing holding people back from returning their Yellowstone merch is the fact that Kelly Reilly gave one of the best performances on TV this year. Beth finally gets her revenge on Jamie, killing and pinning a couple of nasty crimes on him. He’ll never face justice for them, of course, but keeping her promise to take him out is enough for Beth.
“If Kelly Reilly doesn’t win an Emmy this year it will go down as the WORST snub in the award’s history,” declared one fan.
Despite fans being upset with Sheridan, they’ll be happy to know that a spinoff featuring Beth and Rip is in the works that may still be able to fill in some of the plot gaps remaining after Yellowstone‘s finale. The whole cast is unlikely to return, but there are sure to be a few familiar faces when the show inevitably airs on the Paramount Network.
Published: Dec 16, 2024 08:17 am