PART ONE
In Season Five: Part One, Yellowstone continues the slow downward trajectory started in Season Four. Through the first eight episodes, the fall from Great Show to Decent Show has been completed, mostly because nothing happens (Kevin Costner, Cole Hauser, and the cinematography remain excellent). Sure, there are small incidents…a car accident here, a bar fight there…but they are mostly forgotten by the next episode. Overall, the series is still hampered by the lack of a central villain, so all we are left with is the overwritten family melodrama (Beth (Kelly Reilly), especially). That said, it’s set up to return to form with an explosive Part Two.

PART TWO
Given the behind-the-scenes drama with Kevin Costner, not to mention 2023’s industry strikes, it’s hard to be overly critical of Yellowstone’s final stretch. That said, it’s a rushed and disjointed affair that’s exacerbated by being only six episodes. There are two main storylines — one about the ranch’s fate, one explaining the absence of John Dutton (Costner) — but the latter one, which is far more interesting, is clearly shoehorned in as series writer Taylor Sheridan scrambled to recover from Costner’s unexpected departure. The other storyline is fine enough for series fans, but when Frankensteined together like this, they combine to make an undercooked and underwhelming ending, overall.