Did 1883 Already Give Away Yellowstone's Ending?

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Spoilers ahead for "Yellowstone" season 5.

"Yellowstone" killing off Kevin Costner's John Dutton has left his loved ones dealing with some major problems. While Sarah Atwood's (Dawn Olivieri) season 5 death removed a major thorn from the family's side, the Duttons still must contend with financial woes, Uncle Sam, and the Market Equities nuisances who want to turn their ranch into an airport. John probably would have found a way to keep the property in the family, but his surviving children might give it back to its rightful owners before the series ends.

There's a scene in the "1883" prequel series where a tribal chief, Spotted Eagle (Graham Greene), tells James Dutton (Tim McGraw) that his people will reclaim the land in seven generations. The Dutton patriarch agrees, seemingly acknowledging that it's fair because it originally belonged to Native Americans. The "Yellowstone" family tree reveals that Tate Dutton (Brecken Merrill), the young son of Kayce (Luke Grimes) and Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille), is the seventh-generation son who's set to inherit everything — but maybe he won't.

"Yellowstone" season 5, episode 13 sees Kayce tell Monica that they must give the land away. He doesn't reveal who it must be given to, but Chief Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) and his people seem like the most likely candidates. Furthermore, doing so is the best way to save the property from its biggest threats.

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John Dutton's children have always been open to giving away the family's land, but Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Kayce fight to preserve it out of loyalty to their old man. Kayce longs to live a peaceful life with his wife and son, while Beth has frequently claimed that she'd happily sell the ranch if it weren't for her loyalty to John. However, their old man is gone now, the family's money is running out, and Thomas Rainwater is their best chance at finding a compromise that honors their dad's legacy and allows everyone to move on.

By giving the land to Rainwater and the Broken Rock Reservation, the government will have less jurisdiction over it, meaning that the corporate fat cats who want to destroy it with airports will also have less power. Of course, it's highly possible that these corporations and their guns-for-hire will continue posing a threat in some capacity, but at least Rainwater's people owning the land would protect it in a legal sense. 

John was a tyrant who opposed the Dutton land being handed over to anyone outside of his family. However, this might be the only way to save it, and the outcome was already told in the prophecy on "1883." Besides, John only ever wanted the land to remain pure and free from gentrification, and this solution is a viable way to make that happen.

We'll find out for sure how this story ends when the "Yellowstone" series finale airs on Sunday, December 15, at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount Network.