A shock death and an unlikely inheritance: 3 theories on how Stan's Yellowstone is going to end.

For the last five years, Yellowstone has been one of the most widely watched TV shows in the world.

The series follows the complicated lives of the Dutton Family who own the Yellowstone Ranch – the largest one in Montana. The patriarch of the family is John Dutton (played by none other than Kevin Costner). He and his children follow behind five other generations who have owned and operated on the land.

The series is dramatic and filled with dark, haunting secrets that bind together even those who don't share blood with the Dutton family. 

Watch the trailer for Yellowstone season 5. Post continues after video. 

Eight episodes from season five of Yellowstone have aired, with more to follow after a break (the show will return with the last six episodes later in the year). 

Whilst it's impossible to predict a show like Yellowstone, it certainly hasn't stopped any of us from trying. 

So here are a few exciting and terrifying Yellowstone theories we definitely can (and CANNOT) get behind.

John Dutton dies.

John's life has been threatened consistently throughout all five seasons of Yellowstone, but none more so than in season three when he, Beth Dutton and Kayce Dutton were targeted in coordinated assassination attempts. 

John was shot multiple times by gunmen in a moving vehicle after he stopped on the side of the road to help a mother and son fix their flat tire. He survives, but barely. 

Fans believe it will finally be the patriarch's time to go at the end of season five. Not only will season five be the last we see from Yellowstone (don't worry – there are plenty of spin-offs to come), it will mean we can finally wrap up the story of John Dutton. 

John Dutton in Yellowstone. Image: Stan.

Whilst we don't believe another hit attack will work on the ranch owner, we do think his age and health will eventually catch up to him. 

Just like when he told Travis Wheatley he doesn't have three more years to create a legacy – he means not only that danger is imminent but that his death is nearing closer. 

Jamie Dutton gets the ranch.

The concept of Jamie Dutton getting the Yellowstone Ranch has long been a popular theory among fans – because whether you love or hate him, finishing off the show by handing him the land would be bloody good television. 

In a subreddit post, Reddit user phattwoohie explained why it only makes sense for Jamie to get his adopted family's ranch at the end of the series. 

"Think about it for a minute and play it out in your head. Who do they always turn to when they need to be bailed out of a legal situation? Who knows all their secrets? Jamie is highly educated and extremely good with the law," the user wrote. 

Jamie Dutton in Yellowstone. Image: Stan.

"He understands contracts, state/federal/local laws, environmental law, real estate law, tax law, etc. Jamie has the knowledge to eventually take it ALL! He will find some way to bind up that ranch and hold it over Beth's head. Whatever he schemes up, it will be ironclad, and they won't be able to do anything about it."

While it sounds like a promising theory, there's no guarantee Jamie's own family won't murder him in his eternal quest to win.

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Tate Dutton will stand to inherit everything... because everyone else will die.

Reddit is littered with promising guesses and conspiracies but the one that makes the most sense is Tate Dutton (son of Kayce Dutton and Monica Dutton) inheriting everything before his 18th birthday.

In the Yellowstone spin-off 1863, James Dutton asks the natives if his family can use their land. The elder agrees and it is made clear the land will be returned to them in seven generations. 

Tate, who is the grandson of John Dutton, marks the seventh generation since the agreement was made. Being the daughter of Native American schoolteacher Monica also makes him indigenous. It is believed that Tate inheriting the land signifies the 'return'.

This all makes a lot of sense – except for the fact there is no need for Tate to inherit everything before he becomes an adult. 

This is why fans believe Jamie and John will die in their feud while Beth and Rip leave to make a new life for themselves – away from Yellowstone and Montana forever. 

As for Kayce and Monica? Viewers say the pair will continue to raise their son and prepare him for a life at Yellowstone. 

It's quite a wholesome ending, considering every other option seems to be death or betrayal. 

Either way, the final episode of Yellowstone will leave us all on the edge of our seats. 

I, for one, can hardly wait. 

Feature Image: Stan.