Pratik Handore
The fifth season of ‘Yellowstone‘ continues the Dutton family’s battle to save their land from several external forces. Market Equities have been circling around their ancestral land for quite some time. The multinational company already has a lease to a portion of John Dutton’s land. The lease is becoming quite problematic for John as he tries to end Market Equities’ growing influence in the region.
As a result, viewers must be wondering why John’s son, Jamie Dutton, leased the land to the corporate entity in the first place. Moreover, the first two episodes of season 5 raise serious questions about the land’s future. If you wish to learn why Jamie leased John’s land and whether the Duttons will lose their ranch in ‘Yellowstone’ season 5, here is everything you need to know! SPOILERS AHEAD!
A Difficult Choice Between Land and Survival
John Dutton III (Kevin Costner) owns the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. His great-great-grandfather James Dutton established it, and the backstory is explored in the prequel series ‘1883.’ Throughout the five seasons of ‘Yellowstone,’ viewers learn of the land’s importance and the Duttons’ fierce desire to protect their ancestral ranch at all costs. However, in the show’s third season, the Duttons face the possibility of losing the ranch. Market Equities, a multinational company with billions of dollars, enters Bozeman, Montana, and seeks John Dutton’s land to construct a high-profile project known as Paradise Valley.
With outside players like Market Equities entering the circuit and driving land prices and property taxes upwards, it becomes increasingly difficult for the Duttons to sustain their ranch and vast property. In the third season, John comes dangerously close to losing his property. He is offered $500 million by Market Equities CEO Willa Hayes and hedge fund manager Roarke Morris. However, John refuses to sell even an inch of his ancestors’ land. Therefore, Jamie proposes a solution to lease a portion of the property to Market Equities. The resulting income would ensure that the Duttons can sustain their property for a few years to come. Hence, Jamie leases the property to save the land his father so dearly covets.
The Yellowstone Legacy: Preservation Over Profit
The risk of John Dutton losing his land has become more evident since the third season. Market Equities is using every weapon in its arsenal to claim the land and use it to develop several real estate projects. Moreover, there is also the threat of Chief Rainwater and the Broken Rock Indian Reservation. The ancestors of Rainwater’s tribe had given the land to the Duttons for roughly a hundred years. With that period elapsed, Rainwater wishes to reclaim the land. Likewise, there’s a financial angle involved in maintaining a large property like the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Therefore, John is fighting on several fronts to keep hold of his land.
In the fifth season, John Dutton becomes the Governor of Montana and cuts the funding for Market Equites’ Paradise Valley project. However, to end the project completely, John must stop the County Commissioners from approving the rezoning of the airport. As a result, the company could file for litigation, leading to John losing the land he had leased. The current Dutton patriarch had promised his father that he would never sell their family’s land and always keep it whole. Hence, losing a piece of that land would mean breaking the promise to his father. Therefore, John proposes turning his land into a reserved area to avoid litigation. As a result, John would not be able to sell the land or redevelop it. However, neither would anyone else. As a result, Yellowstone Ranch will remain intact, and its legacy will live on. Nonetheless, only time will tell if John’s plan will succeed or if he will end up losing everything.
Read More: Who Is Sarah Atwood in Yellowstone Season 5? Is the Actress Also in 1883?
