Yellowstone season 5B premiered with the shocking revelation that Kevin Costner’s character, John Dutton, had met his untimely end. Initially believed to have died by suicide, it was later revealed that Sarah Atwood was behind his murder. Sarah admitted her involvement to John’s son, Jamie, setting the stage for further drama in the rest of the season. The previous half of season 5 had set the stage for John’s demise, with tensions escalating between him and his family members, particularly Jamie.
Amidst speculation about his future with the show, Costner confirmed his exit from Yellowstone in June. Reports of a feud with cocreator Taylor Sheridan had circulated, leading to delays in production and the ultimate decision to end the show after season 5. Paramount Network announced a sequel series, which is now known as The Madison, with a new cast including Michelle Pfeiffer, Matthew Fox, and Patrick J. Adams. Costner, meanwhile, shifted his focus to the film industry with the release of Horizon: An American Saga in June.
Costner revealed in an interview that he had given his time to film season 5B of Yellowstone but was met with delays due to the lack of scripts. He left the set of his film Horizon early to accommodate the show’s production schedule, only to find that there were significant script issues. The delays were further exacerbated by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes that occurred in the previous year, leading to a prolonged production timeline for the show. However, Costner expressed regret that the audience did not get to see the originally planned 10 episodes for season 5.
Sheridan, the cocreator of Yellowstone, remained relatively quiet about the behind-the-scenes drama but hinted that he had always planned for John Dutton’s demise in the series. He clarified that any storytelling decisions regarding the character were not influenced by offscreen conflicts or personal animosities. Despite the challenges faced during production, Sheridan maintained his focus on delivering a compelling narrative for the show’s loyal fan base. Yellowstone continues to air on Paramount Network, with new episodes revealing the aftermath of John Dutton’s death and the impact it has on the show’s core characters.
