Emerson Miller/Paramount Network
Season five of "Yellowstone" — also long believed to be the final installment — is ending soon, but a new teaser has fans thinking that there could be more to come.
Since debuting in 2018, "Yellowstone," co-created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson and centered on an aging rancher named John Dutton (Kevin Costner), has become a smash hit for the network.
Season five, part two (also known as 5B) continued on Sunday night. Episode 12 featured a surprising character death and ended with a preview for next week's penultimate episode of the season.
In the teaser, the announcer said, "Only one episode left until the season finale of 'Yellowstone.'" Fans latched on to the use of "season finale" instead of "series finale," theorizing that the phrase choice was a subtle confirmation that a sixth season is coming despite a cancelation announcement last year.
Here's what we know about the future of "Yellowstone."
Paramount
Back in May 2023, it was announced that "Yellowstone" would end with season five.
"I think this last batch of episodes leads us to the end of an era," director and executive producer Christina Alexandra Voros recently told Variety of the final three episodes of season five.
"It's impossible to talk about it in any detail without tipping my hat towards things to come," Voros continued. "But I think Taylor has managed to — and I'm really not sure how he's done it, I think it's sort of masterful — bring the ending to something that feels both shocking and fated at the same time. You need to get to the end of the story to fully understand everything that has come before."
Actor Ian Bohen, who plays Ryan, shared similar comments hyping up the season five finale.
"I don't know that any show has finished this strongly, ever," he told Entertainment Tonight in April. "We're expecting to have the best series finale in history. Overconfident maybe, but I think that's what it's going to be."
Paramount Network
In August, Puck reported that "Yellowstone" would continue, focusing on Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser). According to the outlet, Reilly and Hauser would become the new leads of the series after Costner exited. Costner's main character was killed off-screen when season 5B premiered in November.
In early November, Hauser told The Hollywood Reporter that he felt there was more to explore with Beth and Rip.
"You can go on forever about these two. There's no walls when it comes to them, no limits," he said. "And as long as Taylor wants to write something special, I know Kelly and I would be interested to do it."
Paramount has yet to officially announce a sixth season, and network representatives didn't immediately respond to our request for comment, but fans of the neo-Western drama have more to look forward to either way.
Sheridan's TV universe, which includes the "Yellowstone" prequel series "1883" and "1923," will expand with an upcoming "Yellowstone" sequel show called "The Madison," starring Michelle Pfeiffer.
Here's where to watch "Yellowstone" season 5's final episodes.
