Warning: the following contains SPOILERS for Yellowstone.
Yellowstone's season 4 ending leaves behind several questions and unresolved plot threads for audiences to ponder. Following the stellar success of Yellowstone's season 4 finale on the streaming network Paramount+, it's not surprising that the show's been renewed for a fifth season, which will come out later in 2022 if not in early 2023. Until then, audiences will have tons of time to speculate and wonder about Yellowstone season 4's unanswered questions.
For the most part, things have settled down at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Despite the looming threat of Market Equities, the Duttons have consolidated power and seem to be ready for all-out war. Meanwhile, the Broken Rock Indian Reservation just made Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) one of their own, which will be a key factor in the coming conflicts.
Yellowstone season 4's finale lays down the groundwork for the fifth season perfectly. That being said, Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan was careful about not making everything crystal clear and leaving room for questions and speculation. Here are the biggest unanswered questions that Yellowstone season 5 needs to resolve.
Why Didn't Beth Kill Riggins?
After Beth (Kelly Reilly) asks Walker (Ryan Bingham) certain details about prison, it's implied that Beth plans to kill Terrell Riggins (Bruno Amato), who organized the attacks against the Duttons. Instead, Beth never makes a move to attack Riggins, and leaves after she finds out from Riggins that Jamie (Wes Bentley) knew about his father Garret's (Will Patton) plan to kill the Duttons. In reality, Beth never planned to kill Riggins. She was simply prepared to react in case things went south during their conversation. This is why Beth simply leaves once she gets the information she came for. Besides, since Riggins is a hired killer who's only loyalty is to money, Riggins might just prove useful to Beth in Yellowstone season 5.
Are The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch And The Broken Rock Indian Reservation Becoming Allies For Good?
Throughout the previous seasons of Yellowstone, Broken Rock chief Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) and John Dutton (Kevin Costner) have come to respect one another despite their differences. Now that Market Equities has entered the picture, the survival of both the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch and the Broken Rock Indian Reservation are threatened by one mutual enemy. This means that there's a real chance for John and Thomas to strike a more long-term alliance, which could give them a fighting chance at protecting their mutual interest of preserving the land at any cost.
What Did Kayce See At The End Of His Vision Quest?
When Kayce undergoes the Hanbleceya (han-bi-lech-ia), or “crying for a vision,” which is based on a real Lakota warrior initiation ritual, Kayce gets a vision that shows him two different yet equally difficult paths. After the ritual, Kayce's wife Monica (Kelsey Asbille) asks him what he saw, and he replies, “The end of us.” Like the visions of Paul Atreides in Dune, Kayce's visions seem to have revealed the potential gains and consequences of the different paths that he can take. Indeed, the two paths which Kayce saw represent his two contrasting identities: as the scion of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, and as a newly-initiated member of the Broken Rock Indian Reservation community. In Yellowstone season 5, Kayce will be faced with choosing only one and abandoning the other.
What Happened to Broken Rock's Angela Blue Thunder?
Back in Yellowstone season 3, Thomas Rainwater decided to hire corporate lawyer Angela Blue Thunder (Q'orianka Kilcher) to have a better fighting chance against the enemies of The Confederated Tribes of Broken Rock. While Mo (Mo Brings Plenty) may be right about Angela Blue Thunder being evil, she was nonetheless an integral voice in the show. It was Angela who reminded Thomas that their tribe's age-old laws about protecting the land at all costs predates not just the Duttons' century-old claim to the land, but also the laws of any modern white government. Angela even briefly teamed up with Beth to go after a common enemy, which was the first time that the Duttons and Broken Rock truly cooperated. Despite the character's promise, Angela Blue Thunder never appears and isn't even discussed at all in Yellowstone season 4. That being said, this could mean that Angela is slated for a dramatic return during the fifth season.
Does Anyone Else Apart From Jamie And Christina Know That They Have A Son?
Jamie's brief relationship with Christina (Katherine Cunningham), the former manager for his attorney general campaign, resulted in a son. Based on the events in the finale, it's highly unlikely that either John or Beth knows about Jamie's baby. In Yellowstone season 5, Jamie's son might prove to be just what he needs in order to get back into John's good graces, and finally put an end to Jamie and Beth's long-running sibling rivalry. It wouldn't be that surprising if the youngest Dutton becomes a bargaining chip for settling the troubled family's internal disputes. Jamie might even use his son to gain votes if he decides to betray his family again and insist on running for governor.
What's Going To Happen To Jimmy At The Four-Sixes Ranch?
Yellowstone season 4 sees wayward ranch hand Jimmy Hurdstrom (Jefferson White) finally becoming a real cowboy, and it's all thanks to John's decision to send him off to Texas' Four-Sixes Ranch. Jimmy impresses John so much that he not only clears Jimmy's debts, but even allows him to leave the ranch with his new fiancée Emily (Kathryn Kelly). While it's pleasing to imagine that it's all smooth-sailing for Jimmy from here on, it's likely that Jimmy will return to the Four-Sixes Ranch. This means that Jimmy will be in the main cast for the upcoming Yellowstone spinoff series 6666, which is bound to put Jimmy's new skills – and his new relationship with Emily – to the test.
Yellowstone season 4's unanswered questions puts into perspective what this show is really about. Apart from loyalty to family, Yellowstone is about the lengths that people will go to in order to protect or exploit what remains of America's unspoiled wilderness. By answering these hanging questions, Yellowstone season 5 could provide a satisfying final act for one of the most compelling neo-Western dramas of all time.