Though “Yellowstone” has been among the most popular shows on television for years, there’s been a curious delay in getting to the second half of Season 5. As Kevin Costner is set to take legal action against Paramount over the hit neo-western series, family patriarch John Dutton’s death is looking more and more certain for when the series finally does return for its possible final season.
However, Puck (via TV Line) has reported that the actor’s demands were too much for “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan to agree to. According to the report, Costner and Sheridan got on the phone together back in July for a conversation in which the performer asked for more money, fewer shooting days, and the right to review Sheridan’s scripts, which he sought the ability to approve or veto independently. However, while Sheridan and Costner were unable to reach an agreement on those provisions, Costner does retain the right to have final approval over the death of John Dutton, if the show chooses to go that route.
Though this version of events hasn’t been confirmed by the actor’s side, Costner’s previous comments indicated that Paramount “walked away” from negotiations. Regardless of whose side you take, this does add more fuel to the fire in terms of the conflict between Paramount and the actor and will almost certainly spell the end for his character on “Yellowstone” when it comes back after the SAG-AFRA strike concludes.
How will John Dutton meet his end?
Kevin Costner retaining the right in his contract to approve or deny the ways John Dutton can meet his end complicates matters slightly. Still, as many have speculated, including TV Line, the most likely fate for the family patriarch is that he will fall victim to his adopted son Jamie Dutton’s (Wes Bentley) murder plot.
As the series has been ratcheting toward its endgame in Season 5, Jamie has embraced his role as the man everyone thinks he is and is set to be the central villain for the remainder of the season. The character has also finally shrugged off the control of Beth’s (Kelly Reilly) blackmail threats and even laughed in her face in the mid-season finale, suggesting that he’s capable of just about anything at this point.
Either way, it’s looking less and less likely that we’ll have the answers for the potential end of “Yellowstone” by the end of 2023, as Season 5, Part 2 has yet to even begin filming. Still, with plenty of Taylor Sheridan content on the Paramount Network and Paramount+, fans can at least use the glut of shows from the creator to help fill the gap in the meantime.