Sumith Prasad
In Paramount Network’s Western series ‘Yellowstone,’ the future of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch becomes the responsibility of Beth and Kayce Dutton after the murder of their father, John Dutton. Surprisingly, the only surviving biological son of the Dutton patriarch is involved in the decisions regarding the property, which helps his sister protect the land of their ancestors. In the series finale, Kayce finds a way to safeguard the ranch from the threat of Market Equities and the State of Montana by joining hands with Chief Thomas Rainwater. After the sale of the property is finalized, he makes two decisions concerning his and his family’s future! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Kayce Dutton Quits His Job to Prioritize Being With His Family
After Kayce sells the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch to Chief Rainwater, the first thing he does is throw away his badge. He ends his career as a livestock commissioner without any explicit reasons. Even though he does not verbally voice out the motivation behind his actions, it is evident that he wants to focus only on his family and nothing else. Kayce has always accepted positions of power to aid the Dutton Ranch and its operation. Since his extended family is in the livestock business, being an officer of the same department helps the establishment in many ways.
Now that the Dutton Ranch no longer exists as it was in John Dutton’s lifetime, he does not need the position and authority of the livestock commissioner. He is not interested in doing a job that prioritizes everyone else over his own family, especially after dividing his time between the ranch and his own house for a long period. Finally, he wants the comfort of being with his loved ones without any added burden. He wants to be present for Tate as the latter’s father and Monica as her husband. His duties and obligations have taken him away from them whenever they needed him the most because of his commitments as a son and officer, and by quitting, Kayce is putting an end to this practice.
Kayce Dutton Does Not Want to Carry the Baggage of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch
Kayce is a proud Dutton without a shadow of a doubt. That’s why he stands by the ranch when it gets threatened by Market Equities and Governor Steven. He does not want to see the land where his second son rests for eternity end up in the hands of a corporate giant, just like his late father, John. However, it does not mean he is at “home” at the Dutton Ranch. He always has a troubled relationship with his father and his kingdom, which includes the establishment and the associated brand. That is why he has tried to run away from the property multiple times.
Kayce’s relationship with John and his ranch worsened when the latter tried to intervene in the former’s relationship with Monica. The Dutton patriarch tried to make her abort their baby, who happened to be Tate, seemingly to protect the reputation of the family name and the ranch. Even though John didn’t succeed in convincing Monica to kill her child, his actions made Kayce sever his emotional ties with his father’s kingdom, which explains why he is not as invested in the brand as Beth and Rip Wheeler are.
Because of this strained relationship, Kayce does not want to represent the Dutton Ranch as John’s successor. He wants a ranch of his own, which has his identity rather than his father’s. This aspiration makes him ask Rip to keep the brand name and board. In other words, Kayce wishes to run an ordinary, small-scale ranch for the day-to-day survival of his family without the baggage of John’s legacy.
Read More: How Does the Yellowstone Series Finale Set Up the Beth-Rip Spinoff?
