Spoiler Alert for Yellowstone season 5, part 2Each cowboy inYellowstonehas exciting endeavors on the horizon, even if they can’t work at the Dutton Ranch after the season 5 finale. Kayce sells the Yellowstone to Thomas Rainwater and the Broken Rock Tribe inYellowstoneseason 5, episode 14, ending the Dutton occupation of Native land. The development is inspiring but leaves the cowboys out of a job. Even Lloyd has to seek a new opportunity despite Rip asking him to stay. The ranch hands started to ask questions as cattle and horses left the ranch in droves, and those questions were answered in the finale.
Asfans react to theYellowstoneseason 5 finale, some find it predictable, but few can deny that each of the series' best stories was neatly concluded. That includes the evolving stories of its ranch hands, who either sought another cowboy outfit or used the employment lapse to water other gardens. While neo-Western creator Taylor Sheridan has yet to determine whose stories will continue, almost every cowboy has a path forward after the conclusion ofYellowstoneseason 5, part 2. The conclusions hone in on Ryan and Teeter after Colby Mayfield’s death.
8Jake
Jake Will Join Montana’s N Bar Ranch
Yellowstoneseason 5 explains that Jake will continue his life as a cowboy. It’s a fitting ending for the character, who has been with the outfit since season 1. When the ranch foreman asks his former hands if they have their next job lined up,Jake tells Rip that he signed on to a ranch called the N Bar, meaning that Jake will get right back in the saddle. Jake has been a constant, but he doesn’t have a distinct personal story to continue, so his cowboy conclusion is fitting, especially considering theYellowstonecharacteris an actual cowboy.
As the cowboys drink yellow jackets and exchange banter,Sheridan’s Travis reveals that Jake has joined Instagram and amassed a meager following of two or three followers.
Jake has an unexpected storyline heading out of the finale episode. As the cowboys drink yellow jackets and exchange banter,Sheridan’s Travis reveals that Jake has joined Instagramand amassed a meager following of two or three followers. Travis even paints a picture of Jake’s future as an Instagram influencer, suggesting he visit different truck stops and post photos for free nachos. While Jake will probably stick to driving cattle for now, at least we know he started a social media account where he can keep in touch with the other cowboys.
7Walker
Walker Will Follow Girlfriend Laramie
As Travis and Jimmy Hurdstram depart the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch to return to the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas, Walker tells Jimmy they might soon cross paths in the Lone Star State. When Jimmy asks if Walker found an outfit,Laramie chimes in that Walker will be hitting the road with her in the Capri CamperLaramie often stayed in at the ranch. The development confirmed that Walker and Laramie would stay together. Their mobility could allow them to appear in any modern continuation ofYellowstone,with the ability to traverse the country comfortably.
Walker actor Ryan Bingham and Laramie actor Hassie Harrison tied the knot in real life after the couple met while playing characters who dated inYellowstone.
Knowing that Walker leaves the ranch surrounded by jubilee and excitement would have been unthinkable in former seasons. Walker doesn’t like the Yellowstone Ranch when he first arrives, after Rip recruits him outside the prison he’s being released from. The two cowboys experience a significant conflict, resulting in Rip wanting to take Walker to the train station. However, Kayce saves Walker’s life, and he eventually rejoins the ranch and meets Laramie. Walker is a wanderer, and he loves Laramie, so following her on the road is a great fit.
6Teeter
Teeter Gets A Job At Bosque Ranch
As Travis and Jimmy Hurdstram prepare to depart the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch to return to Texas, Teeter runs out after Travis. The lauded horse trainer was at the Yellowstone Ranch after successfully auctioning off its best show horses, and his presence gave Teeter an idea about what her next chapter should include. Following the unfortunate fate of her sweetheart, Colby, inYellowstoneseason 5, episode 12,Teeter can’t start her life with the cowboy she successfully wooedwhile working at John’s ranch. The death continues to affect Teeter in the finale.
Taylor Sheridan’s Divisive Role In Yellowstone’s Final Season Defended By EP
Executive producer Christina Alexandra Voros defends Taylor Sheridan’s divisive cameo as Travis Wheatley in the Yellowstone final season.
Teeter follows Travis outside the bunkhouse, calling after him and saying she could work for him as a loper or turnback help if he needed an extra hand. After briefly discussing Travis' management style with Jimmy, Teeter decides that Travis will be a fair employer, and she leans into his truck window to declare that she will report to his ranch in a week. Despite Travis giving her money for an audiobook, hoping to reduce her accent, Teeter arrives in Texas speaking with a southern twang, maintaining her distinctive quality regardless of a new beginning.
5Ethan
Ethan Is Heading To The N Bar
As Beth and Rip prepare for John Dutton III’s funeral, Rip ventures inside the bunkhouse to address the cowboys and offers them each a small Manila envelope, presumably filled with a severance payment. When he asks each cowboy if they know where they are heading next,Jake speaks for himself and Ethan when he says they are going to the N Bar. Jake Reams and Ethan Lee play the ranch hands, and theYellowstoneactors are cowboys in real life, which makes their ending the perfect fit for the characters, who are a few ofYellowstone’s authentic cowboys.
Yellowstone’s Ending Was Pre-Determined 2 Years Ago In A Different Taylor Sheridan Show
Yellowstone had limited options for its season finale since Taylor Sheridan tied its ending to a different show two years before the finale.
Ethan has been with the show for several seasons, joining forYellowstoneseason 3. While Jake and Ethan don’t have prominent roles in the series, their characters have become a staple of the bunkhouse. Looking at a map, the N Bar Ranch is a cowboy outfit in central Montana. The ranch is just over a 300-mile drive from Dillon, Montana, andBeth and Rip’s ranchis another 40 miles west of that. Therefore, Jake and Ethan could visit the ranch foreman if Rip required a few extra sets of hands when he gets his cattle operation off the ground.
4Lloyd
Lloyd Wants To Heckle City Folks
Despite Rip’s promise to Lloyd inYellowstoneseason 5, episode 13, Lloyd has to consider other plans in the finale. As Beth liquidates the ranch’s assets, Rip asks Lloyd to be the single ranch hand to stay with the outfit, intending to keep Lloyd around so they can rebuild the ranch when Beth and Kayce figure out how to save it. However, with Kayce’s plan to sell the land to the Broken Rock Tribe,Lloyd is officially out of a job in the finale, and he takes it harder than anyone, understandably, having been there the longest.
Rip assures his buddy that the door at his home is always open, and it feels natural that Lloyd would be working alongside Rip and Carter again in the Beth and RipYellowstonespinoff.
In the finale, Rip offers Lloyd a new job working at Beth and his ranch 40 miles west of Dillon, Montana. However, Lloyd remarks he wants to pull a loose string out of West Yellowstone, remarking that he doesn’t want to cowboy at all if it can’t be on the wild land he is accustomed to. It sounds like Lloyd will be surrounded by tourists. However, Rip assures his buddy that the door at his home is always open, and it feels natural that Lloyd would be working alongside Rip and Carter again in theBeth and RipYellowstonespinoff.
3Colby
Sadly,Colby is dead in the finalefollowing a heartbreaking accident inYellowstoneseason 5, episode 12. After an unruly horse trapped Carter in the back of a horse pen, Colby rushed in to save him, clearing the way for the stall boy to leave and finding himself trapped instead. The horse stomps and tramples Colby in the incident, killing him immediately, despite Carter shooting the horse to save him. Sadly, Teeter isn’t even in Montana when Colby dies, having followed the herd to Texas. The couple never gets to say goodbye, but exchange long-distance"I love yous."
Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 12’s Dutton Ranch Latest Death Explained
Yet another character died in Yellowstone season 5, part 2 in “Counting Coup,” following in the footsteps of John Dutton’s and Sarah Atwood’s demises.
The auctioneer pays respects to Colby and John Dutton III inYellowstoneseason 5, episode 13, and his mother comes and collects his things after his death, bringing Colby’s death full circle despite its suddenness. Colby was in nearly every episode, so his character not finishing off the series was a letdown. However, it could be thatSheridan killed Colby’s character so that Teeter was motivated to flee Montanaand return to her home state of Texas, working alongside Jimmy and Travis at the Bosque Ranch, and the development positions Teeter to feature in6666.
2Jimmy
Jimmy Continues His Texas Work
TheYellowstoneseason 5 finale confirms that all is well for Jimmy Hurdstram, who goes to work for Travis Wheatley after John Dutton sends him to Texas.When in Montana, Jimmy experienced a near-fatal accident at a rodeoand went to work for Travis at the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas after John covered his medical bills in full. While Jimmy didn’t want to leave the ranch or his girlfriend behind, it was the best thing. After changing his ways, Jimmy officially gets John’s blessing to stay in Texas, markingJimmy’sYellowstoneendingin Montana.
Ethan Lee
Ethan
The finale clarifies that Jimmy’s life continues an upward swing.Jimmy continues to live happily with his girlfriend, Emily, who also associates with the Four Sixes Ranch. Despite their antagonistic relationship, Jimmy and Travis also remain close, with the former assisting the horse trainer with his work and traveling with him on the road. The cowboy is slated to return to theYellowstonefranchise inJimmy’s6666Yellowstonespinoff. However,Yellowstoneexecutive producer Christina Voros recently said she doesn’t know if the show is still in development (viaTV Insider.)
1Ryan
Ryan Chases Down His Super Bowl
When Teeter asks Ryan where he is heading in theYellowstoneseason 5 finale, Ryan remarks that he plans to stop wasting time. When Teeter tells Ryan that his plans don’t include a direction, he insists they do. When doling out severance, Rip has a similar concern for his friend. Ryan says he will wander, to which Rip replies wandering doesn’t pay well. His vague plans mysteriously develop asRyan loads the back of his truck after John Dutton III’s funeral. He is the only cowboy who properly bids everyone goodbye, highlighting Ryan’s importance.
Abby actor Lainey Wilson performs “Hang Tight Honey” from herWhiplashalbum as Ryan enters the Billy Bob’s Texas bar in Fort Worth.
Ryan reaches his mysterious destination in one of season 5’s last segments, as he attends Abby’s concert. After the show, Abby finds Ryan, and he admits he made a mistake. InYellowstoneseason 5, part 1, Ryan travels down to the Lone Star State, choosing his cowboy opportunity over a life with Abby in Montana. Ryan rights his wrong in the finale, telling the singer he thought about her every night while lying under the West Texas sky. Abby happily accepts Ryan’s apology, giving him a job on her tour after they kiss and make up, leavingYellowstonefans curious.
Yellowstone
Cast
Yellowstone follows the Dutton family, led by patriarch John Dutton, as they defend their expansive ranch against external threats from land developers, an Indian reservation, and America’s first national park. Released on August 19, 2025, this series examines the complex dynamics and violent conflicts surrounding the largest contiguous ranch in the United States.
