Jefferson White Confirms ‘Yellowstone’ Return — Is ‘6666’ Spinoff Still Happening?
Yellowstone alum Jefferson White has confirmed he’ll be back as Jimmy Hurdstrom in Season 5 Part 2, premiering Sunday, November 10 on Paramount Network and CBS. The actor shared photos on Instagram taken while filming down at the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas this summer, the captions revealing that the return to this ranch would be seen in the upcoming episodes. But what does this mean for the 6666 spinoff, which was announced in February 2021 and meant to be all about this Texas ranch?
The 6666 spinoff was one of the first Yellowstone spinoffs announced from this franchise and had the potential to be the first modern-day spinoff in the universe. Now, it seems like The Madison could come out before that one hits the small screens (it has already started filming). Could Jimmy’s return mean that the new season of Yellowstone, said to be its last, will set up the 6666 spinoff? We can only speculate on that possibility, but here’s everything there is to know about the show so far.
Is Jimmy coming back in Yellowstone?
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Yellowstone helped established 6666 through Jimmy’s storyline. Jimmy went from being completely unskilled on a ranch to holding his own as a cowboy thanks to his difficult but formative years at the Dutton Yellowstone Ranch, which included an awful rodeo accident that left him seriously injured. His relationship with Kevin Costner‘s John Dutton improved so much that he sent the young cowboy to the ranch in Texas to further improve his skills in Season 4.
Jimmy didn’t appreciate it at first, but he eventually realized how it could change his life. When the time came for him to go back to Montana, Jimmy realized his place was in Texas — and with the woman he had fallen in love with. John saw such a marked change in Jimmy, he happily let him break his vow to the Dutton ranch and move to Texas.
The Four Sixes ranch is a real place, and it opened its doors to Yellowstone when it filmed its fourth season. Season 5 Part 1 ended with Rip (Cole Hauser), Jake (Jake Ream), Ryan (Ian Bohen), Teeter (Jennifer Landon), and Walker (Ryan Bingham) leaving for a long stint at the Four Sixes to keep the Yellowstone cattle alive through the winter. Instagram posts from White and a real Four Sixes cowboy show the Yellowstone crew on set in Texas earlier this year.
Hauser, Bohen, Landon, Bingham, Ream, and White are all seen in the photos shared by Four Sixes cowboy Zack Peters on Instagram on September 7. White shared several posts on Instagram confirming his return to Yellowstone in late October (see above).
In three different posts, White said, “It’s a wild ride. New episodes of @yellowstone start November 10, can’t wait for you to see them,” “I finally got chaps with pockets so I could carry a camera on horseback. New episodes of @yellowstone starting 11/10,” and “Texas in August. New episodes of @yellowstone start 11/10.”
Additionally, on Sunday, November 3, Yellowstone wished White a happy birthday by posting a photo of him in-costume as Jimmy, full Four Sixes gear and all. Notably, he’s wearing a wedding ring in the photo. Jimmy was engaged to vet technician Emily (Kathryn Kelly) the last time we saw him. Is this confirmation that they got married in the time since?
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Hauser previously confirmed to TV Insider that Rip will be back in Montana to take care of things on the ranch in Season 5 Part 2, hinting at big changes to come for him and Beth (Kelly Reilly). With only six episodes in this supposed final season, we can’t imagine Rip being in Texas and away from Beth for too long.
What is the Yellowstone spinoff 6666 about?
Back when the 6666 series was announced in February 2021, it was announced as a Paramount+ exclusive series. “Founded when Comanches still ruled West Texas, no ranch in America is more steeped in the history of the West than the 6666,” the series description read. “Still operating as it did two centuries before, and encompassing an entire county, the 6666 is where the rule of law and the laws of nature merge in a place where the most dangerous thing one does is the next thing … The 6666 is synonymous with the merciless endeavor to raise the finest horses and livestock in the world, and ultimately where world class cowboys are born and made.”
It was never made clear if Jimmy would be the main character of the spinoff or if it would be an origin story of the Texas ranch similar to 1883 and 1923. Yellowstone creator and writer Taylor Sheridan is listed as an executive producer alongside John Linson, Art Linson, David Glasser, Ron Burkle, and Bob Yari.
In May 2022, Paramount announced that 6666 would move to Paramount Network instead of being a streaming-only show on Paramount+. That was the last official update fans have gotten on this spinoff, but it’s not the last they’ve heard of this ranch in the Yellowstone universe.
Who is in the 6666 cast?
Jimmy’s return will update fans on his life since leaving Montana for good, and it will hopefully come with a hint at what’s to come with 6666. If it is to be a modern-day spinoff, Jimmy is the obvious choice of main character. He’s a fan-favorite thanks to his strong arc on Yellowstone, and the Four Sixes episode succeeded at giving an intriguing look at ranch life in Texas even though Montana is this franchise’s familiar frontier. Jimmy’s possible wife, Emily, could be a main character as well.
Paramount never shared character or casting details when the series was announced.
Yellowstone, Season 5 Part 2 Premiere, Sunday, November 10, 8/7c, Paramount Network