Inside Taylor Sheridan’s Cowboy Episode and Finale Tease

[This story contains spoilers from the penultimate episode of Yellowstone season 5b, “Give the World Away.”]

There’s just one extra episode of Yellowstone as we all know it remaining. The presently airing season 5B was introduced to be the ultimate season within the Paramount Network flagship collection. But since then, a potential season six with fan-favorite stars Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser has been in talks, leaving the state of TV’s No. 1 collection up within the air. But if one factor is for sure, subsequent week is certain to outline the legacy of the Yellowstone ranch on the coronary heart of the present.

The penultimate episode that aired on Sunday, “Give the World Away,” was written by co-creator Taylor Sheridan and directed by govt producer Michael Friedman. The episode was a showcase for Sheridan, who recurs on the collection as Texas horse coach Travis. This week, Sheridan returned as Travis when he acquired a go to from Beth Dutton (Reilly) at his Texas ranch (which was filmed at Sheridan’s real-life Bosque Ranch). Beth desires to make sure that Travis is doing proper by the Yellowstone, and the go to from the daughter of the late John Dutton (departed star Kevin Costner) brings Yellowstone viewers into Travis’ world the place he hosts strip poker video games that embody his girlfriend, performed by visitor star Bella Hadid, exhibits off his horse-riding prowess and, ultimately, delivers Beth and the Yellowstone the large, fats verify the struggling ranch wanted.

“It was fantastic to see Taylor have enjoyable in a approach that’s such an incorporation of life imitating, artwork imitating life when it comes to it being shot in a spot that he has constructed,” govt producer Christina Voros, who directed the 4 earlier episodes of season 5B, tells The Hollywood Reporter of the go to to Bosque Ranch. Voros additionally provides that Hadid, who now lives in Texas, was the one individual eyed for the position to play his onscreen girlfriend. “[Taylor is] often called this author of those nice American Western TV sagas, however he’s additionally a cowboy and an incredible horseman, and spends as a lot time doing that a part of his persona and his life as he does writing the tales about that.”

Below in a chat with THR, Voros talks extra about Sheridan’s onscreen cowboy sendoff, reveals how they filmed these large Yellowstone ranch scenes whereas avoiding any large spoilers leaking, and unpacks the Dutton household chess strikes made this episode to tease how they’ll come collectively ultimately: “It all is smart wanting backwards. But wanting ahead, you by no means would have seen it coming.”

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This is the primary episode we’re chatting about that you simply didn’t direct of season 5B. As govt producer — and script gatekeeper — how a lot have been you on set when this episode was filmed?

I used to be there rather a lot, principally as a result of we have been getting so near the top and everybody needed to be there as a lot as potential. Michael Friedman is a pricey buddy and an incredible director; he’s been a part of Taylor [Sheridan]’s shut, artistic household from the very starting. He’s been concerned within the present because the first season and has been a producer and post-production guru/storyteller by all of Taylor’s exhibits. He began producing this previous 12 months on [Sheridan shows] Landman and Lioness, after which did this episode of Yellowstone. It was such a beautiful homecoming to have him directing since he’s been a part of the present’s DNA from the very starting.

It was a little bit hectic [for me when filming], as a result of we have been cross-boarding. Because I had directed the primary 4 episodes, I hadn’t had any time to get forward of stuff that was coming as a result of we didn’t actually shoot issues so as; Michael did this episode, after which we nonetheless had elements of episodes 509, 510 and 511 that we nonetheless needed to shoot. So I used to be ready to make use of this as a little bit little bit of prep time however I needed to be on set as a lot as potential, partially as a result of it was such a beautiful, full-circle second with Michael and likewise as a result of it’s such a powerful centerpiece of the season. The components of [this episode] 513 are every little thing that pulls folks to Yellowstone. It’s large, it’s cinematic. It’s horses. It’s emotion. It’s all the poetry that the present has change into recognized for actually superbly showcased.

Speaking of full circle, going into this season whenever you detailed your top-secret filming course of, you spoke about having to movie giant scenes with extras and capturing diversion scenes to maintain the plot beneath wraps. This episode had these large scenes, hosted on the the Dutton household’s Yellowstone ranch. Was this the large episode you have been referring to in that dialog?

This was one of many large examples. There are components all through the season, like in Jamie’s [Wes Bentley] world the place there are press conferences the place that additionally got here into play. But sure, this was the largest swing we took at asking: How can we herald all of the fantastic background performers that we actually want to have the ability to inform these tales, and the way can we do it in a approach the place nobody goes dwelling at night time and unintentionally let it slip about one thing they noticed on set?

So Michael and his first AD on the episode, Kristina Massie, did a extremely exceptional job when it comes to discovering the methods to divert the eye of oldsters who have been coming in for background, and it had extra to do with technique in the way it was shot. They have been very good about what completely needed to be achieved in entrance of tons of of extras and what could possibly be shot in such a approach the place, when it’s reduce collectively, it might really feel like all of these folks have been there, however in reality, at that second, they weren’t. This might be the shining instance of the lengths that everybody went by, and Michael and Kristina ensuring that the secrets and techniques to the story stayed locked.

At the top of this episode, each John Dutton (performed by departed star Kevin Costner) and Colby Mayfield (performed by Denim Richards) are paid a public tribute. The scene occurred in entrance of lots of people the place presumably many extras heard these main spoilers in regards to the present’s lately deceased. How did you movie that scene?

That needed to do with what the manufacturing sound seems like within the present versus what it seemed like when it was being recorded, and never permitting the extras to listen to every little thing that was being stated. I consider there was additionally an alternate script that was utilized in among the wider photographs that was absent of data. Then within the nearer protection, they recorded the actual monitor.

You advised me in regards to the code phrase that was used within the script to cover John Dutton’s loss of life — you gave him a pseudonym and known as the John Dutton loss of life scene: “Crosby’s arrival.” What have been your code phrases within the script for the deaths for each Colby and Dawn Olivieri’s Sarah Atwood?

For Colby’s, we known as it “Colby’s arrival.” And for Sarah’s, it was “Sarah arrives.” We continued working with the time period “arrival,” as a result of it’s so innocuous that you possibly can learn it on a name sheet and nobody would ever assume that there was something incorrect.

I ponder if anybody else will probably be “arriving”… Moving on, did you movie the scenes for Travis’ ranch at Taylor Sheridan’s real-life ranch?

In the present, Travis runs Bosque Ranch, which is Taylor’s ranch in Weatherford, Texas.

THR profiled Taylor Sheridan for a 2023 cowl story, which detailed his real-life abilities as a horseman. He owns Bosque Ranch, in addition to the historic 6666 Ranch within the Texas panhandle. But for the informal viewer who might not know Sheridan’s life story, how did you react whenever you noticed that he can be exhibiting off this aspect of himself in Yellowstone? Even the vibe on set gave the impression to be one in every of pleasure, notably with the scenes involving Kelly Reilly (who performs Beth Dutton) and Bella Hadid (who was forged because the girlfriend to Travis). Were you on set for the Travis scenes?

I truly wasn’t there after they filmed these scenes. A few these scenes have been the final scenes [filmed] of the present. They have been shot in August and I used to be already prepping on The Madison [the Yellowstone sequel series]. But so far as the position of Travis, it was fantastic to see Taylor — once more, in a full-circle second — have enjoyable in a approach that’s such an incorporation of life imitating, artwork imitating life when it comes to it being shot in a spot that he has constructed. He’s often called this author of those nice American Western TV sagas, however he’s additionally a cowboy and an incredible horseman, and spends as a lot time doing that a part of his persona and his life as he does writing the tales about that. So it was type of fantastic to see the collision of the fictional world he’s created with the precise world he’s created as himself and as a person and as a horseman. To see these two issues braided collectively was actually enjoyable.

Sheridan likes to forged actual cowboys in Yellowstone each time he can. Was this episode — with all the extras, particularly for the Bosque Ranch scenes — an instance the place he was capable of showcase that genuine casting?

It all comes again to his kind of obsessions with authenticity. You can’t train an actor to get on a horse and do magnificent issues on horseback. He’s a agency believer that there are extra cowboys who can act than there are actors who can cowboy. So he’s given roles to so many individuals. You see it within the Four Sixes work [on Yellowstone]: Dusty Burson is an incredible cowboy and a reasonably respectable actor; Kory Pounds is an unbelievable cowboy, and a reasonably respectable actor! He’s achieved this with my husband [Jason Owen], who has been a wrangler on the present for a few years. Taylor gave him a component as a detective — he’s the sidekick to the principle detective. So he’s the detective within the opening of the season 5B premiere who exhibits Kayce (Luke Grimes) the place John Dutton (Kevin Costner) has been shot.

One of the constant issues about Taylor is that he understands how enjoyable it’s to be part of one thing like this. I feel he’s searching for alternatives to deliver on a few of these cowboys as a result of they’re who they’re, and you may’t get extra genuine than that. But it’s additionally actually enjoyable to say, “Let’s give [Yellowstone actor] Cole Palfreyman, one other one of many wranglers and horseman that Taylor has labored with for years, a component on [Sheridan’s Paramount+ series] Bass Reeves.” He does that rather a lot. I keep in mind again in season 4 throughout COVID, there have been numerous crew members he gave elements to. My key grip for years, Craig Sullivan, was forged as a glass restore man. He’s achieved it from the very starting and I feel in an episode like this, there’s much more cause to forged the folks you realize as horsemen as horsemen.

Bella Hadid, to the common viewer, may appear to be a stunt casting, however she additionally resides in Texas (and courting champion horse rider Adan Banuelos ). Do you realize if the position of Travis’ girlfriend was a written for her?

All I do know is that when that half was forged it wasn’t like there have been casting groups. By the time I knew it was forged, we knew it was her. So I don’t know when that call was made, however once more, it goes again to kind of preserving it on this household. She was nice, and likewise couldn’t be a lovelier human being. You herald somebody who’s a celeb in their very own proper and generally you’re simply floored with how marvelously sort and all the way down to earth they are surely, and he or she was actually that.

Viewers have been ready to seek out out what’s been happening with Jamie (Wes Bentley)’s son, Jamie Jr., and the mom of his son, former political marketing consultant Christina (Katherine Cunningham). He reconnects with them this episode. Can you fill within the blanks a bit — how concerned is Jamie as a father?

That’s a tough query, as a result of the story is the story and the scripts are the scripts. I feel one of many issues Taylor does, and has achieved from the start of the present, is that there are points with characters and ideas that come up and whether or not they’re crimson herrings or whether or not they’re a part of a shorter storytelling aspect versus an extended one, it occurs organically. Going from season to season, the writing comes by him and out onto the web page. It’s not one thing that has been strategically plotted out on Excel spreadsheets from the start. So I feel each season what the story is and what the risk is and what the drama is, is popping out of the characters themselves as he writes him. This season will not be about Jamie as a father; this season is about Jamie as a son.

Once once more, a lady in Jamie’s life motivates him to get again on that horse, and the final we see is Jamie being instructed by Christina on tips on how to go make the political Hail Mary speech of his life. I didn’t assume Jamie had any playing cards left to play. Going into the finale, how is that this episode setting Jamie up in a approach the place we will’t rely him out but?

Jamie is often the neatest man within the room, and I feel he has succeeded in staying afloat by all of those ups and downs, and potential near-finalities of his life as a politician, by the perception of, in lots of circumstances, the ladies round him. The individuals who have believed in him at occasions when he hasn’t believed in himself. But in the end, he’s a grasp spokesperson. He is a grasp at rhetoric. Once he is aware of what to run with, he’s excellent at spinning that internet, and he’s all the time been good at spinning that internet. So I feel what you see right here is an instance of discovering that lifeline and spinning one thing very elaborate out of it that will give him the room to drag himself from a spot that we didn’t assume he had a lifeline from.

It looks like Kayce (Luke Grimes) and Beth (Kelly Reilly) have practically found out tips on how to save the ranch. This episode ends with Kayce telling Beth and spouse Monica (Kelsey Asbille) that to avoid wasting the ranch, they should “give it away.” There was a scene in Yellowstone prequel 1883 the place Tim McGraw’s character James Dutton (an elder on the Dutton household tree to Kevin Costner’s John Dutton) is advised by a Native tribal chief in regards to the Dutton household ranch, “We will come again in seven generations and take this from you.” This appears the place Yellowstone could possibly be headed in its finale: Giving the land again to the tribes. That seems like a reasonably comfortable ending for a present like Yellowstone, however are you able to discuss this potential full-circle arrange?

This hasn’t traditionally been a present about comfortable endings (laughs), but additionally, Taylor has taken Yellowstone and he has turned it into an intergenerational story. There are complexities that exist by advantage of doing that that I feel make the world of the Dutton story a lot richer and extra fascinating. (Editor’s Note: See different Yellowstone prequel collection 1923.) I feel it’s onerous to say how a lot to learn into it as a result of there are such a lot of threads dangled between these worlds that one may observe the trail of. So I feel the context of Yellowstone, inside the historic saga that Taylor has been creating, is kind of the centerpiece. But the storylines are extending from it in many various methods.

If they provide the land again, Rip and Beth may go off into their subsequent journey. (Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser are in talks for a potential sixth season of Yellowstone.) I can’t consider we’re already speaking in regards to the last episode. Going into subsequent week, properly, what can you say?

You many have stumped me! I feel what you’re feeling about all of it seeming to occur so quick and the way we’re on the last episode is testomony to what number of other ways issues may go. I additionally assume it’s testomony to how a lot there may be to attend for within the finale. Crafting a last episode to a six-season arc is one thing actually tough to do, and I feel what folks should stay up for, in some methods, is that as a lot floor is roofed within the finale because it has been the moments main as much as it. It has that type of weight and complexity {that a} story like this deserves to exit with.

Luke Grimes advised me he was a “mess” when he learn the ultimate script, and that studying it helped him get again into character as Kayce after being away for therefore lengthy between seasons 5A and 5B. Kelly Reilly additionally teased a finale scene that explains the entire collection, and stated it has nothing to do along with her and Rip (Hauser). Now that we’re right here, I need to re-ask you this similar query: When you first learn the finale, did you see all of it coming? Were you stunned? How did it make you’re feeling?

I used to be stunned and I didn’t see it coming. I could have stated this in one in every of our earlier interviews, however I feel the conclusion to any nice story is each stunning and inevitable, however you don’t understand it was inevitable till you get there. It all is smart wanting backward. But wanting ahead, you by no means would have seen it coming. That’s the magic place in storytelling and I feel Taylor has achieved that with the finale. When I learn the script, it took my breath away. And I’m somebody who has been residing on this world since season one. I do know the characters intimately, I do know the creator properly, I do know the story higher than any story in my life, and I used to be kind of kicking myself that I didn’t see it coming. But, I didn’t see it coming.

This has been a heroic season for Kayce — which makes me nervous going into the finale!

Let’s discuss Luke for a second. Because I feel you’re proper: I feel this season for him was magnificent. I feel what Taylor wrote for him was magnificent, however I additionally assume that Kayce has been the quiet hero in his father’s shadows from the very starting. And there’s one thing that’s occurred this season, that we talked about earlier, the place within the absence of the patriarch everybody has to step up. And within the absence of Kevin [Costner], the remainder of the forged actually had a big stage to fill, they usually did such an exceptional job stepping in to fill that area, and Luke particularly. So a lot was weighed on his shoulders this season ,and to have the ability to step into that and carry the story and the legacy in the way in which that he has, it’s been lovely to look at. The burden from a efficiency standpoint that he has shouldered — he has achieved it so deftly and effortlessly — it’s a profound, profound efficiency from him this season and I really like that persons are in love with the place his character has gone this season, as a result of I’m too.

Did this week’s occasions perform as John Dutton’s funeral, or is that also to return?

You’re going to have to look at subsequent week.

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Yellowstone releases its finale Sunday at 8 p.m. on Paramount Network, adopted by a linear premiere on CBS at 10 p.m. Head right here for tips on how to stream Yellowstone and browse THR‘s season 5B protection together with extra on Sheridan’s cowboy episode.