The “Yellowstone” cast reflects on Kevin Costner’s exit from the series

After nearly two years, “Yellowstone” fans are finally getting the second half of season five and possibly the conclusion to the beloved Dutton family saga, although a huge chunk of the series is missing.

After a very public disagreement between the show's lead, Kevin Costner, and creator Taylor Sheridan over the way the show's writing and production was handled, Costner decided to forego a return to “Yellowstone” and to instead concentrate on his major work Western epic “Horizon: An American Saga”. Nonetheless, Sheridan continued with the second half of season five, without Costner, taking a cue from Succession and deciding to keep the series' focus on John Dutton's children in what appeared to be its final season. While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet at the series' premiere, Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce Dutton, expressed sadness that Costner wasn't coming back, but said it fits into the series' larger narrative.

“It’s hard to imagine the show without him,” he said. “But that’s where it always went. The question was: Can these kids do it without him? So we all knew it was going to happen, we just didn't know how or when, and obviously it wasn't what we thought. But what it did was elevate the show to a 10, and now it’s all starting to unravel.”

Additionally, Wes Bentley, who plays Jamie Dutton, said of Costner: “We miss him. He’s a big part of the show and he’s great to have around.”

Grimes shared that it was a “miracle” that they were able to finish the show at all, considering not only Costner's resignation, but also the issues surrounding COVID and the strikes last year. For others like Cole Hauser, ranch hand and fan favorite Rip Wheeler, these hiccups don't mean the train has to stop. No official announcement has been made for a sixth season, but knowing what audiences think about Rip and Beth Dutton, played by Kelly Reilly, he feels there is room for more stories.

“You can talk about these two forever,” Hauser said of the couple. “For them there are no walls, no borders. As long as Taylor wants to write something special, I know Kelly and I would be interested.”

“Yellowstone” Season 5, Part 2 premieres November 10th on Paramount+.