Yellowstone is betraying its own ending if we don’t get this spinoff

Jeff Ewing
Gil Birmingham as Thomas Rainwater in Yellowstone

Many Yellowstone spinoffs have been announced following the series’ monumental finale, but there’s one particular spinoff that needs to be greenlit sooner rather than later.

It feels weird to ask for yet another Yellowstone spinoff, given that the series is currently set to be followed by 1923 Season 2, The Madison, a Beth & Rip spinoff, 6666, and a 1944 series (whose details are yet to be released).

At the same time, Taylor Sheridan’s flagship series ends on a high note, paying off the 1883 prophecy when Kayce sells the Ranch (and its land) back to the Broken Rock Reservation for an astoundingly low amount, alongside the promise to prevent future development, keeping the land pristine.

Centering on the Broken Rock Reservation in the series’ resolution, and giving impressive support for the notion of restoring colonized land, makes now the perfect time for a spinoff that centers on the Broken Rock Reservation.

The Broken Rock Reservation needs a spinoff

The series’ fictional Broken Rock Reservation, and its leader Chief Thomas Rainwater, were regular features through the flagship series. Chief Rainwater was often at odds with John Dutton for their divergent interests over the Dutton’s lands.

It was a respectful conflict altogether resolved at Yellowstone’s end, and as a consequence, tribal politics and interests have been a feature throughout the series.

A still from The Dream is Not Me in Yellowstone

These connections are amplified by the Duttons’ connection to the Reservation through Kayce’s marriage to Monica, the pair’s son Tate, and Kayce’s longstanding friendship with Chief Rainwater’s bodyguard, Mo.

With Kayce and family set to homestead in a little nook of the Duttons’ former holdings, a spinoff that follows the Broken Rock Reservation could be the best follow-up to the finale and the series’ legacy yet.

There’s only one caveat

There is one important caveat, however, as the series’ Native American representation has received insightful criticism in the past: a spinoff following the tribe should have a Native showrunner and writing staff.

Mo, played by Mo Brings Plenty, in Yellowstone

Sheridan’s an excellent writer and has capably crafted a world that regularly engages millions of fans. That said, his notorious propensity to write series himself, combined with a growing universe of spinoffs, has already generated concerns that he might stretch too thin.

Bringing on a Native showrunner and writers will ensure the spinoff’s authenticity and complement an already talented cast. It’s the final step in making it a worthy follow-up to the flagship series.