The final season of Yellowstone will have to conclude without John Dutton as of now.
Series star Kevin Costner shared on Thursday night that he won’t be returning to production on the last season’s final episodes, leaving his character’s fate up in the air.
While it’s always possible show creator Taylor Sheridan and company could patch things up with Costner for him to return for at least a small appearance, it appears as if the Oscar winner is content with stepping away and focusing on his third installment in the new Horizon: An American Saga franchise.
What’s going to be fascinating is to see how Sheridan chooses to write Costner out of the show’s closing stretch. We’ll do our best to guess what’s next, which honestly leaves really only a few plausible scenarios for the character.
Yellowstone spoilers to follow.
The first half of season five left the Dutton family in tatters. Costner’s John Dutton has been put on the hot seat by his adopted son, Jamie. The latter has called for his father’s impeachment as Montana’s governor, something he can do because he’s the state’s Attorney General.
Jamie’s sister and John’s daughter, Beth, has just learned from Jamie that her family has disposed of dead bodies at the “Train Station. She understands the power Jamie now has in his back pocket and openly wonders to her dad if the family should have Jamie sent to the “Train Station,” which puts John in a very difficult position. However, Jamie also considers striking with his own attack on the Dutton family, particularly his father and sister.
It’s the kind of sticky melodrama that would’ve been riveting to see play out with Costner involvd, but his exit basically confirms one of three logical paths for John Dutton. Sheridan is too shrewd a storyteller to just have John Dutton operating normally while not being on screen, so he’s got three options in theory to make Costner’s absence make sense.
First, the show could (and probably will) kill Dutton off. Whether it’s by Jamie’s hand, by freak accident, by health event or by natural causes, giving the character the permanent hook would be the easiest way to write Costner out of the show. It would throw the Dutton children and other characters into an immediate power grab, and it would be the most dramatically satisfying way to keep the show going without Costner, if only for a few episodes.
Second, they could hypothetically send Dutton to jail for his crimes in a time jump. That wouldn’t be the best scenario narratively, but it’d be a plausible way to get the character out of the game and behind bars. We’re not sure this would really play well, but it could leave the door open if Costner changes his mind about coming back.
The third option would be some sort of major health scare that puts Dutton in the hospital or in some sort of coma, which feels a little forced but would give the show a good reason for Costner to not be around while his character still is. That could also leave the door open for Costner’s possible return if they’re able to work something out in time.
Our best guess is that the graveyard shift is headed John Dutton’s way, giving the character a firm sense of finality and allowing the show to close itself out without needing Costner around to make it work.
However, this is Hollywood we’re talking about, so never say never to another possible outcome.
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