Yellowstone either pulled a bait-and-switch to write Kevin Costner out of Season 5, or we’re being set up for an epic reunion.
Or, both could be true.
John Dutton’s fate was revealed during an hour-plus episode on Sunday (Nov. 10). Consider this your spoiler alert warning, as what follows not only reveals key plot details, but suggests ways the series could ultimately wrap.
John Dutton’s Fate Revealed
This was the big question leading up to Yellowstone’s return. With Costner not participating for the remaining episodes, how would he be written off? The Dutton Rules podcast team thought there could be leftover footage from Part 1 of Season 5 to get him back on screen — he did dominate the trailer, after all.
That wasn’t the case. We never saw him, and he was confirmed dead 120 seconds into the Part 2 premiere. Shout out to whoever it was that played the body of John Dutton!
How Did John Dutton Die?
Officially, Governor John Dutton died by suicide. His body was found in the bathroom with a gun (his gun) by his side. His hands had gunpowder on them, and all of the evidence — plus that he was to start his impeachment trial that day — led to a suicide conclusion.
Quickly, fans learned Sarah Atwood was behind his death and the suicide was actually a targeted hit. We literally watch her meet with “Grant,” the guy in charge at a remarkably professional the murder-for-hire company.
“We provide logistical solutions to conflicts you do not have the capacity to resolve on your own,” Grant tells Sarah in explaining why she’s the murderer, not him. That’s probably on his business card.
Notice I didn’t say Sarah and Jamie Dutton were behind his death. Beth thinks Jamie was, and fans do, too, because of a scene from Season 5, Ep. 8, which aired nearly two years ago. That’s the problem.
Did Yellowstone Try to Trick Us?
During this scene from “A Knife and No Coin,” Jamie and Sarah discuss hiring a hitman. He inquires, and she admits she knows two companies. He wants to talk to them, but she says, “No, let me do it.”
It’s very heat of the moment — which becomes a problem — but viewers are led to believe this is happening.
The problem is, Sarah and Jamie weren’t talking about killing John Dutton. They were talking about killing Beth Dutton!
Jamie’s sister had just broken into his house and attacked him. As Sarah is tending his wounds, she asks Jamie what he thinks Beth will do next. He replies that he thinks his sister will try to kill him and then says he wants to play offense, not defense.
John Dutton’s name is never mentioned, but there is this exchange:
Sarah: “So if you’re going to go after her, you just might, maybe …”
Jamie: “That’s what I was thinking, too.”
It’s generous to agree that she was saying they should kill John Dutton, too, and it’s further problematic because during her meeting with “Grant,” they talk about one murder, not multiple.
An Alternative Theory to How Yellowstone Ends:
The above is a cynical way of looking at things, and admittedly, after a so-so Season 5, Part 1, a two-year break and fumbled negotiations between Costner and Paramount, I’m in a cynical mood. However …
What if this plot hole is not a plot hole, but a clue. What if this is what everyone should be talking about today? Maybe it’s evidence of Jamie’s innocence and a path forward that allows Beth and Jamie (with help from Kayce) to reconcile?
Jamie seemed genuinely surprised to learn Sarah had his father killed on his behalf, because he literally never had that conversation. Killing John Dutton benefits Sarah and her employer Market Equities more than anyone, so maybe she intentionally misremembered?
Remember how quickly she starts to pump him up after he starts making accusations.
“Lions don’t die of old age,” she tells him. “Lions die in the jaws of younger lions, and you are the younger lion. This is your kingdom now.”
Or maybe Yellowstone‘s writers just couldn’t figure out how to whack John Dutton, so they did it this way and hoped nobody would remember.
