Where the Yellowstone universe stands when season 5 ends

IIt’s been almost two years since the Paramount Network aired new episodes YellowstoneTaylor Sheridan and John Linson’s western drama starring Kevin Costner. That’s not the norm for a show that once premiered a new season every year from 2018 to 2022. During that time, the show’s ratings steadily climbed to new heights, with each premiere breaking live and same-day records. As spin-offs were greenlit and Sheridan’s empire expanded, Yellowstone cemented itself as the most-watched program on cable. And yet the show stalled, having aired the first half of its fifth season in early 2023. While it wasn’t the only show to face delays as a result of last year’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Yellowstone was further plagued by scheduling conflicts and drama both before and after the Hollywood stalemate.

But this Sunday, Nov. 10. Yellowstone is officially back at 8 p.m. ET, airing the first of six episodes that will close out the season and wrap up this storyline (at least for now). Unfortunately, Costner will not be appearing, leaving the way forward a bit unclear. Here’s what you need to know about what happened last Yellowstone– and what could happen.

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Why isn’t Kevin Costner coming back?

Costner is currently at work directing, producing and starring in Horizon: An American Saga, his self-financed series of four planned epic westerns. (Both Chapter 1 and 2 premiered earlier this year, with Chapter 3 and 4 in production, despite reported challenges surrounding financing.) Initially, it was reported that Costner might be leaving Yellowstone to focus on his passion project after the end of season 5, with some sources said that he himself refused to finish recording the second half. But according to Costner, he always planned to return to finish John Dutton’s story if it worked with his schedule, possibly filming a sixth and even seventh season.

Reports surfaced of a feud between Costner and Sheridan. From Costner’s point of view, Sheridan was too busy with other projects to deliver the scripts in time to finish filming season 5, before filming for Horizon began. Costner, meanwhile, responded with a long list of requirements including a raise and the right to veto any scripts from the season if necessary. Like Sheridan told Hollywood Reporter“I’ve never had a problem with Kevin that he and I couldn’t work out on the phone. But once lawyers get involved, people aren’t going to talk to each other and start saying things that aren’t true and try to shift the blame based on how the press or the public seems to react. … I certainly hope (the film is) worth it – and that it’s good.” Sheridan maintains that Costner’s absence “doesn’t change” the conclusion of his character’s arc, even if it shortens it.

What happened last Yellowstone?

Much of the first half of Season 5 revolved around John Dutton’s new role as Governor of Montana, a job he took for the sole purpose of fueling Market Equities’ new airport and planned commercial developments for his country. He did so with the help of his daughter Beth (Kelly Reilly), now his chief of staff, and his once-divorced state attorney son Jamie (West Bentley). John also enjoyed a lot of time at the ranch away from his place in Helena, starting a romance with his new environmentalist, animal rights activist and general liberal stereotype Summer (Piper Perabo).

While John’s second son Kayce (Luke Grimes) and his wife Monica (Kelsey Asbille) spent the season grieving the little boy they lost, Beth and Jamie’s rivalry heated up, with Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) manipulating the latter into calling after his own father’s impeachment for helping market stocks. Now Beth wants Jamie dead — and based on his suggestion to hire “professionals,” he’s ready to see his sister go, too.

Oh, also, Rip (Cole Hauser) and many of the ranch hands are headed to Texas with half the cattle to await the contamination brought to the ranch by some runaway Yellowstone buffalo.

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What will the final half season focus on?

The new trailer doesn’t give much insight into what we’ll see in the final six episodes: it’s mostly just the usual snippets of dialogue about protecting the family and protecting the ranch. Still, it’s safe to say that Beth and Jamie’s civil war will be a big part of the season, and Kayce may be forced to choose a side.

It’s also unclear how Costner will be written out of the show, though director Christina Voros recently described John’s presence in these episodes as “integral.” She was coy about what exactly that means — could Costner show up (or perform) after all, or will he just be a powerful unseen character hanging over everything? Many have called Yellowstone “Succession in the west,” and those comparisons are sure to continue with both shows’ final seasons featuring an absent patriarch looming large.

What else Yellowstone are spinoffs in the pipeline?

There is still speculation about that Yellowstone could return for a season 6, with Hauser and Reilly reportedly in talks to continue their characters. Until then, however, there is much to do Yellowstone-verse to look forward to. Paramount+ has already aired a couple of prequel series focusing on previous generations of the Dutton family: 1883 (with Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Sam Elliott) and 1923 (starring Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford). The latter of which still has a second and final season in the works; it is currently recording. There are also a number of other planned shows in development, including one more sequel 1923 called 1944. 6666which was announced back in 2021 and set up via Jimmy’s (Jefferson White) season 4 and 5 appearances at the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas, is currently on hold.

The biggest confirmed project in the works is Madisona sequel to the parent show originally announced as 2024: Michelle Pfeiffer will star as a wealthy matriarch who moves her family to Montana from New York City after her husband dies in a plane crash. As far as we know, there are no immediate plans to show any Yellowstone characters in this one, but Patrick J. Adams, Elle Chapman, Matthew Fox, Beau Garrett, Amiah Miller, and Ben Schnetzer have already officially come aboard the cast.