Yellowstone ends and offers a glimpse at more 1923

This article contains spoilers for the finale of Yellowstone.

It’s the end of an era… sort of. In the Yellowstone Cinematic Universe, there’s always another era of Yellowstone to dive into. In this case, the blow of the flagship series coming to an end was softened by a preview of what’s to come back in 1923. And as we know, Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) are getting their own spin-off. But although Yellowstone never truly ends, the finale did feature one major conclusion: the end of the Duttons’ ownership of the Yellowstone ranch. 

Yes, the dynasty came to a close when the Duttons sold the ranch to Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) and the Confederated Tribes of Broken Rock. Beth found somewhere new for her and her husband to live, but not before laying her father to rest on the land and promising she would avenge him. She does so by brutally murdering her estranged brother Jamie (Wes Bentley), whose body Rip tidily disposes of. That leaves the remaining family members and Yellowstone denizens to look out on the horizon of their happy endings, narrated by their ancestor Elsa Dutton (Isabel May).

That brings us to 1923, for which series Elsa also serves as narrator. The show, which stars Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren as that era’s Dutton patriarch and matriarch, is slated to return on February 23. In the second season, “a cruel winter brings new challenges and unfinished business to Jacob (Ford) and Cara (Mirren) back at Dutton ranch,” per the synopsis (via The Hollywood Reporter). “With harsh conditions and adversaries threatening to end the Dutton legacy, Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) embarks on an arduous journey home, racing against time to save his family in Montana. Meanwhile, Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer) sets off on her own harrowing trans-Atlantic journey to find Spencer and reclaim their love.” You can check out the trailer for the new season below.