Yellowstone series finale draws Game of Thrones comparisons from (some) fans

Yellowstone, the long-running drama about the Dutton ranching family, came to an end the other night with its season 5 finale, "Life Is A Promise." The series has been a huge hit for the Paramount Network, spawning multiple spinoffs. But the final season hasn't been received as warmly as past seasons by fans, whether because they think the writing has degraded or because star Kevin Costner stepped away from the series, necessitating several story pivots. Maybe both.

But how are fans receiving the series finale? At the moment, the narrative is that they aren't taking it too well. "Dumb ending #Yellowstone #YellowstoneTV," one fan wrote, per The Express. "That was probably the worst final season in television history," wrote another. You get the idea.

One person compared the ending of Yellowstone to the ending of Game of Thrones, which had a famously huge backlash among fans: “It is official. Game of Thrones is no longer the worst final season of any TV show ever. Yellowstone has taken that award."

The Game of Thrones series finale got dinged for rushing plotlines and having characters act in ways that fans found hard to believe. You can feel some of that sentiment in some of the responses to the Yellowstone finale: "I felt like it was entirely too rushed," one fan wrote. "[I]t ended way too quickly and easily. Just all around felt like it was a lazy, last minute put together."

Beware SPOILERS for the Yellowstone series finale below

Yellowstone ended with some big twists, as you'd expect. Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) sold the Dutton family ranch to its original owners: the Broken Rock Native American tribe. Meanwhile, Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) faced off with her brother Jamie (Wes Bentley) before getting a new ranch with her husband Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser), which is supposed to lead into a new spinoff.

So if fans are upset with this series finale, they can take solace in the fact that the Yellowstone story isn't over, even if the original series is. There's also another spinoff called The Madison, also set in the present day, on the way, this one starring the likes of Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell. There's also a second season of the prequel series 1923 on the way; that one stars Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. So the Yellowstone universe isn't going anywhere.

And for the record, not every fan hated the Yellowstone series finale. "#YellowstoneTV Finale was perfection!" one wrote. "Beth killing Jamie and RIP bringing him to the train station, Kaycee 'giving' the la[n]d back and all of the cowboys honoring John Dutton...was the best ending ever!" And here's another satisfied customer: "Beautiful final scenes of Beth's and Kayce's ranches. Thank you, @Yellowstone for wrapping things up so beautifully."

Also, looking at the IMDb ratings for season 5, fan ratings for the series finale are pretty decent, and higher than for most episodes of the season. Granted, it hasn't been very long and more ratings could come in, but it's possible the fans who are upset are a vocal minority.

Ultimately, the legacy of the Yellowstone finale will be decided by posterity. We'll see how fans look back on the series in a few years. In the meanwhile, there's plenty more content to come in this universe, whether it's a direct Yellowstone spinoff or another show from creator Taylor Sheridan.

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