‘Yellowstone’ finale was hinted at in 3rd episode of entire series: ‘I will erase you from the future’

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: It has been a fortnight since ‘Yellowstone’ has wrapped up its iconic run on television with a polarizing finale episode.

While a section of fans was left fuming over the ending, drawing competition with the infamous ending of ‘Game of Thrones’, in reality, the show did make a full circle moment with the ending, and no, it is not only about the resurgence of Elsa Dutton’s character.

As Season 5, Episode 14 aired on Sunday, December 15, several fans complained about the bittersweet ending, claiming that there were too many deaths and the ending was rushed. A separate group of fans was specifically angered by the showrunner Taylor Sheridan’s foray into acting and his character Travis getting considerable time in the script. 

But, as the initial anger subsided, it appeared that ‘Yellowstone’ had been fulfilling a promise made in the third episode of the overall series.

‘Yellowstone’ fulfills a prophecy made in the third episode

The ‘Yellowstone’ finale tied all the events together by going back in history (more precisely to the events from its prequel series, ‘1883’). In the prequel series, which showed the beginning of the Dutton family saga in Montana, a Native American elder named Spotted Eagle offered land to the Dutton family’s ancestor, James Dutton (played by Tim McGraw), which he said his people would take back after seven generations. 

Initially, the native American man offered James Dutton land to bury his daughter and build their home. Nevertheless, he also said that after seven generations, his people will take back the land, which McGraw’s character, interestingly enough, agrees to, as reported by Whiskey Riff.

With the increasing tax burden and Kayce Dutton’s (played by Luke Grimes) connection with the people of Broken Rock Reservation through his wife Monica, it was just a matter of time before the ranch was returned to its original owners.

However, it is not only the events from ‘1883’ that have a connection with the events from the finale but also from the third episode of the overall series, titled ‘No Good Horses’. 

The episode followed the initial events of the series and showed a fight between the Yellowstone ranch and the Reservation. The fight ended with the deaths of Lee Dutton and Monica’s brother. 

Chief Thomas Rainwater was also jailed for stealing cattle from Kevin Costner’s character, John Dutton. Rainwater, however, later told the Dutton family patriarch that it was never about cattle and that he would be taking the land back from the family. 

In the high-octane scene, Rainwater said, “This was never about cattle, John. It’s about you, and everyone like you. After I interned at Emerson I worked for Merrill Lynch in mergers and acquisitions. I figure it will take about 14 billion to buy it all… The Valley.”

“I’m going to buy your ranch first, right after you die and your children can’t afford the inheritance tax,” continued the chief, before adding, “And then I’m going to pull down every fence, and every evidence that your family ever existed will be removed from the property.”

“It will look like it used to, when it was ours. I will erase you from the future. And then I’ll do it to the next ranch, and the next, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. I’m the opposite of progress John, I am the past catching up with you,” prophetically added Rainwater in his speech. 

While his people ultimately did not pay $14 billion, Kayce practically gave the land away at the price of $1.25 an acre for $1.1 million (fulfilling the Dutton family’s forefathers’ words from '1883'), and the people of the Broken Rock Reservations finally came back to the land, per USA Today.

Though the land transfer wasn’t as bloody as Rainwater had initially threatened (all thanks to Mo), the series finale showed that the show, despite winding through a long path, ultimately stuck to its original vision. 

Elsa Dutton makes a comeback in ‘Yellowstone’ finale

The doomed narrator from ‘Yellowstone’ prequels, ‘1883’ and '1923', Elsa Dutton made a surprise comeback with a voiceover during the finale episode. 

As the land handover was getting completed, Rainwater said, "Your people are buried on that land, and so are mine. It’s sacred, and that’s how we will treat it. So your family forever has a home here."

Rainwater then transformed the land into a wilderness area where nothing could be built, and no motorized vehicles were allowed. 

Elsa made a voiceover cameo to tie all the events together and give 'Yellowstone' a cohesive end. She narrated, "Men cannot truly own wild land. To own land, you must blanket it in concrete, cover it with buildings. You must rape it to sell it. Raw land, wild land, free land can never be owned."