Yellowstone’s days are officially numbered. Fans have waited an eternity to see the second half of Yellowstone season five, which were officially supposed to drop over the summer. However, the Kevin Costner controversy initially delayed the series’ return, and then the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes came into play. But now, at long last, Yellowstone’s final episodes have been scheduled to release on the Paramount Network in November of 2024. And two brand-new, spin-off series have been greenlit. President and CEO of Showtime & MTV Entertainment Studios, Chris McCarthy, said (per Deadline):

“Within five years, we grew ‘Yellowstone’ from a hit U.S. cable show with five million viewers into a global hit franchise with over 100 million fans around the world and multiple extensions – and we’re just getting started.

On the heels of ‘1883’ and ‘1923’s’ success, our new planned spinoffs, ‘1944’ and ‘2024,’ will take audiences on a thrilling, new and unexpected journey with the complex and compelling storytelling that has become a hallmark of the franchise and has helped turn it into a worldwide cultural phenomenon – thanks to the creative mastermind of Taylor Sheridan.”

And while the trade doesn’t name its source, Deadline reports that “it is possible for him to be in Yellowstone’s final episodes.” The “him” being referred to is John Dutton himself Kevin Costner! So, despite all the scheduling controversies and the so-called bad blood between Costner and Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan, John Dutton could still show up in the remainder of season five rather than simply being killed off.