Yellowstone season 5, part 2 was disappointing in many ways, but the finale got several things right. The decision to end the neo-Western came soon after the news broke that Kevin Costner was leaving Yellowstone. Thus, there was a lot of speculation about how Costner’s John Dutton III would be written out and what the final six episodes would look like. John’s exit was handled in the premiere episode when he was found dead of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, but Beth and Kayce agreed that this was staged and set out in search of the truth.

10. Rip and Beth Got Their Happy Ending

The Two Moved to Dillon To Start A New Life

The worst thing that could have happened would have been if Rip or Beth had died during the finale, with their breaking up permanently being a close second. Fortunately, neither of these things happened. Instead, Beth and Rip finally got the peace they were looking for when they moved to Dillon after all the dust had settled. Their last scene involved both of them admitting they were finally happy, and Beth was especially thrilled that the bartender laughed at the idea of tourists coming through the area.

Of course, Beth and Rip’s happiness came at a great cost, as Rip helped Beth kill Jamie and then he and Lloyd disposed of the body in such a way that it will never be found or traced to them. They appear to have escaped legal problems as a result of the confrontation with Jamie, but it’s possible someone knows something and will cause trouble during Beth and Rip’s Yellowstone spinoff. However, for now, they got the happy ending they deserved after all the heartache they’ve experienced throughout their lives.

9. Kayce Finally Got His Freedom From The Ranch

John’s Youngest Son Cried Tears of Joy After Selling The Property

8. The Indigenous People Got Their Land Back

Mo Kept Rainwater’s Promise To Be John’s Protector

It was jarring to watch the Indigenous people removing the ranch house and other structures once they got the land back, but it was also a victory for them. Chief Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) has wanted to reclaim the property since Yellowstone‘s first episode. Additionally, an 1883 prophecy foreshadowed Yellowstone‘s ending, as it said that it would return to Indigenous control after seven generations. Fulfilling that prophecy connected Yellowstone to its spinoff and was thus the perfect way to wrap up the series.

That said, one of the most powerful scenes in Yellowstone‘s ending took place at the Dutton burial ground, which Rainwater had promised would remain undisturbed as both Indigenous people and Duttons were buried there. Several Indigenous people began knocking over the Duttons’ gravestones and laughing, but Mo put a stop to their behavior, telling them: “They protected this land. They died for this land. And this land is where they will stay.” Thus, Mo fulfilled Rainwater’s promise to Kayce to be John’s protector by ensuring that his resting place and that of his family members remained intact.

7. Elsa Dutton’s Narration Ending Yellowstone

She Summed Up Yellowstone’s Central Conflict

6. Jamie Got The Death He Deserved

There Was No Other Way His Story Could Have Ended After He Betrayed John

Thus, the only satisfying ending for Jamie was for him to be taken to the train station. Beth got the revenge she wanted since they were children and avenged her father’s murder, and Jamie’s body was disposed of in the way he deserved. While this means there is no hope for redemption for Jamie, there wouldn’t have been any way to believably redeem him after he went as far as he did, so his death is a victory for the Dutton family.

5. Ryan Got Back Together With His Girlfriend

He Reunited With Her After Listening To Her Sing In A Bar

4. Beth Accepted Carter As Part Of The Family

She Had Previously Refused To Let Him Call Her Mama

Carter was one of Yellowstone‘s best characters even though he only joined in season 4. Initially, he was a young enough child to latch himself onto Beth after his mother’s death and to call her “Mama,” which she quickly shut down. Carter quickly matured into a young adult and became a ranch hand who lived in the bunkhouse but maintained relationships with Rip and John despite Beth’s aloofness, which made Beth’s eventual acceptance of him more poignant.

Beth’s new attitude toward Carter began after Colby’s death when she invited him to stay in the ranch house overnight and told him that he was family. However, it was solidified when Beth and Rip invited him to come with them to their new ranch in Dillon. While Carter’s help is needed to make the new ranch a success, Beth and Rip could have hired any ranch hand; the fact that they chose Carter suggests that they now see him as their adopted son.

3. Teeter Moved On Past The Memories of Colby

She Was Too Heartbroken By His Death To Stay In Montana And Went To Texas To Work For Travis

Thus, Yellowstone made the right move by allowing Teeter to move on from the Yellowstone ranch and her memories of Colby. Even if heading to Texas to deal with Travis doesn’t seem like the best situation for her, this made sense.

2. Lloyd Decided To Retire Out Of Loyalty To John

He Didn’t Want To Work On A Different Ranch

Sadly, Yellowstone had to say goodbye to Lloyd, but that was the perfect ending for him. Lloyd has been John’s right-hand man for many years, so it makes sense that he wouldn’t want to pick up and move to another ranch now. His choice to retire instead demonstrated he was loyal to John until the end, as he will never work for another man as long as he lives.

1. Every Cowboy Was Taken Care Of After The Ranch Closed

Rip Gave Them Severance Pay And Tried To Check In On Their Plans

While Rip asked them to do one last job after he gave them their pay, they all would have chipped in to help bury John even if he hadn’t, and the fact that he was concerned about where they were going next demonstrated how important the cowboys were to Yellowstone‘s titular ranch without belaboring the point.