Yellowstone is one of the biggest TV success stories of the past decade.
It’s rare for a show to grow exponentially as it ages, let alone on cable, where the odds are stacked even higher. But Yellowstone defied the ratings decline, becoming a cultural juggernaut by taking risks other series shied away from.
It was bold. It was unexpected. It kept people talking.
But the cracks began to show in Yellowstone Season 5, especially after one of the show’s most controversial choices: killing off John Dutton.
Yellowstone Had Many Opportunities to End John’s Arc Well
The move didn’t come out of nowhere. Rumors of tension between Kevin Costner and Yellowstone overlord Taylor Sheridan had swirled for months. Still, it was shocking to see the Dutton family patriarch die off-screen — a limp exit for a character who defined the show.
It’s hard to imagine Costner agreeing to that kind of farewell, which suggests that the decision likely came from Sheridan and the producers, possibly as a way to regain control and move forward.
But for viewers, it was a creative gut punch. The final episodes struggled to navigate between timelines, attempting to fill narrative gaps left by John’s absence. The show lost tension. It lost focus. And worst of all, it lost its edge.
In hindsight, Yellowstone should’ve pulled the trigger earlier.
Killing John in the aftermath of that Yellowstone Season 3 finale ambush — during his coma in Season 4 — could’ve been a game-changing move. It would have forced the series to evolve naturally, giving it time to breathe in a post-John world, instead of scrambling to pivot in its final stretch.
The Series Could Have Survived Longer
Yes, John Dutton was the show’s anchor. But there was more than enough story to mine from Beth, Rip, Kayce, and Jamie. Instead, the series wasted its final episodes on an unconvincing murder mystery and meandering fallout, with little payoff.
Costner seemed ready to move on with Horizon, and it’s hard to imagine he wouldn’t have been open to a well-planned exit arc. But maybe the behind-the-scenes drama made that impossible.
Maybe someday, Lifetime will dramatize it all with an unauthorized movie.
But here’s the harsh truth: Yellowstone ended with a whimper.
And it didn’t have to.
Had the show been allowed to live in the consequences of John’s death—instead of dodging them until it was too late—it might have gone out with the kind of fire and fury that made it a phenomenon in the first place.
Spinoffs Are on the Way
Instead, we got one of the most forgettable finales in recent memory.
And if that’s the creative energy carrying into the spinoffs?
Let’s just say… I’m not holding my breath.
Of course, we know that Luke Grimes has been cast in the headline role of Y: Marshals which will be the first Yellowstone spinoff on Broadcast TV.
There’s no telling how that will pan out, but hey, at least it’s a risk.
Maybe it will reintroduce risks to the Yellowstone universe.
Beyond that, we also have an in-the-works spinoff featuring Beth and Rip, but there has been conspicuous silence about the show in recent months.
Maybe Taylor Sheridan is so busy with his multitude of other shows that he’s keeping these two characters on the bench until he finds the time to write something.
Beyond that, we have Yellowstone: The Madison and 1944.
There was supposed to be a show titled 6666, but since it was ordered years ago and has never been heard of since, I’m inclined to believe it’s as dead as John Dutton.
Over to you, Yellowstone Fanatics!
What’s your take on the death and its place in the Yellowstone narrative?
Do you think it should have happened sooner?
Hit the comments.
Agree? Disagree? Have a theory?
Let us know in the comments, or share this article with someone who will want to argue about it with you. That’s what makes it fun.
Watch Yellowstone Online
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