Yellowstone is one of those shows in recent years that has fans excited for every second they watch. The show has been a massive hit since it came out in 2018 and six years later, they are still going strong.
This season, however, there is one big change, and it seems like not all fans are as ready to accept it as one might think. Shows undergo changes all the time, but it looks like the Yellowstone fans are adamant and will not budge from their position.
Keep reading to learn more about what has some fans up in arms about the show.
Earlier this summer, on June 20th, the show Yellowstone‘s official Instagram page posted a video teasing the arrival of the second half of their show’s fifth season. It seemed like some fans were not too happy about the teaser and made sure their complaints were heard.
The show alerted fans about the show’s upcoming return to screens this November on its home, the Paramount Network.
The caption read, “Save the date: November 10. #YellowstoneTV.” But it seems like not everyone was excited about the show’s return, especially since the show would noticeably be missing a beloved cast member.
For a lot of people, Kevin Costner’s noticeable absence from the show is a big reason for not watching the upcoming season. A lot of people made sure their opinion was heard on the Instagram post, with one person writing, “Won’t be the same without Kevin Costner…I’m so sad. 😭💔,” another wrote, “What’s the point without Kevin Costner?!” while another netizen added, “There’s no point of watching this show if Kevin Costner isn’t in it. Taylor Sheridan you really messed this one up.”
Another person who was very angry wrote, “probably won’t watch it as we’ve waited almost 2 years for this shit and now Costner won’t even be in it!!!!” While another person simply said, “It’s Costner or NOTHING.”
Clearly, a lot of Yellowstone fans had their loyalties to Kevin Costner and are not much looking forward to the show without the actor reprising his role as John Dutton.
However, there were still some fans who were happy to have the show return to their screens even without Costner’s celebrity presence. “I can’t wait!!!,” one fan wrote. While another added, “Setting a reminder now.”
A day after the teaser for the latest season came out, the celebrity took to his Instagram account to confirm that he would not be returning to the show.
Costner wrote, “Hi, everyone. I just want 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’s required, and thinking about ‘Yellowstone’ — that beloved series that I love, that I know you love — I just realized that I’m not going to be able to continue season five b or into the future.”
In his caption, he went on to discuss how Yellowstone had changed him as a person and reiterated how much he loved the series. He wrote, “I love the relationship we’ve been able to develop, and I’ll see you at the movies,” he wrote.
The star of Dances with Wolves Kevin Costner, also appeared in an interview with USA Today, where he gave more clarity to his fans. He was on a promotional tour for his then-new Western film series “Horizon.” “Simply with all the questions that were being asked (about ‘Yellowstone’), the longer I thought about that … I just wanted to say that this is a stepping-off point,” he explained to fans.
He then shared, “Whatever I’d hoped for maybe was not in the cards. I don’t want to keep saying, ‘Yeah, I hope I can do it.’ That’s drifted to a place that I don’t think is realistic anymore.” He also clarified in this interview that there was not specific that had happened or had been done by show-runner Sheridan or Paramount Studios that lead him to announce to fans that he is leaving the production. He only meant to communicate that he was no longer optimistic that his character would be able to return.
“I just wanted to get that done. I’m not a machine trying to figure this out. But I’m not a person that leaves people high and dry,” the actor said
Costner was a staple on the show since it began in 2018. The show follows the lives of a ranching family in Montana who routinely have face-offs with people encroaching on their land.
His portrayal of John Dutton, the owner of one of the biggest cattle ranches in the U.S. and the patriarch of the Dutton family, has been beloved by man. His co-stars also had strong feelings about the actor leaving. Luke Grimes, who plays Costner’s on-screen son, Kayce Dutton, gave an interview about the ordeal.
The actor said, “Him not coming back felt like, ‘Okay, we’re going to have to land this plane now for real’ […] It definitely felt different.”
He also acknowledged that this was always part of the plan, he said, “I think the patriarch leaving was always going to be part of the story. That’s always where it was headed is like, ‘What do these kids do? What does this family do when their rock is gone?'”
This has not been an easy year for Kevin Costner with his public divorce from ex-wife Christine Baumgartner, his movie failing, and now his departure from Yellowstone. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments!
