“Yellowstone” has seen plenty of characters head in and out of the Dutton ranch (or sent to the infamous train station), but one character who made a surprise and swift exit was Tanaya Beatty’s Avery. Rip Wheeler’s (Cole Hauser) hired horse groomer made intermittent appearances from the start: turning up in the Season 1 finale and being a prominent presence in Season 2, she didn’t return to the show until Season 4, which explained her absence.
After unexpectedly quitting her job at the Dutton ranch, she went to live with her family at the Broken Rock Reservation. It was then that her feelings for Kayce (Luke Grimes) were confirmed, implying that this was her real reason for calling it a day with the Duttons. Her last appearance was as a vision to Kayce in Season 4, Episode 10, “Grass on the Streets and Weeds on the Rooftops,” seemingly representing an impending test on his marriage and family life.
While this seemed like an obvious setup for Beatty’s return, she was a no-show yet again during the events of Season 5, Part 1. Thankfully, while she might not have spent much more time getting mixed up in bunkhouse brawls and the ongoing struggles of the Dutton dyn asty, Beatty has appeared elsewhere and has more interesting work lined up as well.
Tanaya Beatty has a busy schedule
After departing from “Yellowstone,” Tanaya Beatty has continued an eclectic career, with one exciting project in particular on the horizon. Following her stint on “Yellowstone,” she starred alongside Thandiwe Newton in the thriller “God’s Country,” before appearing in the mind-bending David Cronenberg body-horror film, “Crimes of the Future.” In 2023, she worked opposite Kate McKinnon, Rashida Jones, and Daveed Diggs in “In the Blink of an Eye.” Former Pixar director Andrew Stanton helms the film, which tackles the small matter of the history of the universe and human life through three interconnecting tales. The movie is still awaiting a premiere date on Hulu at press time.
Unfortunately, one title not on Beatty’s upcoming list is “Yellowstone,” but who knows? Now that a Season 5, Part 2 filming start date has been confirmed following the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Avery could have space to return and stir things up even more than they already are. With the fifth season now confirmed to be the show’s last and behind-the-scenes drama involving Kevin Costner — who doesn’t seem likely to return — perhaps a reappearance from Avery will help fill story gaps left by the show’s biggest star. We’ll just have to wait until the Dutton ranch reopens its barn doors to find out.