‘Yellowstone’ Season 3: Who Lived and Who Died in Finale?

Sunday night, Yellowstone’s third season came to a stunning end with the biggest cliffhanger in series history. Several storylines converged and left fans grasping for answers. The most frequent questions revolved around who lived and died during the explosive final five minutes. Here is what we know. Spoilers ahead for Yellowstone Season 3, Episode 10.

When the credits rolled on Sunday night, four main characters were either alive or dead. A bomb destroyed Beth Dutton’s former office at Schwartz & Meyer while gunmen had stormed into Kayce Dutton’s office. John Dutton, on the other hand, stopped on the side of the highway to help a stranded motorist and her son change a flat tire. Gunmen in a van pulled up and shot him several times with an automatic rifle. Finally, ranch hand Jimmy Hurdstrom attempted to ride a bucking horse once again, but the animal launched him into the air. He landed on the ground and did not open his eyes again.

While Yellowstone did not provide definitive answers about the fates of any of these four characters, it is possible to determine whether they lived or died. Of these characters, the most likely to live is John. One of the final shots in the episode showed him leaning against a car and breathing heavily. He pulled a phone out of his breast pocket, which had a pockmark from a bullet.

The destroyed device seemingly kept the bullet from piercing his heart, but there are still questions about being stranded on the side of the road. How will he make it to a hospital? An easy answer exists in the form of the stranded motorist’s son. He went into the bushes to search for lost lug nuts before the hitman opened fire. The 8-year-old is alive and will likely help John to his truck. It’s also possible that the youngster will learn a “life lesson” and drive the truck to the nearest hospital while John fights for his life.

Back in the city, the other two Dutton’s assuredly have different fates. Beth is either dead or will start Season 4 on life support. Having a bomb explode roughly six feet away from your face is not a recipe for survival. Still, writer Taylor Sheridan will likely opt for the life support route to set the stage for fiance Rip going on a violent rampage to exact revenge on the gunmen and the mastermind behind the attacks — which appears to be the adopted Jamie Dutton.

Kayce, on the other hand, is most likely alive after the gunmen burst into his office. There are two main reasons for this outcome. First, the episode only showed him draw his handgun after tipping his desk onto its side. The gunmen did not visibly shoot Kayce. Second, the first season openly discusses his time in the military and his proficiency in gunfights. Kayce has both the training and the skills to kill the would-be assassins despite being outnumbered easily.

Finally, there is Jimmy. The beloved ranch hand showed an ability to remain on a bucking horse early in the first season. This skill led to a love of rodeo and a victory in a local competition. However, Jimmy had remained away from horses after a frightening accident and a promise to John that he would no longer take part in rodeos. Following a conversation with girlfriend Mia, Jimmy decided to try once again.

While Jimmy did not wake up after slamming into the ground during the finale, it’s highly unlikely that he died. He first appeared during the pilot episode and quickly grew into a fan-favorite character. Of the “Bunkhouse Boys,” Jimmy is the most popular and has the longest-running storyline. There are still several questions that require answers, and Sheridan likely won’t leave fans wanting. Jimmy should return in Season 4 — although he will probably do so at the hospital.

Ultimately, only Sheridan and the Yellowstone crew can provide concrete answers about this quartet of characters and their respective fates. This won’t happen until roughly June 2021, but the cast and crew are ramping up production. They are back at work and are following CDC guidelines to provide the highly-anticipated product.