‘Yellowstone’ Finale Shocker: Who Dies & Who Will Survive Into Season 4?
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Season 3 finale of Yellowstone, “The World Is Purple.”]
Yellowstone leaves us wondering if pretty much the entire Dutton family has been wiped out at the end of its Season 3 finale.
The future of the Duttons’ ranch remains uncertain, though all parties involved—those wanting to preserve it (like Kevin Costner’s John and Gil Birmingham’s Thomas Rainwater, on the Duttons’ side to an extent), those wanting to sell it (Wes Bentley’s Jamie, grappling with the revelation John adopted him), and those wanting to buy it to turn it into a lucrative airport (Karen Pittman’s Market Equities CEO Willa Hayes and Josh Holloway’s hedge fund manager Roarke Morris —came together in a meeting that saw Jamie approve the sale of a section of the land.
Then, as Willa, accused of harassment by a “Jane Doe” (nicely done, Beth), talks to Roarke about playing dirty and Jamie informs ranch foreman (and Beth’s fiancé) Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser), who can’t reach anyone, not to call him anymore, the lives of six characters—including three Duttons and one ranch hand—are left hanging in the balance.
As Beth (Kelly Reilly) was packing up her office (after Willa fired her), her assistant brought in a box that had been delivered … which then exploded. Meanwhile, Kayce (Luke Grimes), sharing the news that people want him to run for governor with his wife Monica (Kelsey Asbille), was shocked when gunmen burst into his office. And John, helping a woman change a flat tire on the side of the road, was gunned down—as was the innocent bystander. (Her son, fortunately, was looking for car parts he left in the field.) Who exactly was responsible is still a mystery, though obviously it’s connected to the sale of the land. (Was Jamie involved?!)
Plus, Jimmy (Jefferson White), trying to see if he could get back on a horse after his rodeo injury, was bucked right off and left unconscious.
Scroll down to see who we think survived that potential bloodbath (ranked from least to most likely) as we wait for Season 4. (And might the number of deaths match the number of graves John had the bikers dig up—three—in Episode 4?)
Yellowstone, Season 4, TBA, Paramount Network
Beth's assistant
Considering she was the one to open the box and right in front of it when it exploded, she’s all but confirmed dead.
The woman John helped
Sadly, she’s likely to be collateral damage in the mess the Duttons are mixed up in. She took several bullets and was not moving when the last scene of the finale showed John still alive.
Jimmy (Jefferson White)
After an accident during a competition earlier in the season, Jimmy was lucky enough to be able to walk away. But chances are that won’t be the case this time. Killing him off this way—what seems like a minor accident compared to the attacks on the Duttons—could be done for shock value. And if he does survive this latest hit, we suspect his life will be changed forever (and not just because his girlfriend, the barrel racer Mia played by Eden Brolin, seems like she’ll walk away if he stops competing).
Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes)
Life seems to be going well for Kayce right now. His marriage with Monica is back on track. Their son, Tate (Brecken Merrill), is doing well after his kidnapping at the end of Season 2. He likes being Livestock Commissioner and is looking to his future by considering it might include being governor. And therefore, that could all come to an abrupt end—especially since that desk he ducked behind isn’t the best defense against bullets.
Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly)
It’s hard to imagine Yellowstone without Beth. After all, she and Rip are finally happy and planning their wedding—he had his mother’s coffin dug up so he could get her ring off her finger—and the conflict between her and Willa (and her and Roarke) is just too juicy to not have it continue into Season 4. It would be shocking if she’s killed off, even though the explosion originated from her office.
John Dutton (Kevin Costner)
John was still alive when we last saw him at the end of the finale, even after taking a couple bullets and unable to call for help since his phone was damaged. And let’s be realistic: there is no Yellowstone without Kevin Costner and his John Dutton. We expect John to be injured, but not down for the count, and out for revenge when Season 4 begins.
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