As Yellowstone moves forward with its final batch of episodes, following Kevin Costner’s unexpected departure from the show, it’s clear that the series can continue without John Dutton leading the charge.
Despite his absence, the story is still unfolding with intensity and depth, and in Season 5, Episode 10, titled The Apocalypse of Change, it becomes clear that the Dutton family’s saga is far from over.
While John Dutton’s death has left a profound impact on the family, there are many more twists and turns ahead as new storylines unfold, setting the stage for what is sure to be a dramatic conclusion.
Yellowstone Keeps Moving Forward with Fresh Plotlines
The episode begins by taking the audience back to a moment in time that takes place “six weeks earlier,” in the period between Season 5, Part 1, and the tragic death of John Dutton. The action picks up at the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas, where Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) and the rest of the crew are working.
In a surprising twist, Teeter (Jennifer Landon) discovers rattlesnakes in her tent—one even sleeping right on her chest. The crew moves their camp to a new location to avoid any further snake encounters, but things quickly take another turn when Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) arrives on the scene.
Beth, ever the strong-willed and determined character, takes Rip away with her. She promises that after their time together, the cowboy’s significant others will be flown out at the company’s expense, which also serves as a jab at Ryan (Ian Bohen), who is still reeling from his breakup with Beth. To ease Ryan’s frustration, Rip makes him wagon boss, which, though a small consolation, is a momentary reward for his loneliness.
As Beth and Rip spend time in Texas, we start to see Beth’s mind working in a new direction. After a Texas State Trooper (Karina Logue) tells her that the people of Texas highly admire their cowboys, and after an old man at the bar (Dwayne Tarver) declares that Texas is the “cattle capital of the world,” Beth begins to consider new possibilities for the future.
These subtle hints about Beth and Rip potentially stepping outside of Montana have sparked rumors about a possible Beth/Rip spinoff, making this particular moment in Texas even more intriguing.
Rip, on the other hand, mentions that this is the first time he’s ever left Montana, which might seem odd since Yellowstone National Park and the infamous Train Station, the locations central to the show, are primarily located in Wyoming.
Still, it gives the impression that Rip has never truly ventured beyond the confines of the land that has defined his life. Beth, eager for change, responds with a vision for the future. “Imagine all the things that we could do if we’re not shackled to that ranch,” she says, indicating that perhaps it’s time for them to break free from their past.
Rip’s response is far more grounded: “I chose to be shackled to that ranch.” This exchange sets the tone for the tension between the couple’s desires and the pressures of their shared history, which will continue to play out as the episode progresses.
Life on the Dutton Ranch After John Dutton’s Death
Meanwhile, back in Montana, Kayce (Luke Grimes), Monica (Kelsey Asbille), and Tate (Brecken Merrill) are working hard to make their new house a home. This is their first home that isn’t a rental or a place they share with extended family, a significant moment for the couple.
While their house is located on traditional Dutton land, it belongs entirely to them, which is a milestone that the family has earned after facing numerous hardships throughout the show.
Still from Yellowstone (Credit: Peacock)
Unfortunately, this brief moment of happiness is shattered when the news of John Dutton’s death reaches the family. The back half of The Apocalypse of Change shifts to the present day, as the Duttons must deal with the fallout from John’s death. Rip returns to the Dutton Ranch, where he has a conversation with Lloyd Bridger (Forrie J. Smith).
Both men share a mutual understanding that John Dutton would never have taken his own life. “I don’t believe that bullshit in the newspapers,” Lloyd tells Rip, acknowledging the reality that John’s death wasn’t a suicide.
Rip suggests that Lloyd should start looking for another job, but the old cowboy insists that the Dutton Ranch has been his life, and leaving it is unthinkable. Rip, too, has dedicated his life to the ranch, so his connection to the land is clear.
In a particularly emotional moment, Rip checks on Carter (Finn Little), who is struggling to cope with the loss of John. Rip, trying to help Carter move forward, reassures him by saying, “Don’t believe what you read in the news, nobody quit you.” He encourages the young boy to embrace the cowboy way of life, advising him to “cowboy up” and keep going, as John would have wanted.
Elsewhere on the ranch, Beth comes downstairs and finds Summer Higgins (Piper Perabo) still present. Summer, who is under house arrest, doesn’t know what to do next with her life. Beth, however, reveals that John Dutton had no intention of letting Summer leave.
John had essentially ordered her to stay on the ranch, so Summer wasn’t really given a choice. Now that John is gone, Beth makes it clear that Summer is no longer welcome. After a brief heart-to-heart, Beth takes Summer to the bunkhouse and leaves her there. Rip later takes Summer to the airport, signaling the end of her time in Montana.
In a conversation with Summer, Rip discusses how change is inevitable. He draws a parallel between the arrival of the automobile and the shift in farming methods, where John Deere transitioned from making steel plows to tractors. “They rolled with the changes,” Rip explains. He implies that the Dutton family will have to do the same if they want to survive and adapt in this new world.
Beth Confronts Jamie: The Truth Comes Out
One of the most powerful scenes in The Apocalypse of Change takes place when Beth confronts her adoptive brother, Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley). Jamie, the Montana Attorney General, returns to his office in the state Capitol in Helena, only to find Beth sitting there, smoking a cigarette.
The confrontation quickly escalates, with Beth slapping Jamie across the face multiple times, demanding that he look her in the eye. The tension between the two siblings has been building throughout the series, and it reaches a boiling point here.
Beth knows that Jamie is hiding the truth about their father’s death, and she is furious that he won’t admit it. “Okay, next time is the last time,” she warns him. “Seeing me will be the last thing you ever do alive. I swear to God, Jamie.” Beth leaves the office, but the confrontation isn’t over.
As she walks away, she runs into Market Equities operatives Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) and Ellis Steele (John Emmet Tracy), which leads to a physical altercation with Sarah.
Later, Beth calls Kayce to inform him of what she’s learned. “It was him. He didn’t even deny it,” she tells him. “He wouldn’t look me in the eye, Kayce. Let me rephrase that, he couldn’t.” This revelation shakes the entire family, and Kayce seems just as determined to uncover the truth about John’s death.
Kayce’s Struggle and Search for Answers
Kayce’s emotional journey also continues in this episode. After returning home, he spends some time with Monica and Tate, discussing the future. Kayce asks Tate what he wants to do when he grows up, something he has never considered before.
“I’ve never had a job that made me feel whole,” Kayce admits. “Only your mother does that. And you.” Tate expresses an interest in working both as a fly-fishing guide and at the Dutton Ranch, which causes Kayce to reconsider the idea of taking over the family business, but only if Tate truly wants it.
However, Tate’s struggle with the loss of his grandfather is evident, and it becomes a turning point in their conversation. “I just don’t understand why,” Tate says, clearly devastated. Kayce reassures him that he can either remember John Dutton for the way he lived or for the way he died.
“Your heart can’t focus on both,” he tells Tate, encouraging him to let go of the anger and embrace the good memories of his grandfather. In the end, Tate decides to remember his grandfather fondly, rather than holding on to his anger.
Later, Kayce gets a call from Beth, which prompts him to reach out to an old friend from his Navy SEAL days, Cade McPherson (Jake McLaughlin). Cade provides Kayce with a way to communicate off the books and begins looking into who might be responsible for John’s death. Kayce is clearly determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.
The Stage is Set for Big Changes
The episode ends by setting the stage for the final episodes of Yellowstone Season 5. With Jamie and Sarah seeming to have secured their victory over John Dutton, Rip reflecting on the future, Beth planning revenge on her brother, and Kayce working behind the scenes to uncover the truth, it’s clear that the Duttons are on the brink of major changes.
Still from Yellowstone (Credit: Peacock)
While John Dutton’s legacy will continue to loom over the family, it is now time for his children to carve their own paths, for better or worse. How they navigate the turbulent waters of betrayal, loss, and revenge will determine the future of the Dutton Ranch—and potentially the end of Yellowstone itself.
The final episodes promise to bring intense drama and revelations, leaving fans eagerly anticipating what will come next. As the Duttons face the ultimate challenge of staying united, they will have to decide whether to hold on to the past or embrace the future.
The decisions they make will shape their destinies and the future of the land they’ve fought so hard to protect. Yellowstone has always been a story of family, power, and survival—and as the series nears its end, these themes will continue to resonate as the characters face the ultimate test.
The Dune universe has once again attracted audiences, this time through the premiere of Dune: Prophecy on Max. This exciting new series is set 10,000 years before the events that fans saw in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies. It shows a period of history long before Paul Atreides rose to power.
The first episode, titled “The Hidden Hand,” introduces a universe in recovery. It shows a time when humanity is still healing from a devastating war against machines and the political systems of the future are taking shape.
One of the biggest focuses of the episode is the state of the universe. Humanity is still recovering from the Butlerian Jihad, a war that took place against sentient machines.
These machines were once integral to the galaxy, but after the war, humanity outlawed the use of such technology. This conflict has left deep scars, and as the episode unfolds, it is clear that its impact still echoes in the decisions and attitudes of the people and factions that remain.
Humanity Struggling to Recover from the Butlerian Jihad
The episode opens with a flashback to a century earlier, during the final battle of the Butlerian Jihad. In this scene, viewers get a glimpse of the war that shaped the future of the universe. Valya Harkonnen, voiced by Emily Watson, provides a voiceover explaining that history often claims that an Atreides led humanity to victory over the thinking machines.
However, Valya challenges this version of history, claiming that the real story has been distorted. According to her, the Harkonnen family, which she is a part of, was wrongly labeled as cowardly and banished to a desolate world.
This altered history sets the stage for Valya’s journey. Many decades later, we see her as a young woman, voiced by Jessica Barden. Along with her sister, Tula, Valya joins the Sisterhood on Wallach IX, a world where the order has been established by Raquella Berto-Anirul.
Raquella is the first Mother Superior of the Sisterhood and serves as a motherly figure to Valya. Under her guidance, Valya learns the ways of the Sisterhood, which trains women to serve as Truthsayers. These women help the Great Houses of the galaxy discern truth from lies, allowing the Sisterhood to form a powerful network of influence across the Imperium.
Despite her strong abilities and potential, Valya’s Harkonnen heritage makes her an outcast within the Sisterhood. However, her life changes after the death of Mother Raquella. On her deathbed, Raquella shares a vision with Valya, one of a sandworm swallowing the Sisterhood headquarters in a desert.
The vision ends with a pair of mysterious blue mechanical eyes. Raquella warns Valya of an upcoming reckoning for the galaxy, telling her that she “will be the one to see the burning truth and know.”
Raquella’s passing causes a brief divide within the Sisterhood. Reverend Mother Dorotea, played by Camilla Beeput, refuses to recognize Valya as the rightful leader and threatens to destroy the genetic matrix that the Sisterhood uses to track the lineage of the Great Houses.
Valya, however, is able to stop her with a technique she has mastered called the Voice, which allows her to control others with her words. She orders Dorotea to kill herself, thus establishing her dominance and setting the stage for her leadership.
Valya Plans Humanity’s Future in ‘Dune: Prophecy’ Episode 1
Fast forward thirty years, and Valya is now the Mother Superior of the Sisterhood. She has built a thriving order, and Tula, now voiced by Olivia Williams, is her most trusted advisor. Tula teaches young girls the ways of the Sisterhood, including martial arts, brain anatomy (focusing on detecting lies), and the art of Truthsaying.
The Sisterhood is flourishing, with young girls from all over the galaxy eager to join their ranks. This development also ties into a larger plan that Valya has been quietly orchestrating over the years.
One of Valya’s most important tasks is training Princess Ynez Corrino, the heir to the Golden Lion Throne, to join the Sisterhood. Princess Ynez, voiced by Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, is set to spend ten years with the Sisterhood, where she will be trained as a Truthsayer.
This is part of a long-term strategy to ensure that a member of the Sisterhood will eventually sit on the throne and have significant power over the Imperium.
The episode reveals that Valya has been watching the behavior of the Great Houses closely, using her network of Truthsayers to track their movements. Valya has also implemented a secret breeding program, encouraging the Great Houses to marry according to a specific genetic plan.
This plan will, in theory, eventually put a Sister on the throne. To ensure that the plan proceeds smoothly, Valya assigns Kasha, a Truthsayer (played by Jihae Kim), to be close to both Princess Ynez and Emperor Javicco Corrino, the ruler of the Imperium.
Political Tensions Build as House Corrino Struggles to Control the Imperium
At the same time, the power of the Imperium is unstable. House Corrino, which rules the Imperium, is struggling to maintain control. The Fremen, the desert people of Arrakis, remain a significant challenge. They have not been pacified, and their control of the spice supply is a key issue.
To stabilize the Imperium, Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong) arranges for the marriage of Princess Ynez to Pruwet Richese (Charlie Hodson-Prior) of House Richese. This union is meant to secure the throne and maintain control over the spice supply, which is crucial to the power of the Imperium.
However, not everyone agrees with this plan. Empress Natalya, played by Jodhi May, strongly disapproves of the marriage, but Javicco sees it as the only viable solution. Tensions rise as different factions in the Imperium fight for influence over the throne, while the looming shadow of the past war clouds everyone’s decisions.
In the midst of these tensions, a mysterious stranger named Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel) arrives. Hart is a former soldier who fought for the Imperium on Arrakis, but he mysteriously survived an attack that wiped out his entire regiment.
Desmond’s arrival shakes things up, especially when he tells Emperor Javicco that the attack he survived was not carried out by the Fremen, as everyone assumed, but by rebel insurgents from within the other noble houses. This revelation catches the attention of the Emperor and his Truthsayer, Kasha.
A Dangerous Vision of the Future
As the royal engagement celebrations unfold, a strange vision begins to haunt Kasha. She has a vision of Princess Ynez in her red wedding dress, being swallowed by a sandworm, with Ynez calling out that Kasha “did this.” The vision ends with the same mysterious pair of mechanical blue eyes and an unintelligible message.
Distressed by the vision, Kasha travels to Wallach IX to speak with Valya and ask her to cancel Ynez’s wedding. However, Valya refuses, warning Kasha to stay true to the Sisterhood’s mission.
During the engagement party, an incident occurs when Pruwet Richese accidentally releases his robot pet. Robots, or “thinking machines,” were banned after the Butlerian Jihad, and the incident causes Empress Natalya to call for the wedding to be canceled.
However, Emperor Javicco minimizes the situation, and Pruwet faces no real consequences. Frustrated, Princess Ynez lashes out at Pruwet and later spends the night with her swordmaster, Keiran Atreides (Chris Mason), in a secret relationship.
The next day, Desmond Hart speaks with Emperor Javicco again, offering his views on the state of the Imperium. He tells the Emperor that the problems the Imperium faces, especially with Arrakis, go far beyond simple political alliances.
According to Hart, there is an insurgency at work, and people are beginning to question the ban on thinking machines. Hart expresses his disdain for the Sisterhood and suggests that the true threat may be something much larger than anyone realizes.
Tragic Deaths and a Dark Revelation
That night, something tragic occurs. Desmond Hart has a private conversation with young Pruwet, who is struggling with a nightmare. Hart tells the boy about a war that is “hidden in plain sight,” being fought by an enemy who manipulates everyone and does their thinking for them.
He assures Pruwet that his sacrifice won’t be in vain. Moments later, Pruwet dies painfully, his body burning from the inside out. This shocking death mirrors the death of Kasha on Wallach IX, who also dies in agony, screaming as Valya and the other sisters watch in horror.
Still from Dune Prophecy (Credit: Max)
As Kasha dies, Valya whispers, “I see, Mother. I see.” This moment suggests that the “burning truth” that Raquella had foretold has finally come to pass.
A New Beginning for Dune: Prophecy
With its first episode, Dune: Prophecy sets the stage for a political and spiritual revolution. As the episode closes, the real story of the Dune saga begins to unfold, revealing a deep web of deceit, prophecy, and war that will have lasting consequences on the galaxy.
As Valya Harkonnen takes center stage as a pivotal figure, her fate, and that of the Imperium, lies at the intersection of truth, power, and destruction.
