While Yellowstone fans look ahead (unwillingly) to the soon to come conclusion of the series, they have many things to come to terms with. Not only will the end of Yellowstone mean saying goodbye to our favorite tales in the Yellowstone timeline, but also to the Yellowstone cast as well.
The main Yellowstone series focuses on the modern generation of Duttons, with Kevin Costner‘s John Dutton serving as the steady patriarch of the cattle ranch family. Taylor Sheridan and Kevin Costner seem to be at the center of the Yellowstone drama. Rumors circulated that a rift between the two caused Costner’s departure, leading to the premature ending.
Sheridan has been vocal about one of the best TV series he’s created and has even spoken about how Costner’s departure has impacted the original ending for John Dutton and how he feels about it.
“I’m disappointed,” Sheridan said [via The Hollywood Reporter]. “It truncates the closure of his character. It doesn’t alter it, but it truncates it.”
Supposedly, for Sheridan, the untimely ending of the show hasn’t impacted his relationship with Costner. Realistically, the ending of Yellowstone has come about most obviously because Costner wanted to spend time working on his next project: the Horizon release date.
“My opinion of Kevin as an actor hasn’t altered,” Sheridan said. “His creation of John Dutton is symbolic and powerful.”
We agree. Many of the best moments of the drama series have come from the words or actions of JD. And although we love the rest of the Yellowstone characters, like Beth Dutton or Rip Wheeler (not you Jamie, scram!), John Dutton will always be the heart of the show. Without him, the explorations of legacy and family loyalty wouldn’t hit as hard. Plus, so many of the show’s most shocking moments can be attributed to him.
We only hope that the ending that does eventually come to fruition for John is one that’s fitting for his character. A sudden death would not be completely out of the realm of believably, since we’ve already seen him in ill health. Plus, he’s been shot. We know people are out to get him.
For us, the worst case scenario would simply be if he was written out with only brief mention after the fact. Kevin Costner, for better or worse, is the star of the show. He, and John, deserve the best of farewells.
For more from the Duttons, check out everything you need to know about the 1923 season 2 release date, and get to know the 1883 cast. You can also check out all the best Westerns, and check out the 10 shows like Yellowstone to watch next. You can also read our features on why Dallas ran so Yellowstone could fly, and what you can do now that Yellowstone is breaking up with you.