Yellowstone’s upcoming Beth and Rip spinoff confirms that Taylor Sheridan can’t shake Kevin Costner’s legacy as John Dutton III. Paramount Network’s hit neo-Western wrapped up its run with a show-changing decision for the Dutton kids to save the ranch from developers. With John III dead, Beth and Kayce scrambled to ensure that their dad’s dream of keeping it intact remained, and the solution was essentially giving the land back to the Broken Rock Tribe. It’s difficult to imagine if John III had approved of this if he was still around, but it was the best outcome, given the circumstances.

The Yellowstone finale effectively wraps up the Duttons’ collective story in the land that they occupied for seven generations. However, the franchise will live with several spinoffs coming. Sheridan’s universe already has an ongoing prequel with 1923, but his storytelling will continue in modern times with The Madison — a spinoff led by Michelle Pfeiffer, and another show spearheaded by Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly. Currently untitled, Beth and Rip’s spinoff’s story remains unclear, but its existence confirms that Sheridan can’t escape Costner, even after John III met his end in a show that is now finished.

Beth & Rip’s Yellowstone Spinoff Essentially Functions As Season 6
The Flagship Show’s Story Will Continue Via Beth & Rip

As fan favorites, Beth and Rip’s story was heavily focused on in the main show. Yellowstone tackled their love story extensively, although since the flagship was still an ensemble, there are bits and pieces of their history that remain unexplored. Both as a couple and individually. Beth and Rip are very interesting, hence why it made sense that the franchise’s next offshoot will front both of them. That being said, it isn’t lost that what’s being billed as a spinoff is essentially just Yellowstone season 6, especially given how prominent the characters were in the original series.

This is actually a point of contention for the upcoming endeavor right now. Yellowstone’s Beth and Rip spinoff is potentially facing legal issues with regard to streaming rights. Sheridan and his creative team need to prove that the offshoot isn’t simply a continuation of the mothership. Somehow, it’s a blessing, since it forces the the screenwriter to come up with new takes for the said characters. Regardless of how Sheridan deals with this issue, however, Beth and Rip’s offshoot is the closest thing that viewers will ever have to Yellowstone season 6.

Beth & Rip Are John Dutton III’s Best Successors

John III Had Beth & Rip As His Most Loyal Allies

Beyond being interesting as characters, it’s also worth noting that Beth and Rip are John III’s best successors. Kayce never really wanted to have anything to do with the ranch and had a contentious relationship with his dad. This doesn’t mean that he didn’t love him, he did. However, he was too different from him. Jamie, on the other hand, was so desperate for John III’s approval that he became resentful when he continued to fail to get it.

Meanwhile, Beth was a daddy’s girl through and through. Granted that she didn’t agree with everything he wanted to do, but at the end of the day, she was loyal to him. The same can be said about Rip, who wasn’t related to him by blood but was arguably the son he always wanted. Because of what John III did for him, Beth’s husband was a committed ally to the Dutton family patriarch.

In fact, it would be difficult to craft Beth and Rip’s future without acknowledging the influence John III had on them.

Together, Beth and Rip are the best stalwarts of John III’s legacy in the Yellowstone franchise — whether that’s by preserving his impact or by keeping his defining traits alive in the franchise. Seeing their story continue via their own spinoffs is the best way to highlight Costner’s impact on the show. In fact, it would be difficult to craft Beth and Rip’s future without acknowledging the influence John III had on them.

Could Costner Return In Beth & Rip’s Yellowstone Spinoff?
Costner Will Unlikely Play John III Again

Because of the way Costner exited Yellowstone, the chances of him returning to the franchise are very slim to none. Sheridan had to be creative in the final episodes of the main show to be able to properly send John III off, even when the narrative revealed that he was killed early on. Admittedly, the new show decides to use previously unseen footage of John III via flashbacks or visions. Perhaps, it can also tap a body double for it. However, it’s highly unlikely that Costner will ever reprise his role again in the neo-Western series.