8 Harsh Realities You’ll Face When Rewatching Yellowstone Season 1 After the Series Finale

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Yellowstone, which began in 2018 with Kevin Costner as John Dutton, tells the story of a fifth-generation Montana rancher fighting to protect his family’s legacy.

By the end of Season 5, the Dutton children—Beth, Kayce, and Jamie—make painful sacrifices, with Kayce ultimately selling the ranch to the Broken Rock tribe, fulfilling the prophecy set up in the prequel 1883.

With the story complete, revisiting Season 1 brings some tough truths to light.

1. Jamie Was Once the Best Lawyer for the Ranch

In the series premiere, Jamie Dutton is the family’s most effective legal defender, skillfully arguing against an eminent domain case. Despite his later turn into an antagonist, Season 1 reminds us that Jamie was once fully committed to the ranch, eager to please his father and follow orders—until Beth’s return disrupts his world.

2. Monica’s Lost Storyline

Monica, Kayce’s wife, starts out as a schoolteacher on the Broken Rock reservation, with her own ambitions and challenges. After suffering an assault at work, she perseveres and becomes a college lecturer. However, her storyline fades after Season 2, and the show misses the chance to further explore her life outside the Dutton family drama.

3. Thomas Rainwater’s Unexplored Background

Thomas Rainwater, chief of the Broken Rock tribe, is introduced as a complex character with a Harvard education and a Wall Street background. But after Season 1, the show never dives deeper into his past or motivations, leaving viewers with an incomplete picture of what drives him to fight for his people.

4. The Lost Bond Between John and Tate

Season 1 highlights the budding relationship between John Dutton and his grandson Tate. Their connection is meaningful, but by the end of the series, Tate’s final moments with his grandfather happen offscreen, making their lack of closure all the more bittersweet.

5. John Dutton’s Impossible Expectations

From the start, John places immense pressure on his children. Kayce is so affected by his father’s demands that he moves away. Over time, John’s expectations continue to shape—and sometimes damage—his children’s lives, with Kayce, Jamie, and Beth each struggling under the weight of his legacy.

6. Kayce and Monica’s Lost Hopes

Season 1 shows Kayce and Monica dreaming of having more children. Tragically, despite years of longing, they never expand their family. In Season 5, Monica loses her baby in a car accident, making the loss even more heartbreaking when you remember their early hopes.

7. Monica’s Family Tragedy

Early episodes show Monica surrounded by a loving family on the reservation—a stark contrast to later seasons, where she loses nearly everyone except her immediate family and grandfather. The devastating range war in Season 1 sets off a chain of losses that haunt her throughout the series.

8. Yellowstone’s Melodrama vs. Its Prequels

Rewatching Season 1 highlights how Yellowstone often leans into melodramatic, soap-opera moments—especially compared to its more critically acclaimed prequels, 1883 and 1923. While Yellowstone became a pop culture phenomenon, its early episodes sometimes lack the sophistication and depth that the prequels brought to the franchise.

In summary, rewatching Yellowstone Season 1 after the finale is a bittersweet experience, filled with nostalgia but also a reminder of missed opportunities, unresolved stories, and the heavy cost of the Dutton family legacy.