We’ve been waiting a while for the second half of Yellowstone’s fifth season, and we finally know that Season 5 of Taylor Sheridan’s flagship Western, along with two new spinoffs, will be coming in late 2024. So, now that the official countdown has begun, the questions about what is coming next for the Duttons are racing around my mind. Luckily, Luke Grimes shared some insight about what’s coming next for Kayce and his family, and it gives us a little peek into what’s to come in the final episodes of the drama.
Back in May, Grimes was asked about what’s next for Yellowstone, and specifically his character Kayce. Throughout the entire show, but specifically during Season 5A, a primary point of conflict for the youngest Dutton was the choice between his wife and son or his father and the ranch. The actor explained that this will likely continue to be an issue going into the second half of the season as he told ET:
Love and family and serve your tribe, your people — that’s a huge theme in the show. With Kacey, he has a hard time choosing his relationship with his father versus his relationship with his wife and son. I think it’s because it all really matters and it matters to all of the characters.
He makes a really good point here. No matter what relationship or point of conflict you are looking at with Yellowstone, it centers around family and “[serving] your tribe,” as Grimes put it. Jamie and Beth’s feud, John’s struggle to keep his family’s legacy alive through the ranch, and Kayce’s constant internal conflict between choosing his father and the ranch or Monica and Tate are central to the story of the Yellowstone. Even outside the direct Dutton family, the bonds between the Bunkhouse Boys, especially those who wear the brand, and romances like Rip and Beth’s, show how unity and family are what drive Yellowstone’s story forward. Grimes elaborated on this idea, saying:
That’s sort of where you get all of this really juicy drama, is that everyone is sort of fighting for their team. There’s no right team or wrong team, it’s just a bunch of people trying to figure out how to do what’s best for their own.
This general theme Luke Grimes is referring to has been constant throughout the show, and there’s been a real emphasis on it throughout Season 5. The Bunkhouse Boys, including Rip are leaving the Yellowstone with the cows to protect the ranch. John ran for governor to protect the ranch. Beth and Jamie are going to war because of their wickedly different thought processes when it comes to protecting the ranch. Kayce can’t pick because he wants to protect the ranch and his family. Everyone on this show is driven by their loved ones and this farm, and going into the end of Season 5, it seems like this idea will be more relevant than ever before.