Since the conclusion of Yellowstone, various sequel spin-offs have been announced to continue the story beyond the original Kevin Costner drama. But while we’ve gotten plenty of updates about the CBS Y: Marshals show, the highly anticipated Rip (Cole Hauser) and Beth (Kelly Reilly) continuation has been kept more under wraps. Yet, the recent announcement that Finn Little will be returning to the Yellowstone universe as the couple’s surrogate son Carter is news that many are encouraged by — and it’s long overdue.

Finn Little’s Return to the Yellowstone Universe Is a Good Thing

When Yellowstone started, John Dutton was dying and hoping to leave the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch to the next generation, which included his grandson, Tate (Brecken Merrill). But over the course of the show, there was another character introduced who, like Rip before him, could succeed the Dutton legacy by being engrafted into the family tree. First appearing in Season 4, after that climactic Season 3 finale that nearly killed Beth, Carter was soon brought aboard the Dutton Ranch as Beth aimed to play house. By the time the show ended, Carter had become a full-on cowboy and seen firsthand how dangerous the job really can be. So, when Beth and Rip found a new piece of land to call home, it was no wonder that their young ward traveled to western Montana with them.

From the first time he met John, Carter wanted to be just like him. While Tate showed varying degrees of interest in the ranching life (not unlike his own father), Carter could see the light at the end of the tunnel. After a hard life filled with directionless tragedy, Carter had finally found a place where he belonged. Considering the way that Yellowstone ended, it would be criminal for any Beth and Rip-centric spin-off to forget about Carter. Not only did he help make Beth and Rip a family, but he is an ever-present reminder that family doesn’t end in blood and that legacy is not predicated on having the Dutton name.

Beth Dutton Needs Carter In Order to Get Over Her Past Traumas

In many ways, Carter is an answer to prayers that Beth likely never prayed. After all that happened to her in her youth at the hands of her brother Jamie (Wes Bentley), it seemed that Beth would never be able to have children of her own. But while she couldn’t bear children biologically, Taylor Sheridan offered the character another chance to have a family. Despite how random his introduction felt upon first glance, it made sense that Beth would not only relate to him but quickly bring Carter into the fold, essentially adopting him. Without Carter, that loss Beth experienced in her youth would only have ended in tragedy. Instead, her predicament allowed her to help a young boy who had nowhere to go, and though she often gave him mixed signals (including refusing to be called “Mama”), she developed a quick kinship with Carter that made her, in effect, a mother.

Adding Carter Will Give Beth and Rip’s ‘Yellowstone’ Spin-Off Higher Stakes