When we learned that Yellowstone would be carrying on without Kevin Costner at

the helm, I wasn’t convinced that the series could live on. Sure, there are Yellowstone prequels out there that don’t feature the Western star, but Costner, for

many, was the main draw of the flagship series when it first premiered back in 2018. He certainly was one of the main reasons this author first turned in. To think of the show continuing in any form without him is a tough sell. But just as The Godfather killed off its titular patriarch, so too has Yellowstone gotten rid of John Dutton — and, actually, the Season 5B premiere gave us hope for the show’s future.

‘Yellowstone’ Needed John Dutton, but It Doesn’t Have to Be Shackled By Him

Though Costner’s absence was certainly felt (seeing his name still there in the credits was a tough blow), the way each of the characters responded to John’s death worked mightily in the show’s favor. It’s with that grief in mind that the show presses on into the second half of Season 5, with only five more episodes set to air before the end of the year. After “Desire Is All You Need,” it’s clear that the draw of Yellowstone is no longer just Costner himself, or perhaps even Taylor Sheridan, but rather this entire ensemble who have grown and developed together over these past six years. Yes, this show can survive without John Dutton at the helm of both the Dutton Ranch and all of Montana, but it can also survive without Kevin Costner.

We’ve been told that John Dutton’s presence will still be felt throughout these final episodes. Even with his death here in the premiere, John’s shadow is cast over the rest of the show. And yet, the rest of the cast holds their own like nothing has changed. Kayce (Luke Grimes) and Beth (Kelly Reilly) taking charge of the ranch and their family legacy takes Yellowstone in a compelling new direction, and even Jamie’s (Wes Bentley) struggle to come to terms with his father’s death (and his small part in it) is the most interesting material we’ve gotten out of him since Season 4, over three years ago.

Kevin Costner was central to Yellowstone‘s initial success, but his time has passed. More than likely, John will continue to be featured in the narrative in spirit, as well as through flashbacks to the ’90s, with Josh Lucas playing the younger Dutton patriarch. That’s okay, we’ll welcome more of that, but now is the time for the present batch of Duttons to “cowboy-up” and bring this thing home.

With Kevin Costner Gone, the Rest of the ‘Yellowstone’ Cast Has Room to Grow

The sad truth of it is that with Kevin Costner gone, the show now has room to develop more of its underutilized and underappreciated characters in these final episodes. Gil Birmingham‘s Chief Thomas Rainwater has not had much to do on the show across its five-season run, and Kelsey Asbille‘s Monica Dutton is in sure need of a genuine character arc (though, Season 5 has been a step in the right direction). On top of that, there are more than a half dozen different Dutton ranch hands out there who we’ve slowly gotten to know throughout the series, and now, with Costner’s exit leaving room in the narrative, there may be more opportunity to really explore their role in the Yellowstone’s future.

Of course, the biggest offender is Kayce. For years now, Yellowstone has been teasing us with a vision that Kayce had of his family’s future, where he saw “the end of us.” Back in “Grass on the Streets and Weeds on the Rooftops,” Kayce encountered various spirits, including one that looked like his dead brother Lee (Dave Annable), who taunted him. Even now, we have yet to fully understand what this vision means, and with John’s death, Kayce will be forced to step up into a leadership role within his own family, one that will no doubt challenge him as a husband, father, and cowboy.

However Yellowstone continues after this season, be it with another official season, a spin-off like The Madison, or some other not-yet-announced Yellowstone Universe project, we can’t wait to see what will become of the Duttons. With John no longer there to keep the peace between his children, and all of Montana under threat from outside influence, the ranch has never been more vulnerable. And neither has the Dutton legacy. If Yellowstone truly aims to wrap it all up with these final episodes, it had better make each of them as powerful as the last.

Yellowstone airs Sundays on the Paramount Network. Previous seasons can be streamed on Peacock.