Did ‘Yellowstone’ Hint at John Dutton’s Death in Season 1? 8 Theories for Kevin Costner’s Exit
While it might be unclear just how much more of Kevin Costner as John Dutton we’ll get, we do at least know that there is more Yellowstone coming — and the talk surrounding the Paramount Network drama won’t affect what we see onscreen.
With Costner’s focus shifting to the upcoming films Horizon (which he’s co-writing, directing, and starring in), how much he’s going to be part of Yellowstone Season 5B (now the end of the show) is up in the air. But, as Taylor Sheridan told The Hollywood Reporter, “it truncates the closure of his character. It doesn’t alter it, but it truncates it” and “I don’t do f**k-you car crashes. Whether [Dutton’s fate] inflates [Costner’s] ego or insults is collateral damage that I don’t factor in with regard to storytelling.” That doesn’t rule out John being killed off.
We last saw John facing possible impeachment — a charge led by his adopted son Jamie (Wes Bentley) — and talking to his daughter Beth (Kelly Reilly) about utilizing the “train station” (a.k.a. where they leave the bodies).
So how could Yellowstone handle Costner’s exit/presumably limited availability for its remaining episodes? We take a look at some possibilities below, including one intriguing fan theory that’s starting to seem like a likely option.
Yellowstone, Season 5B Premiere, November, Paramount Network
John's colon cancer returns
Fans may recall that John was diagnosed with colon cancer in Season 1, which added pressure to the question of who would be John’s heir at the ranch should he quickly succumb to his illness. He eventually had a successful surgery to treat the mass, but he believed the cancer had returned in Season 2 when he started coughing up blood. That turned out to be a ruptured ulcer that was treated on the ranch grounds by the veterinarian (their best option in the given circumstances), but bringing the cancer plot back would make sense.
Fans on Reddit have discussed this possibility, saying they think it’s likely the illness could come back. John is a curmudgeon who’s not always eager to take care of himself. The ranch and his family always come first. Having John unexpectedly die of complications from colon cancer as a result of him not addressing his illness would fit into the show’s narrative. Alternatively, his doctors could discover that his cancer returned when it was already in Stage 4, leaving John with a grim prognosis.
This would also adhere to Costner’s reported “moral death” clause, a supposed clause in his Yellowstone contract that is said to guarantee John won’t die in a way that brings shame to the Dutton family.
John is sent to the train station
John has sent quite a few people to the train station himself, but what if the way the final episodes play out leads someone else — Beth, Jamie, or even Rip (Cole Hauser), despite his loyalty to the Dutton patriarch, or Kayce (Luke Grimes) — to utilize it for him. Imagine how that chilling scene could play out, as well as the aftermath.
John sacrifices himself for one of his kids or grandson
With Season 5A ending with Jamie and Beth looking into ways to have each other killed and John knowing that’s a strong possibility, what if John intervenes and takes a bullet (metaphorical or not) for one of them. (And we know how he feels about his grandson, Tate, played by Brecken Merrill, so we should keep that in mind, too.) John and Jamie have had their issues (which is an understatement), but the impact of the former sacrificing himself would surely have ripples that would affect everyone — and could very well lead to Beth going after Jamie.
John sacrifices himself for the ranch
Everyone knows what the ranch means to John Dutton. Everyone also knows how many people have tried to take his land from him and how far he’ll go to defend it. We’re sure you know where this is going…
One of John's kids kill him
Obviously there’s no love lost between John and Jamie, which should make him the strongest possibility. But John and Beth have had their blowouts, and John and Kayce haven’t always seen eye-to-eye. And anything is possible…
Something takes John away from the ranch
Whether it has to do with the possible impeachment, something to do with the ranch itself, or something new, what if something requires him to leave the ranch (and Montana entirely) for an extended period of time to explain why he’s not seen onscreen?
John ends up in prison
For what, we don’t know. But maybe something happens and no one can cover it up. Maybe he takes the fall for one of his kids or someone on the ranch.
A focus on those who went to Texas
In order to deal with their cattle crisis and keep their herd alive, Rip and others are heading to Texas for a while. Having one episode focus entirely on them would mean there wouldn’t be a need to explain why we’re not seeing Costner onscreen and simply have the characters talk about what’s going on with John back in Montana.
