A Guide To The Yellowstone Universe
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1 month ago
What's next in Taylor Sheridan's sprawling western universe?
Now it has found a second home on Netflix, Taylor Sheridan and John Linson’s sprawling Yellowstone universe is garnering new fans everyday. But with prequels to navigate and a sequel in the works, it can be tricky to keep track of all of the moving parts. Here’s a guide to all of the shows in the Yellowstone universe, the timelines they cover, and where to stream them.
The Yellowstone Universe Explained
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First: Yellowstone
The first series in the Yellowstone universe is the core neo-western drama of the same name. Yellowstone follows the Dutton family from 2018 to 2024 across five seasons. Led by patriarch John Dutton, the family controls Montana’s – and the US’s – largest contiguous ranch, and the series delves into their struggles to maintain the vast swathe of land against threats spanning land developers, political corruption and Native American tensions.
The explosive finale aired at the end of 2024, but before Sheridan was finished with the contemporary Dutton family, he was already delving into their past with prequels 1883 and 1923.
Since 2024, the first four seasons of Yellowstone have been available to stream on Netflix, but season 5 is yet to join them. We anticipate a two-year delay for Paramount’s exclusivity rights. With season 5 wrapping up at the end of 2024, this could mean Yellowstone season 5 will be added to Netflix at the end of 2026 – though there’s still no official date confirmed.
Sam Elliot as Shea in the Paramount+ original series 1883. (Emerson Miller/Paramount+ © 2021 MTV Entertainment Studios. All Rights Reserved.)
1883
1883 is a prequel series to Yellowstone which follows the post-Civil war generation of the Dutton family in 1883. Having ran for only one season in 2021, it is the Yellowstone prequel stretching furthest into history; this is the true genesis of the family.
Across 10 episodes, we see the Dutton family embark on a journey in the titular year, westward across the Great Plains from Tennessee to Texas, before joining a wagon train on route to Oregon. The family faces harsh environments, confrontations with Native American tribes and internal family struggles, with the series concluding with the family settling in Montana, establishing the Yellowstone Ranch we see in Yellowstone.
When Yellowstone landed on Netflix in January 2025, 1883 joined it straight away, meaning the full season is available to stream at your leisure across both platforms.
Harrison Ford as Jacob Dutton and Helen Mirren as Cara Dutton in 1923 streaming on Paramount+ 2022. © James Minchin III/Paramount+
1923
A sequel to 1883 and another prequel to Yellowstone, 1923 follows the next of the Dutton family, this time in a period of significant upheaval. The prohibition, a historic drought and the early days of the Great Depression all play a role in the struggles of the Dutton family. At the centre of 1923 is patriarch Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford) and his wife Cara (Helen Mirren), and it is in 1923 that Jacob becomes the livestock commissioner, beginning the Dutton family’s political influence.
1923 ran for two seasons: the first in 2022 and the second in 2025. 1923 season 1 has been available to stream on Netflix as well as Paramount+ since July, but we don’t expect season 2 to join it for a long while – perhaps even 2027.
What Order To Watch Yellowstone?
If you’ve never watched Yellowstone, you have a choice to ponder: should I watch Yellowstone chronologically, or the order in which it was released? Your options are thus:
Chronological
Start at the very beginning of the Dutton line and stream 1883 first, then the two seasons of 1923 before finally delving into the main event, Yellowstone.
Release Order
To replicate the real-time experience of fans, you could also watch Yellowstone in the order it was released. This would either be Yellowstone, followed by 1883 and 1923, or if you want the authentic experience (and to enjoy all the Easter eggs and flashbacks), the exact release order is as follows:
- Yellowstone seasons 1 to 3
- 1883
- Yellowstone season 4
- 1923 season 1
- Yellowstone season 5
- 1923 season 2
The cast of Yellowstone season 5. (Paramount)
What Else Is In The Works?
Yellowstone may have ended, but the universe continues to expand. Here’s a rundown of the spin-offs still in the works at Paramount.
Madison
A sequel to Yellowstone, picking up where the former ends. Reports have circulated suggesting Madison was once under the working title ‘2024’, a project to which Matthew McConaughey was attached. However, new details peg Michelle Pfeiffer as the lead star, playing a New York City matriarch who moves to the Madison River valley in central Montana with her family. Officially in the works, filming is underway with hopes Madison will air in 2025. Read more about what to expect here.
6666
This is another potential Yellowstone spin off, though no confirmation that it will actually happen. If it gets the greenlight, 6666 will be set on the historic Four Sixes Ranch in Texas, exploring the lives of cowboys and ranchers (crucially not the Dutton family), and focusing on the challenges and traditions of ranch life in Texas.
1944
1944 is another proposed prequel to Yellowstone and sequel to Ford and Mirren’s 1923 series. Again, no confirmation just yet on whether 1944 will get the go ahead but if it does it will introduce another generation of the Dutton family, this time during the WWII era. Set not so long after 1923, we expect to see a return of Spencer and Alexandra Dutton, or Jack and Elizabeth Dutton, as they raise the next generation of the family.
WATCH
All episodes of Yellowstone, 1883 and 1923 are streaming on Paramount+.
The first four seasons of Yellowstone, every episode of 1883 and the first season of 1923 are streaming on Netflix.
