When “Yellowstone” returns for its final batch of episodes next year, fans might get to see more of ranch hand Ryan’s (Ian Bohen) new love interest Abby (Lainey Wilson). In an interview with Audacy’s Rob and Holly earlier this year, the real-life country singer — who also plays a musician in the show — revealed that she spoke to series creator Taylor Sheridan about his plan for the show’s ending, and she’s ready to drop everything and film more scenes as needed. “I talked to Taylor Sheridan the other day and there’s a plan,” she told the outlet.
“Now we just gotta see if that plan happens,” Wilson added, noting that anything is possible for her character since she’s so far escaped the show’s drama unscathed. “They didn’t take me to the train station, so, we’ll see what happens on that end,” Wilson said, referencing the spot where the show’s bloodthirsty Dutton family infamously drops loads of dead bodies. While the singer says she’d be “smack dab in the middle of touring” when shooting for the final episodes begins, she’s eager to get the “green light” to return to the show. “We’ll figure it out,” she told Audacy, clearly game to rearrange her schedule as needed.
There’s a plan in place
“Yellowstone” marks the first on-screen performance for the “Things a Man Oughta Know” singer, and Wilson told USA Today that she signed up for the show without even knowing which ranch hand she’d be romancing. “[Sheridan] said he wanted me to pretty much be myself, which is a dream come true, especially when you’re trying to introduce yourself to people,” she told the outlet. “All I got from him at that time was that I would play a musician who would fall in love with one of the boys. He didn’t even tell me which one.”
While Abby may not be a major character in the show, fans will be pleased to hear that any actor knows what’s up with the future of “Yellowstone.” The series has been catching more headlines for its off-screen drama than for any fictional plot twists lately, as its conclusion was abruptly announced in May and details of a scheduling conflict between Sheridan and star Kevin Costner soon became public. As it stands, Costner reportedly won’t appear in the back half of season 5 (the first half of the season has already aired), meaning main villain John Dutton might have an unceremonious exit from the show.
Despite the confusion behind the scenes, Sheridan seems to have big plans for the future of the franchise: a sequel series was announced at the same time as news of the flagship show’s end hit, and the upcoming spinoff “6666” will follow cowboys in Texas, including, potentially, some ranch hands we already know from “Yellowstone.” If Wilson doesn’t show up in the back half of season 5, fans still could see Abby again somewhere down the line. Now if only we could pin down a release date for the show’s final episodes …