The season five finale of Yellowstone had historic ratings ever – with 11.4 million same-day viewers tuning in to see it on Sunday night, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The enormous number for the season finale does not include any encore or simulcasts airings of it – just the one audience viewing of the finale when it first dropped on Paramount Network and CMT.
Yellowstone’s season five finale is now the most watched cable show ever – surpassing previous records by The Walking Dead, according to THR.
The season five premiere part two on November 10 had 16.4 million viewers tune in to not just the first airing of it, but including encores, and it being aired on two eight-network simulcast, per the outlet.
However, fans have mixed opinions on the new spinoff show that will center around Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser).
News of the new spinoff was finally confirmed after the season five finale aired – following months of rumors.
Part one of season five, which aired on November 12, 2022 (with the part one season finale airing January 1, 2023), 15.9 million viewer tuned in total across several networks and encores.
The Paramount Network drama – created by Taylor Sheridan – has consistently been one of the highest rated shows in television but fans were shocked when Kevin Costner abruptly left the show last year, which ultimately turned the fifth season – split into two parts nearly two years apart – into the show’s final season.
The highly-anticipated finale delivered an ending many expected – which was foreshadowed by the prequel series 1883 – with Kayce Dutton selling the ranch back to the Broken Rock reservation for a fraction of what it’s worth.
Kayce kept the East Camp plot of land for his family, while Beth and Rip relocated to a new ranch outside of Dillon, Montana, which is where the spin-off will most likely pick up.
Fans got a glimpse at Beth and Rip’s new ranch too in the finale’s last few scenes, with Beth watching Rip and Carter herd their own cattle.
While Paramount has given the green light for the show, it remains to see when it will go into production.
Fans had mixed reactions for the Beth/Rip spinoff, with some taking to X, formerly Twitter, to vent their frustrations – and joy.
One person wrote that the takeaway from Yellowstone is that ‘Sheridan shows once that he’s bad with endings.’
Adding that the ‘least likable characters survive’ and ‘worse gets a spinoff.’
However, another person said they ‘cheered’ on Beth during the season finale, revealing that they both laughed and cried and hoped for a spinoff.
Another said the finale was ‘terrible’ and asked if anyone cared ‘about Beth and Cole enough to see a spinoff,’ answering their own question and saying no.
Someone else said they were thanking God that there was a spinoff centered around Beth and Rip.