January 1, 2023. That is when the final episode of Yellowstone season 5, part 1 aired. It’s been a long time since the Dutton Family has been on Paramount Network, but their hiatus will end in November with the premiere of Yellowstone season 5, part 2.
With filming underway, the Yellowstone cast and crew released a special featurette, taking fans behind the scenes of the upcoming episodes. Everyone involved in the sneak peek reiterated the same two points: the break between parts 1 and 2 has been too long, and the cast is ready to release new episodes.
“It brought me to tears,” Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce Dutton, said about Yellowstone’s upcoming return. “It’s really, really good, and I think people are really gonna love it.”
The elephant in the room is how the show will handle Kevin Costner’s exit. In June, Costner announced that he will not return for Yellowstone season 5, part 2 after a lengthy feud with Paramount and series creator Taylor Sheridan over contractual demands and filming commitments.
Costner’s character, John Dutton, is the patriarch of the series and arguably the most important character. Because nearly every major plot point runs through John, finding a new way to present the story is extremely difficult.
“On one hand, it was a big family reunion coming back,” director Christina Voros said. “And on the other, it was a new set of challenges.”
Because of the magnitude of Costner’s departure, confidentiality on the set was key. The actors received redacted scripts that only featured their lines, with the rest of the text blacked out. This script alteration led to more authentic reactions between the actors while filming.
“The audience this year will really see real reactions, you know, that really were not like rehearsed,” said Denim Richards, who stars as Colby.
Besides Grimes, Yellowstone’s core cast includes Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton, Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler, Wes Bentley as Jamie Dutton, Kelsey Asbille as Monica Long Dutton, and Gil Birmingham as Chief Thomas Rainwater.
The first episode of Yellowstone season 5, part 2 airs on Paramount Network at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 10. It will air that same night on CBS at 10 p.m. ET.
