Considering his outsized impact on the show and the drama surrounding his departure, I thought Kevin Costner’s exit from Yellowstone would be bigger than it sounds like it will be. The modern Western series has centered around Costner’s John Dutton for the past five seasons as John tried to keep his family together while engaging in often underhanded tactics to ensure that the Yellowstone Ranch stayed in the Dutton family. However, Kevin Costner decided to leave Yellowstone before the second half of season 5, which means his character must be written out.

Although Costner has been central to the series for most of its run, the final episodes will resolve other storylines that must be wrapped up before Yellowstone ends. Reportedly, John does not have a real exit story, as he will have disappeared, and his children will eventually learn what happened to him after searching for him. However, the rest of the Duttons will likely have the same ending to their story that they would have had if Costner had remained with Yellowstone until the end of the series.

Taylor Sheridan Has Always Known How Yellowstone Would End
He Planned On It Lasting Five Seasons Even Before Costner Decided To Leave

According to Yellowstone’s Kelly Reilly, producer Taylor Sheridan had a plan for Yellowstone’s ending from the first episode (via Entertainment Weekly). The series was supposed to last for five years, with a specific ending in mind. Since Sheridan had this vision for the series finale from the beginning, I doubt that Costner’s exit has changed his plans much. It’s possible that Sheridan had to remove storylines involving John from his plans for the wrap-up, but even if that was the case, he likely had the same plans for other characters that he did in the first place.

John dealt with cancer and related health scares in Yellowstone season 1, including discussing his wishes for the family after his death with Beth. Since Sheridan already had a plan for the ending, these early scenes were likely foreshadowing of John’s eventual fate. Thus, Costner’s early exit might have simply moved up the timeline for a planned death or changed the way that John’s fate was handled. This would not be a significant departure from Sheridan’s original plans.

Costner’s Exit Doesn’t Seem To Have As Big Of An Impact On Sheridan’s Planned Yellowstone Finale As Initially Thought
Other Stories Won’t Change Because Of Costner’s Absence

Although John has been the central character for all of Yellowstone’s run, his absence will not have the impact I thought it would. The first half of season 5 set up the stories that will be the focus as the series wraps up, such as Rip going to Texas and Beth declaring war on Jamie. These stories will continue to move forward without Costner, and in some ways, they may benefit from his absence. Thus, even though season 5 now has the additional storyline of searching for John, the wrap-up will still proceed as it was originally intended.

Jamie and Beth’s rivalry has been as important an aspect of the Western as John’s manipulations have been; thus, it’s likely that their story was always intended to become a fight to the death.

Jamie and Beth’s all-out war will be positively impacted by Costner’s absence, as John will not be able to intervene. Additionally, Beth will likely become more determined to destroy Jamie now that her father is gone. Thus, it is even more likely that Beth will kill Jamie by the series finale than it was before Costner left Yellowstone. However, this is not likely to be a significant deviation from Sheridan’s original plan. Jamie and Beth’s rivalry has been as important an aspect of the Western as John’s manipulations have been; thus, it’s likely that their story was always intended to become a fight to the death.

What Are The Best Ways To End Yellowstone
Confirming John’s Death Will Be Important To The Finale

Confirming John’s death should be an important part of the Yellowstone series finale. This would resolve the question of what happened to him after he disappeared. Additionally, Beth, Kayce, and Rip will have to decide how to honor John’s legacy, as will Jamie if he survives the war with Beth. In season 1, John told Beth that he wanted her to ensure the family stayed together after his death, but it remains to be seen how or whether she honors those wishes.

While there have been rumors of Yellowstone season 6 happening, nothing has been confirmed, and thus, the series finale should also inform the audience about what happens to the surviving characters after the final credits roll. Kayce and Monica’s contentious relationship and its impact on their son should be addressed in some manner, as should what will happen for Beth and Rip in the future. There should also be some resolution to the Duttons’ conflict with the Native American tribe that borders their land, as this has also been a central conflict since Yellowstone began.