Costner’s exit from Yellowstone was for several reasons. None of the involved parties have really sat down and talked about it extensively, but according to reports, one of the main reasons for the actor’s decision to walk away from the show is creative friction with Sheridan. At one point during the show’s extended break, there were hopes that a middle ground would be reached, but that didn’t happen. Ultimately, Sheridan found a way to explain his main star’s absence by kicking off Yellowstone season 5, part 2 with the murder of John III.
Yellowstone Was Forced To End Because Of Kevin Costner’s Exit
Sheridan Had Long Decided On Yellowstone’s Ending
That being said, John’s funeral taking up a significant screentime of the Yellowstone finale shows that the narrative lives and dies with Costner and his character.
Why Yellowstone Couldn’t Continue Much Longer After Kevin Costner Left
John III’s Kids Were Leading Separate Lives
John III and the ranch’s state were often the only things that brought them together. This isn’t to say that Beth, Kayce, and Jamie’s respective narratives aren’t interesting. All of them had compelling stories throughout Yellowstone. It’s just that it’s difficult to tie them all back together without the only thing that’s binding them. Because of that, it would have been a better way forward to tackle their stories individually without being held back by the ranch affairs, hence why Beth and Rip’s spinoff is a great idea.
How Yellowstone Would Have Looked Like If Costner Didn’t Leave
John III Being A Governor Would Have Been Interesting
When Yellowstone season 5, part 1 ended, John III was the governor of Montana. The character had long been a big figure in the state, being the owner of a massive ranch. However, entering the political arena gave him the power and reach to protect his interests. Granted that he was mainly focused on serving his personal purpose, his commitment to preserving the natural beauty and state of the ranch and its surrounding area was objectively the right way to go.
Yellowstone had tackled the complex nature of the pair’s relationship, but it was always through the lens of being father and son.
Yellowstone Continues John III’s Legacy With Beth & Rip’s Spinoff
John III’s Closest Successors Will Continue Yellowstone’s Story
There was some confusion about what the Yellowstone season 5 finale really meant to the show as a whole. Ahead of the show’s return for its final episodes, there were conflicting reports that a season 6 and/or sequel show may actually be happening. Because of this, the series ending was referenced as just a season-capper. Now, however, it has already been announced that Beth and Rip will star in their own offshoot, which is essentially a continuation of the Yellowstone ending, where they moved to a new farm in Dillon, Montana, with their foster son, Carter.
Beth and Rip Yellowstone spinoff may be an entirely new show, but Costner’s legacy would be all over it. Beth was a daddy’s girl. Even when she didn’t agree with the Dutton patriarch, she was always very loyal to him. It’s safe to say that she will continue to protect her father’s name even with the ranch already sold, if someone tries to tarnish it. Meanwhile, Rip may not be a blood relative, but he was more committed to him than his other kids. Like his wife, he’ll continue to do that in his new show.
