"Yellowstone" Series Finale Disappoints Fans

The Yellowstone series finale really let fans down, leaving them wanting more. It just didn't live up to the hype.

(Spoiler alert for "Yellowstone" Season 5 Episode 14 – "Life is a Promise")

As "Yellowstone" came to a close, the finale left a lot of unanswered questions. While the show has been great for five seasons, the ending, "Life is a Promise," has been a hot topic of debate. Between predictable plot points and weird character endings, here are five of the biggest disappointments.

1. It felt like Taylor Sheridan was just showing off. Instead of focusing on the characters we love, the finale spent too much time on Sheridan's own character, Travis Wheatley. He just sat around telling stories and even made fun of Teeter's accent, which felt really insensitive after everything she'd been through with Colby. It was even worse considering the last episode had Bella Hadid and a bunch of random scenes with strip poker and pool parties. It felt like they wasted time that could have been used to wrap up important storylines.
2. There was this totally unnecessary musical performance. With so much to wrap up, it was weird that they decided to include a six-minute concert scene with Abby (Lainey Wilson). While Ryan and Abby getting back together was important, the long song just felt like filler. They could have used that time to explain what happened to Jamie's son or explore the Dutton family's isolated way of thinking. Instead, we got a random music video.
3. The whole thing was way too predictable. "Yellowstone" was known for its twists and turns, but the finale was super obvious. Jamie's death was predictable, and selling the ranch to Thomas Rainwater, while it made sense, wasn't a surprise at all. Everything worked out exactly how you'd expect: the ranch hands got paid off, the Dutton kids went their separate ways, and there were no real surprises. It was nothing like the previous seasons.
4. Beth and Rip got off way too easy. After years of doing some seriously messed-up stuff, they basically got a clean slate. The "train station" was still a secret, and all their bad deeds just seemed to disappear. It felt like a cop-out, especially since the show used to explore the consequences of violence. Their happy ending felt cheap and undermined the show's message about power and legacy.
5. Jamie Dutton's ending was a huge letdown. His death just didn't have the impact it should have. The fight with Beth, him getting killed with a kitchen knife, and then just being dumped at the "train station" felt like a really weak ending for such a complex character. Moreover, the explanation for his disappearance made no sense. The idea that a district attorney could just disappear, especially with all the Dutton family drama, is ridiculous. It felt like they just didn't care about his character development.

In the end, "Yellowstone" will still be remembered as a great show, but the finale felt more like tying loose ends than giving us a real conclusion. They rushed through everything and chose easy answers instead of exploring complex issues. It felt more like an epilogue than a proper ending.

Even though the finale was disappointing, the "Yellowstone" universe continues with prequels and spin-offs, so the Dutton story isn't over yet.