How did we get to big 'Yellowstone' ending? Relive final season's ...

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'Yellowstone' finale: What happened with Rip and Beth and what's next?

What's next for "Yellowstone"? Here's a recap of the finale and a look back to our chat with Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly, plus a potential preview.

"Yellowstone" Season 5 is TV history after Sunday's drama-filled episode that ended with patriarch John Dutton's funeral, a ranch sale and the murder of Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley). But how did we get to this bloody but happy ending?

Big changes happened on TV's No. 1 show after the first half of Season 5 ended in January 2023. Kevin Costner, who starred as the franchise's cornerstone, left "Yellowstone" after a prolonged dispute with creator and executive producer Taylor Sheridan. That major departure drastically changed Season 5's final half, which began airing in November.

We will reportedly see Rip (Cole Hauser) and Beth (Kelly Reilly) down the line in a new spinoff series. But here are the must-know points of each of the final six episodes, which began airing Nov. 10.

Governor John Dutton is murdered

Sheridan wasted no time dispatching Costner's pivotal character. The Montana governor is discovered dead in the opening scene, which takes place the morning Dutton was due to face impeachment charges brought by his own son, Attorney General Jamie. Police think the gruesome gunshot death is suicide. But loyal daughter Beth, the first to pull up to the Governor's mansion, knows her father was murdered and whodunit — Jamie and his scheming girlfriend, lawyer Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri).

Beth makes a promise to Jamie she later keeps

In a foreshadowing moment, Beth storms into the attorney general's office and confronts her brother, Jamie. She slaps her lifelong sparring partner in the face three times, demanding he make eye contact and tell her he had nothing to do with daddy's death. Jamie can't do it. "Seeing me will be the last thing you will ever do alive," Beth hisses.

Kayce Dutton pushes to investigate Governor Dutton's death

Kayce Dutton turns up the heat to get the police to investigate his father's murder. He insists the medical examiner take another look at the governor's cold, dead body laid out in the morgue. Sure enough, Kayce, a former Navy SEAL and Afghanistan War veteran, points out how professional killers did the job on the governor while he was sleeping in the mansion. An initial suicide ruling is dropped, and police call for an immediate investigation. Jamie's plan to move ahead with a major land development with Atwood's firm, Market Equities — which his father had blocked — is in jeopardy. And his involvement might come to light. Jamie's freakout reaches new levels when Atwood, who was the only link to the assassins, is shot dead in her car, while Jamie is on the phone with her.

Here's the Episode 12 recap: John Dutton gets grisly 'Yellowstone' re-examination, and this major character is killed

Jamie Dutton acts like a suspect, and Colby is killed by a horse

Jamie tries to bluff the questioning cops, but they only become more suspicious about his link to Atwood. He moves to prime suspect with an extra target on his back from Beth, who tells Kayce, "You leave Jamie to me."

Back at the ranch, bunkhouse favorite Colby (Denim Richards) is killed saving Carter (Finn Little) from a man-eating horse gone wild. Colby rushes into the stall to distract the horse from Carter, who is trapped in the corner. The horse kicks Colby dead in the head before Carter shoots the horse, who's fed to wolves.

Here's the episode recap: A new heartbreaking 'Yellowstone' death revealed

Jamie has a butt-saving plan, Kayce has ranch ideas

Jamie's ex-girlfriend Christina (Katherine Cunningham) urges the father of their child to fight back hard against the forces coming against him and give a power speech to distance himself from Atwood and deny any wrongdoing. At the ranch, Kayce drops a brilliant idea to Beth: Sell the debt-ridden Yellowstone at a much lower price than it's worth. But to whom?

Here's the episode recap: Kayce Dutton is the 'Yellowstone' savior

The ranch is sold, Jamie is killed and John Dutton is buried

"Yellowstone" ties up all the loose ends in what's likely its series finale. John Dutton is finally laid to rest next to his dead wife and ancestors in the ranch graveyard. Beth's last words to the coffin: she will avenge his death. She immediately makes good on the promise by driving over to Jamie's house and attacking her brother, just hours after the embattled attorney general had given the speech of his lifetime. With Rip holding Jamie, Beth sticks the knife into his chest. She gets revenge, and that eye contact at last.

"Look at me," Beth tells the dying Jamie. "I'm going to be the last thing you'll ever see."

Kayce makes good on his brilliant land idea, selling the largest (fictional) ranch in Montana for $1.25 an acre to the Native Americans who originally had the land taken from them.

Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), the chairman of the Confederated Tribes of Broken Rock, vows to keep the land free from development forever, and to allow the Dutton graves to stay.

Here's our finale recap: John Dutton's funeral, a bloody death, that '1883' ranch sale

“Your people are buried on that land, and so are mine. It’s sacred, and that’s how we will treat it.” Rainwater says. "So your family forever has a home here."

Rip and Beth move to a new Wyoming ranch, which looks like a stunning place for a spinoff. The power couple agrees to ride off into the sunset to their new local bar, which has a hitching post.

Final death toll: Four humans, and one man-eating horse.