I Know Fans Are Obsessed With What’s Going On With Kevin Costner In Yellowstone’s Final Season, But I Honestly Think It Would Be Better If He Didn’t Appear

Before you take me to the Train Station over this take, hear me out.

For months and months, we’ve been talking about Kevin Costner, his alleged drama with Yellowstone, and whether or not he’ll return as John Dutton for the final episodes of Taylor Sheridan’s drama when it premieres on the 2024 TV schedule. Well, while we still don’t know if the actor is returning, I’ve concluded that the show would actually be better if he didn’t come back. And, before you take me to the Train Station over this take, hear me out.

There’s A Lot Of Drama Surrounding Kevin Costner And Yellowstone

So, we really don’t know much about Kevin Costner’s involvement in the final episodes of Yellowstone. However, it’s been heavily reported that scheduling issues have been at the crux of his issues with returning to the show for the final episodes. We also haven’t heard anything concrete about him coming back. Therefore, it seems highly likely that Costner will not return for Season 5’s final episodes.

Also, while it seems highly likely the John Dutton actor won’t be back, the actor who plays the younger version of the Yellowstone’s patriarch in flashbacks, Josh Lucas, said he wants to return as part of the Yellowstone cast, and that he’s had conversations with Taylor Sheridan about coming back.  Therefore, if Costner is gone, his character likely won’t be, because the Western relies on flashbacks frequently.

With all this being said, it seems like John Dutton will be written off in the present, and we’ll likely get flashbacks of him. I think this would honestly be the best way to proceed with the show too, especially considering how twists that involve the main character dying have impacted incredible dramas like Game of Thrones and Succession for the better.

Like Major Deaths In Succession And Game Of Thrones, John Dutton’s Death Could Change Everything

Across television history, there are many points we can point to where viewers stopped and gasped out for pure shock, because what they just witnessed changed the trajectory of the show forever and for the best.

Game of Thrones wreaked havoc when they killed off Ned Stark, the main character at the time, at the beginning of Season 1. However, his death was the inciting incident that impacted the rest of the acclaimed fantasy. His death (along with Robert Baratheon’s) started the battle for the Iron Throne, and his legacy was felt through the final episode.

Then, Succession killed off Logan Roy, the patriarch of the Roy family, in the game-changing third episode, “Connor’s Wedding,” in the final season. That’s right, this happened not at the end of the season, but in the middle of it when no one was expecting anything. His death added a whole new level of drama and intrigue to the show as his kids fought over who had the right to be their father’s successor.