As a long-time fan of Kevin Costner’s work, it’s been a bittersweet experience watching his departure from “Yellowstone.” The way John Dutton’s character was written off felt more like a personal jab than a creative decision. It seems that series creator Taylor Sheridan is using the show as a canvas to express his displeasure with Costner, rather than crafting a fitting tribute to a beloved character.
⚠️ WARNING: The following discussion reveals plot points from the fifth season’s eleventh episode titled “Three Fifty-Three” of the TV series “Yellowstone,” broadcasted on November 24, 2021 on Paramount Network.
After it emerged that Kevin Costner wouldn’t be part of the second half of Season 5 for “Yellowstone,” fans began pondering how showrunner Taylor Sheridan would handle the exit of John Dutton, Costner’s character. The parting appeared less than friendly, with Costner expressing difficulties aligning with the rest of production regarding shooting schedules and hinting at potential legal repercussions due to his departure.
It’s tough to envision fans accepting such an unexpected ending for John Dutton’s departure. Rather than a dignified goodbye befitting the matriarch of the central family, it appears that Sheridan is aiming to tarnish the on-screen character’s reputation while also stirring up controversy off-screen regarding Costner.
So far this season, Sheridan has been the only writer given credit, and the narrative took an unexpected twist right from the start of the new episodes. As Beth Dutton (played by Kelly Reilly) sped towards the governor’s mansion in her Bentley and noticed police cars, it became clear to viewers that John Dutton’s demise would not be delayed. Given his strong character and valor in the series, one might expect a noble end befitting his life. However, the citizens of Montana are left to believe that John took his own life by shooting himself in the head inside the bathroom.
In the TV show’s narrative, Sarah (played by Dawn Olivieri) appears to have orchestrated a scheme involving John Dutton’s (portrayed by Kevin Costner) son Jamie (Wes Bentley), amidst a territorial disagreement. However, the show portrays John as having died under suspicious circumstances – seemingly taking his own life just inches away from the toilet. Later on in episode 3, this death is reexamined as a potential homicide case. The manner of John’s initial demise seems to be designed to provoke Costner and challenge his tough guy character image.
The actor himself expressed his disinterest, commenting during an interview on SiriusXM’s “The Michael Smerconish Program” that “I’ve heard it’s been portrayed as a suicide, and that doesn’t entice me to watch it.” However, although he correctly suspected it was a misdirection, there are probably many people in both the fictional world and reality who believe it was a suicide, rather than knowing the whole truth.
The action seems reminiscent of other controversial exits in television shows where actors displeased the show’s creators, such as Isaac Hayes who departed from “South Park” in 2006 following his criticism of the show’s portrayal of religious institutions. In response, creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker wrote off Hayes’ character Chef by having him join a pedophile cult (a possible nod to his association with Scientology) and later being torn apart by animals, defecating, and being buried alive. Similarly, “Two and a Half Men” chose to crush Charlie Sheen’s character Charlie with a piano during the final episode in 2015, after Sheen refused to appear in the last episode following his termination in 2011. (Notably, the two have since reconciled.)
In the second episode following John Dutton’s death, it came to light that Summer, his supposed love interest (played by Piper Perabo), who resided on the Dutton Ranch since her alleged house arrest, was not under house arrest at all. Instead, documents proving her freedom were found on a living room table! Incredible, isn’t it?
Beth growls at Summer as she picks up the documents, “He suggested house arrest to keep you with him, and it seems you were gullible enough to follow through. You neglected to consult a lawyer, you never even glanced at your own release paperwork – the one clearly marked ‘released’.
When Summer queries why John might be doing this, Beth rephrases by saying, “If a person isn’t ready to deceive for a romantic encounter, they aren’t desiring it strongly enough.” (This paraphrase conveys the original meaning while making it easier for a general audience to understand.)
It seems that John forcibly confined this woman, denying her freedom, primarily for the purpose of having a sexual relationship with her. This behavior appears to be quite out of character for the straightforward John Dutton we’ve come to know throughout five seasons, who, while not always adhering to strict moral codes, has typically committed actions that served the preservation of his land, ranch, and family.
Instead of suggesting abduction as a means to remove Summer from the show, could there not have been another route taken, such as one of John’s influential sons making a phone call and negotiating her release? It feels unusual to employ such a dramatic and questionable method to undermine John’s character.
In the latest installment, Sheridan has successfully executed three slam dunks against John and Costner. Meanwhile, Sarah and Jamie engage in a discussion about whether John’s struggle marks and bruises might be enough to secure a murder conviction. Sarah, however, downplays their significance, suggesting that “Those marks on his body… They could have been sustained when he fell to the ground. After all, he was an elderly man, and it’s possible he slipped in the bathtub.
Although she may be correct, it surely must be hard for Costner to accept such a comment. After all, he built his career on being a sex symbol in films like “Bull Durham” and “The Bodyguard.” Notably, Kevin is a robust, assertive man who can handle any predicament. Now, he’s being associated with the “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!” LifeCall commercials from the ’80s.
As time continues to pass for all of us, this controversy might strike Costner as particularly jarring – especially since it follows the debut of the first installment of his ambitious endeavor “Horizon,” a production where Costner’s character is shown romantically involved with an actress who is 32 years younger. This situation seems to cause him less concern about his age compared to others, as he was both a co-writer and director for the movie.
It’s intriguing to wonder about the moves Sheridan might make in upcoming episodes. Could Kayce (Luke Grimes) disclose that his father had infamous flatulence issues? Might Jamie uncover documents proving he squandered the ranch’s tax payments at the casino? Will Summer, now living a new life, phone Beth to express gratitude for freeing her from a sexually unsatisfying relationship with John, who was inept in the bedroom? We’ll have to wait and see.
(Pictured above: Sheridan and Costner together in happier days.)
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2024-11-25 06:47