After six years, five seasons, several unexpected delays, back and forths and some disputes, Yellowstone is officially coming to an end, without its lead star Kevin Costner.
We last saw the Yellowstone crew in November of 2022, when the first part of the oversized fifth season — now set to be the last — concluded with a seventh episode. Seven more episodes were initially meant to be released in the summer, though those are now set to premiere tonight.
Now, ahead of the bittersweet ending, its cast is reflecting on what that journey coming to an end means.
During the premiere of the final installment, the cast of Yellowstone, which includes Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, Wes Bentley, Ian Bohen and Gil Birmingham, among others, was asked by Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet what is one word they would use to describe this moment.
Among the cast’s word or words of choice were profound, beautiful, heartbreaking, epic, tipping point, astonishing, cathartic, deeply moving, and bittersweet.
Though it was rumored long before, Kevin confirmed he wasn’t returning to Yellowstone in a video message on Instagram last May, in which he said: “I just wanted to reach out and let you know that, after this long year-and-a-half of working on Horizon, and doing all the things that that’s required,” adding: “And thinking about Yellowstone — that beloved series that I love, that I know you love — I just realized that I am not going to be able to continue season 5-B, or into the future.”
Prior to that, Chris McCarthy, President & CEO Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, said in a statement: “Yellowstone has been the cornerstone on which we have launched an entire universe of global hits — from 1883 to Tulsa King — and I am confident our Yellowstone sequel will be another big hit, thanks to the brilliant creative mind of Taylor Sheridan and our incredible casts who bring these shows to life.”
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David Glasser, CEO of 101 Studios and executive producer of Yellowstone, added, “The Dutton story continues, picking up where Yellowstone leaves off in another epic tale. We are thrilled to bring this new journey to audiences around the world.”
Still, despite the ending being bittersweet, Luke, who stars as Kayce Dutton, promises it’s as “juicy” as it gets. Speaking on a featurette clip that’s set to appear on the show’s latest DVD and Blu-ray release shared with Entertainment Tonight earlier this year, the actor teased what fans can expect from the show’s conclusion, and delved into why it became such a hit after its 2018 premiere.
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He reflected: “Love and family and serve your tribe, your people — that’s a huge theme in the show. With Kayce, he has a hard time choosing his relationship with his father versus his relationship with his wife and son,” adding: “I think it’s because it all really matters and it matters to all of the characters.”
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Still, he noted: “There’s no right team or wrong team, it’s just a bunch of people trying to figure out how to do what’s best for their own.”
