After a nearly two-year hiatus, Paramount Network’s Yellowstone returns Sunday with the midseason premiere of season five, the first of its final six episodes.
The final episodes of the hit series have been shrouded in mystery, even for the cast, with several actors revealing they didn’t know about John Dutton’s departure from Kevin Costner.
The show wasted no time revealing in the opening moments of the Season 5, Part 2 premiere Dutton’s death, apparently by suicide.
Costner made a dramatic exit from the series due to scheduling conflicts with his Horizon western film franchise, although fans were quite upset about how he was killed off.
Fans took to social media to react en masse to the beloved character’s departure as the neo-Western series comes to an end.
After a nearly two-year hiatus, Paramount Network’s Yellowstone returns Sunday with the midseason premiere of season five, the first of its final six episodes.
Costner made a dramatic exit from the series due to scheduling conflicts with his Western film franchise Horizon, and it is unclear if he will be seen in the final six episodes.
Given how hard John Dutton has fought for everything in his life, fans were furious and insisted he would never have committed suicide.
@Thecraftyturtle said: ‘Okay, no way John Dutton committed suicide. They dirty his character!! #yellowstone
@KayCee1771 said: ‘Not how I expected #Yellowstone to start’, while @AmberLee_0123 said: ‘It’s not even 5 minutes into #Yellowstone and I’M NOT OKAY.’
@FolkToe said ‘#Yellowstone Run Jamie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’ hinting that Dutton’s son Jamie (Wes Bentley) was involved.
It’s not too surprising that Jamie can be blamed, as the show’s last episode almost two years ago showed Jamie considering various ways to kill his father with his new romantic interest Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri).
However, as the episode progressed, it became clearer that Sarah apparently took matters into her own hands and staged John’s death simply to make it look like a suicide… covering up his actual murder.
@thetvescape said: ‘Wait, now it’s looking more and more likely that the “suicide” was staged!’
@BroGod4Life said: ‘They don’t believe John Dutton tried to kill himself, they believe Sarah, Jamie or someone had something to do with what happened to him if they have proof and it will take time.’
The news of a sixth season after Beth and Rip has come as a surprise to some fans.
The on-screen couple were reportedly in talks to join the Yellowstone spinoff The Madison, starring Michelle Pfeiffer.
In April, when asked about the possibility of a sixth season, Reilly told RadioTimes: “The only thing I care about is finishing (Yellowstone) with all the care and passion and love that I can muster to put into it… I’m Like getting ready for that now, (and) that’s what matters most to me about my tunnel vision.’
‘And what happens beyond that? There are arguments, you know? Don’t believe everything you read. “It’s just nonsense,” he continued.
Paramount Network also ordered another spin-off titled 1944, which will follow the prequels 1883 and 1923, following previous generations of the Dutton clan.