Yellowstone: Was John Dutton ALWAYS Supposed to Die?!

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As a die-hard Yellowstone fan, I’ve been pondering: had Kevin Costner’s character, John Dutton, not passed away in the opening of season 5 part 2, I believe his demise would have unfolded in the final episode anyway. Fans like myself were left wondering how showrunner Taylor Sheridan would pen an exit for Costner’s iconic role after he was absent for the finale’s conclusion. The premiere of Yellowstone season 5 part 2 swiftly addressed our burning question, revealing that John Dutton, supposedly, took his own life in the governor’s mansion. However, John Dutton’s death proved to be more intricate than it initially seemed, as the premiere made clear: Yellowstone’s patriarch was no longer with us.

Some viewers were angered by John Dutton’s death following Kevin Costner’s contentious departure from the show Yellowstone. However, it may be that Taylor Sheridan chose to continue without John Dutton as his character required a death for the executive producer and writer to conclude his signature neo-Western series as planned. Despite its gruesome nature, John Dutton’s demise in Yellowstone season 5 was in line with what Sheridan had envisioned.

It’s Possible Kevin Costner’s John Dutton Would Have Died In Yellowstone’s Finale Anyway

John Dutton Had To Die For Yellowstone’s Intended Ending To Happen

Based on insights from key creators, it seems quite evident that John Dutton was destined to meet his end within the world of Yellowstone. The timing, however, was always up for debate. It’s plausible that John’s demise was intended for the final episode of the series. Intriguingly, creator Taylor Sheridan’s other Yellowstone spin-offs have a pattern where a significant character meets their end in the last episode. For example, Elsa Dutton (Isabel May) perishes in the finale of the prequel series 1883, and Alex Dutton (Julia Schlaepfer) dies at the conclusion of 1923. Should John’s passing occur in Yellowstone’s season finale, it would align with this pattern.

As a dedicated fan following the Yellowstone saga, I can confirm that Christina Voros, our esteemed executive producer, hinted at John Dutton’s inevitable demise in an engaging chat with The Hollywood Reporter. When grilled about John’s fate, she explained that his passing was integral to Kayce’s (Luke Grimes) planned resolution. In her own words, “It was always intended for him to meet his end as part of the conclusion,” and “Had we continued for 17 more seasons with Kevin Costner, eventually in this grand tale of Yellowstone, such an event would occur. The patriarch would pass on, and the legacy would be bestowed upon his offspring.

If John’s demise was predetermined for the finale, then Yellowstone season 5, part 2 starts to make a bit more sense. The events in the finale mainly revolve around John’s death, so it seems possible that Yellowstone‘s finale was always intended to reveal John’s fate, and the rest of the season was planned to establish its repercussions. The concluding chapter featured many flashbacks leading up to John’s death, which could have been the storyline Sheridan initially wanted to tell before moving John’s death forward to explain Costner’s absence.

What Would Have Happened To Yellowstone If John Dutton Lived

Taylor Sheridan Still Could Have Fulfilled Yellowstone’s Prophecy

It’s hard not to imagine how different the story of Yellowstone might have been if John Dutton had survived his attack. Had he managed to avoid it, John would have persisted in defending the ranch, even if his adopted son, Jamie (Wes Bentley), the Montana attorney general, was successful in impeaching him. If John had lived, maybe he would have finally taken Beth’s (Kelly Reilly) advice about making the ranch profitable and implementing her business plans, which could have provided him with the necessary funds to continue.

If John had survived and continued his ownership of the land, as depicted in Yellowstone season 5, it could have aligned with Taylor Sheridan’s prophecy in 1883. In a discussion between James Dutton (Tim McGraw), John’s ancestor, and Spotted Eagle (Gil Birmingham), a Crow elder, Spotted Eagle informs Dutton that he is welcome to settle Paradise Valley, but warns that the Crow people will reclaim it in seven generations. James acknowledges this, suggesting that they can have the land then. John’s ranch would eventually be inherited by Kayce and later Tate (Brecken Merrill), returning the management of the land to the descendants of the Crows after seven generations.

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2025-05-18 20:39