The Paramount Network series will kick off what may or may not be its “final cycle” of episodes November 10.
Wait a minute! We thought Kevin Costner had quit Yellowstone so he could explore new horizons! What gives?
Must admit: That was our first reaction today when Paramount Network released the first trailer for the long-awaited Season 5B of the hit series. After a second look, and then a third, we remained confused: Did they recycle scenes and/or dialogue from earlier episodes of Yellowstone to indicate Costner’s presence, much like the creative team behind the Dallas reboot did to keep J.R. Ewing alive — temporarily — after Larry Hagman’s real-life demise?
“Everyone’s forgotten who runs this valley,” Costner’s John Dutton says at the very start of the trailer. “Time to remind them.” Is this meant to be a flashback? Or maybe, just maybe, Costner and producer Taylor Sheridan have been jerking our chains all along, and are ready spring a really big surprise on us?
Even if John Dutton remains just a ghost from seasons past, the trailer indicates that long-simmering tensions will erupt in to a full-blown civil war during Season 5B. The mercurial Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), John’s daughter, starts out claiming she’s exhausted by all the scheming and fighting that has divided her family, and placed their humongous Yellowstone Ranch at risk.
“I can’t do this anymore,” she tells Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser), her loving husband and John’s faithful ranch hand. But Rip will hear none of that. “Well, you’re gonna have to, honey,” he replies. “Or we’re gonna lose this place.” Eventually, she comes around: “The only thing left to do,” she tells her husband, or her father, or somebody else, “is kill as many as you can before they kill you.”
You might remember — even though it aired way back on Jan. 1, 2023 — that the final episode of Season 5 made it very clear Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley), her devious adopted brother, was No. 1 on Beth’s hit list. But Jamie’s obviously not going down without a fight. And the trailer reveals that Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri), the slinky fixer who is his love interest, will continue to egg him on toward patricide: “Old lions die in the jaws of younger lions. And you are the younger lion.”
So perhaps John Dutton really will bite the dust, one way or another?
Other highlights from the trailer: Fleeting glimpses of people and vehicles incinerated or dumped off cliffs. Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes), John’s other son, and Chief Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), John’s long-time frenemy, literally bonding as blood brothers. Rainwater telling Mo (Mo Brings Plenty), his right-hand man, that he still covets the Yellowstone Ranch: “This is the hill we die on.” Mo replies: “I’m ready”
And ranch hand Lloyd Pierce (Forrie J. Smith) asking Rip: “So are we getting into this fight.” Equivocating only slightly, Rip replies: “If we can figure out who to fight, and how to fight them.”
But really: Is there any doubt as to whether Rip will figure out a way to do both?
On the other hand, the trailer doesn’t reveal precisely how many episodes have been filmed for the “final cycle” of Yellowstone. Indeed, the trailer doesn’t actually state this really is the final cycle. After all, there have already been unconfirmed reports that a Season 6 may be in the offing, with some cast members returning for more drama. But not Kevin Costner. Maybe.
Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at production of Yellowstone 5B. You’ll notice that there are a couple glimpses of Costner here, too. That might — repeat, might — mean something.
