The western hit’s grand finale is approaching, but Costner won’t be a part of it.
When, oh when, will Kelly Reilly return to TV, tossing her bangs and slinging curse words? Sometime soon, but Kevin Costner—who plays her character’s father, John Dutton III—won’t be with her. Costner’s exit from the Paramount Network hit Yellowstone is official, and the future of the series’ fifth and final season is sharpening into strange focus. The season—comprising two parts and 14 episodes total—took a break in early 2023, with plans to wrap up its arc later that summer. That timing was pushed back after some unceremonious behind-the-scenes drama, plus the added challenges of the year’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. As of May 20, 2024, Yellowstone season 5 is finally back in the saddle, currently filming its last slew of episodes—but Costner has made it clear he won’t be participating, not in these episodes, nor in the future of Yellowstone itself. Here’s what you need to know about the surprise turn of events.
When will Yellowstone season 5 return?
The series, initially set to finish filming so that final episodes could air in 2023, first hit a major roadblock in the form of actor-creator tensions. According to reports in Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter, Costner and Yellowstone showrunner Taylor Sheridan disagreed over shooting schedules and time commitments for the series. Sheridan—and Paramount Network as a whole—also chose to move forward on a series “extension” reportedly starring Matthew McConaughey, “regardless of whether Costner returns to the original,” per THR. Finally, in early May 2023, Entertainment Tonight reported that Costner would officially exit the flagship series after season 5. John Dutton’s fate, then, seemed sealed.
The cast and crew were set to film the remainder of season 5 in March 2023, but the aforementioned turmoil created a signifiant delay. Only after news of Costner’s exit got out did Paramount Network announce a new schedule: Season 5 would film ASAP and return, finally, in November 2023. But even that timing proved premature, as the year’s headline-making WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes pulled Hollywood to a halt, ceasing scriptwriting and production. The WGA reached a deal with the AMPTP in September 2023, and after SAG-AFTRA followed suit in November, Paramount was eager to finish Yellowstone season 5. In May 2024, the company announced production on season 5’s second half had begun in earnest, and that episodes would be slated to air in November 2024.
But then Costner threw another unexpected wrench in the chain of events: On June 20—shortly after Paramount announced that season 5b would drop on November 10, 2024—he posted an Instagram Reel in which he revealed he would not appear in any of the 5b episodes.
“Hi everyone,” he said. “I just want to reach out and let you know that after this long year and a half of working on Horizon and doing all the things that’s required, and thinking about Yellowstone—that beloved series that I love—that I know you love, I just realized that I’m not going to be able to continue Season 5b or into the future. It was something that really changed me. I loved it, and I know you loved it. I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be returning. I love the relationship we’ve been able to develop, and I’ll see you at the movies.”
Yellowstone season 5 seems finally set to return on November 10, but how it will finish its stories without its protagonist remains a bizarre mystery.
What time do Yellowstone episodes come out?
New episodes of Yellowstone typically drop simultaneously on the Paramount Network app (not to be confused with Paramount+) and website at the same time the show airs on Paramount Network, at 8 P.M. EST on Sunday nights. When the show returns in November, it will likely follow this same schedule.
Can I watch Yellowstone on a streaming service, without cable?
Previous seasons of Yellowstone are currently streaming on Peacock, as well as part 1 of season 5. If you want to watch Yellowstone season 5 as it airs live, you’ll need to have a cable package that allows you access to Paramount Network, or you’ll want to purchase a live TV streaming service such as Philo, Fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, or YouTube TV. You can also pre-purchase the entirety of season 5 on Amazon Prime Video for $39.99, allowing you to stream each episode as it drops this fall.
How many episodes are in Yellowstone Season 5?
Season 5 will be split into two parts, for a total of 14 episodes.
When does the next episode of Yellowstone Season 5 come out?
The following episodes have aired so far:
Episode 1, “One Hundred Years is Nothing,” as of Nov. 13, 2022
Episode 2, “The Sting of Wisdom,” as of Nov. 13, 2022
Episode 3, “Tall Drink of Water,” as of Nov. 20, 2022
Episode 4, “Horses in Heaven,” as of Nov. 27, 2022
Episode 5, “Watch ‘Em Ride Away,” as of Dec. 4, 2022
Episode 6, “Cigarettes, Whiskey, A Meadow, and You,” as of Dec. 11, 2022
Episode 7, “The Dream Is Not Me,” as of Dec. 18, 2022
Episode 8, “A Knife and No Coin,” as of Jan. 1, 2023
Season 5b will begin rolling out on November 10, 2024.
This story will be updated.
