How John Dutton Secretly Appears In The Yellowstone Season 5 Finale

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This article contains spoilers for the "Yellowstone" season 5 finale, "Life Is a Promise"

"Yellowstone" season 5 killed off John Dutton in a controversial manner that didn't exactly match the classy death clause for the character that's reportedly stipulated in Kevin Costner's contract. However, the season 5 finale — possibly the last-ever episode of the series — gives the character a respectful send-off with an emotional funeral in which he might have made an appearance ... as a bird.

The scene in question sees a falcon appear during the service for John, with Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) locking eyes with the bird before it flies away. The scene also occurs after Beth pays her final respects to her father, revealing that she had to give their land to Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) to ensure that it remains pure. As such, the bird appearing can be interpreted as John's spirit letting her know that he supports her decision — and it's a fitting form for him to take given that falcons are synonymous with strength.

John appearing as a bird at his own funeral might seem far-fetched, but "Yellowstone" has embraced spiritual concepts before, as evidenced by the time Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) embarked on a vision quest — which he brings up again in the season 5 finale. Falcons are also significant to this family as one appears when Elsa Dutton dies at the end of "1883." That said, while the bird in the "Yellowstone" finale can be interpreted as John bidding farewell, it could also symbolize change for his daughter.

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The "Yellowstone" season 5 finale is all about saying goodbye to the past and preparing for the uncertainty of tomorrow. As previously mentioned, Thomas Rainwater inherits the ranch and vows to preserve it, meaning that it's in no danger of being sold to crooked capitalists like Market Equities. Meanwhile, Beth and her husband, Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser), prepare to embark on a new adventure, so a falcon appearing before her makes sense.

Falcons are widely viewed as symbols of change and fresh opportunities, which applies to Beth's story moving forward. "Life Is a Promise" sets up Beth and Rip's "Yellowstone" spin-off series by having them buy a ranch in Texas that's near a town where tourists aren't allowed to stop. Rip is going to run their ranch, while Beth plans on finding a way to make them rich.

The couple is officially free of their commitments to protecting a ranch that so much blood has been spilled over. However, it's possible that they will encounter more problems in their future, as "Yellowstone" spin-offs are full of violence and mayhem, and if this franchise has taught us anything, it's that rich people want to destroy cowboy havens with so-called progress.