The fifth and likely final season of the popular Western drama, Yellowstone, is set to conclude this Sunday, with millions of fans anticipated to tune in.
After an impressive two-year wait, the second half of the climactic chapter of the Dutton saga will conclude the show with six riveting episodes of ranch drama.
Hollywood heavyweight Kevin Costner took on his first significant TV role as patriarch John Dutton when the show premiered in 2018.
However, amidst his tumultuous divorce and a new ambitious big-screen project, the four-part Western film Horizon, he chose to leave the series before the end of season five.
Now, his co-star Luke Grimes, who plays John’s son Kayce Dutton in the series, has disclosed what it was like to return without Costner at the top of the call sheet, reports the Express.
“Him not coming back felt like, ‘Okay, we’re going to have to land this plane now for real’,” he expressed.
Despite Costner’s departure being a massive shock to fans, Grimes insists John’s exit from the narrative was always part of showrunner Taylor Sheridan’s masterplan.
“I think the patriarch leaving was always going to be part of the story,” he elaborated in an interview with People.
“That’s always where it was headed is like, what do these kids do? What does this family do when their rock is gone?”
Nevertheless, Grimes and the rest of the cast had some doubts about returning without Costner’s support.
“Whatever the circumstances may be, [it] definitely felt like, ‘Okay, we’re coming in for a landing.’ It definitely felt different,” he adds.
Despite Costner’s significant exit, whispers persist about Yellowstone’s central narrative pressing on beside the fresh spin-offs – which count among them a contemporary series with Michelle Pfeiffer at the helm and another prequel set in the year 1944.
Telly fans can get seven days of free access to binge tantalising TV like Tulsa King and Yellowstone by signing up for a free trial via Amazon Prime’s Paramount+ channel.
This also includes a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime, just remember to cancel at the end and you won’t be charged
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Paramount+Moreover, Grimes remains uncertain if this is truly the end of the road for the Duttons post-season five.
“Basically we’re just going to see if Taylor has an idea that he gets excited about, and that’s going to make all the difference here,” he hinted.
Regardless, the Yellowstone universe shows no signs of creative drought, with plans to broaden its Western saga in the years ahead.
The upcoming Pfeiffer-led sequel, dubbed The Madison, is slated for a 2025 debut and will feature Patrick J. Adams and Beau Garrett, while Hollywood heavyweights Matthew McConaughey and Kurt Russell have been previously linked with the project.
Yellowstone season 5, part 2 premieres Sunday, November 10 on Paramount and the following Monday on Paramount+.