“Yellowstone” fans have been on the edge of their seats ever since Sunday’s episode, picking up on possible clues about the show’s future. The announcer’s revelation during the promotion of the next episode, stating that only one episode remains until the season finale, has sparked intense speculation. Some viewers are wondering if the Dec. 15 episode is truly the “season finale” or if there could be more to come. One viewer wrote on X, “[That] was one of the best hours of television, EVER. My goodness. One question though – How in the world will they wrap all of this up in 2 episodes? I did notice that SEASON finale line instead of SERIES finale line. That didn’t go unnoticed.” Another viewer chimed in, “Did anyone catch on the previews how they said ‘Yellowstone’ season finale, not series finale. Any hints that there is another season?”

Potential for Another Season with Different Lead

Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly star as one of the show’s main couples, Rip Wheeler and Beth Dutton. While no official news about a possible sixth season has been confirmed, reports indicate that negotiations are underway. Sources told Deadline that at the time, no deals had been reached, but “Yellowstone” will likely continue with Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly as the leads. The second half of “Yellowstone” season five premiered on Nov. 10 without Kevin Costner. Hauser has spoken about the rumors, previously hinting at a possible spinoff show in April. He said, “I’m so focused on finishing ‘Yellowstone’ the way it needs to be finished right now – well, just the show itself. We’ll see where that leads. But I know that there’s some stuff on the horizon when it comes to Taylor’s ideas for Kelly Reilly and myself, and some of the other cast. I’m excited to see where he goes creatively with that. But right now, it’s just: Let’s finish strong; let’s do the best we can.” In September, Hauser touched on the rumors to Fox News Digital, noting that he is “a hired gun” and does not get to make all the decisions. He said, “I can’t comment right now, but I mean, listen, in a perfect world, I think it would be amazing to see this thing go on, but there’s a lot of different people involved in that decision. I’m a hired gun. I ain’t a producer, I ain’t the studio head, just a hired gun. But I hope so. I hope it really happens because it would be fun.”

The Fate of Kevin Costner’s Character

Kevin Costner starred as John Dutton in “Yellowstone.” In the first episode of the second half of season five, his character was killed off in a staged suicide. This moment did not sit well with fans but was praised by “Yellowstone” director Christina Voros. She said, “I think it is [a] testament to his faith in the characters and the actors who embody them to go, ‘Let’s not make this about the incident. Let’s make this about how these human beings exist in the aftermath.’ That was more interesting to [Taylor] than the incident itself. Death and birth are the two constants in our human experience. They are the most pivotal moments in our lives, and yet they are the most pedestrian elements of being a human being. What’s interesting about birth and death is not the birth and death itself, but the way it affects us as people. To me, I think that was the driving force in telling the story this way. He’s asked, ‘How does everybody else survive and what do they do?’ And that’s where the mystery is. That is where the unraveling is. That is where the story is.”

Costner’s Decision to Focus on “Horizon”

Kevin Costner seemingly had issues with the timing of filming “Yellowstone” as he wanted to focus on his latest project, “Horizon.” The first movie in the four-part saga was in post-production at the time, a “critical” time of putting things together. Costner emphasized, “I’m here. Somewhere along the line they wanted to change things. They wanted to do 5A and 5B… affected ‘Horizon.’ I was going to do my movie ‘Horizon’ and leave that show, do my movie, then do B. A show I was only doing once a year I was now doing twice.”