--- description: It's not clear whether we'll get more of the popular show after the next batch of episodes, but Taylor Sheridan's TV universe keeps expanding. title: What Is Going on With Yellowstone Right Now? image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9c16392226e4709d/698a5a61e6e84a6ffe2b3536/YS_UNIT_505_061422_EM00336_R-5c8cb73f2a2cb892.jpg?branch=production&width=1920&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Television](/tag/television/) ## Television Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # What's Going on With _Yellowstone_ Right Now? by [Ben Rosenstock](/author/ben-rosenstock/) ## Ben Rosenstock Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Rosenstock is a contributor for TIME. Updated: Jan 19, 2026 3:18 PM CUTPublished: Nov 6, 2024 9:50 PM CUT  Kelly Reilly and Kevin Costner in Season 5 of Yellowstone Kelly Reilly and Kevin Costner in Season 5 of YellowstoneCourtesy of Paramount+ by [Ben Rosenstock](/author/ben-rosenstock/) ## Ben Rosenstock Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Rosenstock is a contributor for TIME. Updated: Jan 19, 2026 3:18 PM CUTPublished: Nov 6, 2024 9:50 PM CUT It’s been almost two years since Paramount Network aired new episodes of _Yellowstone_, Taylor Sheridan and John Linson’s Western drama starring Kevin Costner. That’s not the norm for a show that once premiered a new season every year from 2018 through 2022\. In that time, the show’s ratings steadily climbed to new heights, each premiere breaking records for live and same-day viewing. As spin-offs were greenlit and Sheridan’s empire expanded, _Yellowstone_ cemented itself as the most-watched show on cable. And yet after airing the first half of its fifth season in early 2023, the show stalled. While it wasn’t the only show to [face delays](https://time.com/6296449/sag-aftra-strike-tv-shows-movies/ "undefined") resulting from last year’s [WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes](https://time.com/collection/time100-voices/6323410/wga-strike-lessons-for-unions/ "undefined"), _Yellowstone_ was further beset by scheduling conflicts and drama both before and after the Hollywood standstill. But this Sunday, Nov. 10, _Yellowstone_ is officially back at 8 p.m. ET, airing the first of six episodes that will close out the season and end this story (for the time being, at least). Unfortunately, Costner won’t be featured, leaving the path forward somewhat unclear. Here’s what to know about what happened last on _Yellowstone_—and what could happen next. **Read more:** [_Is_ Yellowstone _a Red-State Show? According to Fans, the Answer Is Complicated_](https://time.com/6229017/yellowstone-red-state-fandom/ "undefined") ## **Why isn’t Kevin Costner returning?**  Costner on horseback as Hayes Ellison in Chapter 1 of Horizon Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures Costner is currently at work directing, producing, and starring in [_Horizon: An American Saga_](https://time.com/6980129/horizon-review-kevin-costner/ "undefined"),his self-funded series of [four planned epic westerns](https://time.com/6992699/the-real-history-behind-costners-western-horizon/ "undefined"). (Both [_Chapter 1_](https://time.com/6993134/horizon-sienna-miller/ "undefined") and _2_ premiered earlier this year, with _Chapter 3_ and _4_ in production, despite [reported ](https://puck.news/newsletter%5Fcontent/what-im-hearing-ari-vs-casey-paramounts-suitor-animated-barbie-3/ "undefined")challenges around financing.) Originally, it was reported that Costner might leave _Yellowstone_ to focus on his passion project after the conclusion of Season 5, with some [sources](https://deadline.com/2023/02/yellowstone-show-end-franchise-continues-matthew-mcconaughey-1235251400/ "undefined") saying he even refused to finish filming the second half. But according to Costner, he always planned to come back to wrap up John Dutton’s story if it worked with his schedule, possibly filming a sixth and even seventh season. Reports emerged of a [feud between Costner and Sheridan](https://time.com/6257788/kevin-costner-yellowstone-future/ "undefined"). From Costner’s point of view, Sheridan was too busy with other projects to deliver the scripts in time to finish shooting Season 5 before filming for _Horizon_ began. Costner, meanwhile, responded with a long [list of demands](https://puck.news/kevin-costner-spent-his-strike-summer-fighting-over-yellowstone/ "undefined") including a pay increase and the right to veto any scripts from the season if necessary. As Sheridan [told the Hollywood _Reporter_](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/kevin-costner-yellowstone-7-seasons-1235580306/ "undefined"), “I’ve never had an issue with Kevin that he and I couldn’t work out on the phone. But once lawyers get involved, then people don’t get to talk to each other and start saying things that aren’t true and attempt to shift blame based on how the press or public seem to be reacting. … I sure hope \[the movie is\] worth it — and that it’s a good one.” Sheridan maintains that Costner's absence "doesn't alter" the conclusion of his character arc, though it does truncate it. ## **What happened last on** **_Yellowstone_** **?** Much of the first half of Season 5 revolved around John Dutton’s new role as governor of Montana, a job he took for the sole purpose of tanking Market Equities’ new airport and commercial developments planned for his land. He did that with the help of his daughter Beth (Kelly Reilly), now his chief of staff, and his once-estranged attorney general son Jamie (West Bentley). John also enjoyed a lot of time at the ranch away from his seat in Helena, starting a romance with his new environmental advisor, animal rights activist, and general liberal stereotype Summer (Piper Perabo). While John’s other son Kayce (Luke Grimes) and his wife Monica (Kelsey Asbille) spent the season mourning the baby boy they lost, Beth and Jamie’s rivalry heated up, with Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) manipulating the latter into calling for his own father’s impeachment to help Market Equities. Now Beth wants Jamie dead—and based on his suggestion of hiring “professionals,” he’s ready to see his sister go, too. Oh, also, Rip (Cole Hauser) and many of the ranch hands are headed to Texas with half the cattle to wait out the contamination brought to the ranch by some runaway Yellowstone buffalo. **Read more:** [_9 Series to Watch After_ Yellowstone](https://time.com/6159345/tv-shows-watch-after-yellowstone/ "undefined") ## **What will the final half-season focus on?**  Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler in Yellowstone. Courtesy Paramount Network The[ new trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n17AZkUXy58&ab%5Fchannel=Yellowstone "undefined") doesn’t offer much insight into what we’ll see in the final six episodes: it’s mostly just the usual snippets of dialogue about protecting the family and protecting the ranch. Still, it’s safe to say Beth and Jamie’s civil war will be a big part of the season, and Kayce may be forced to pick a side. Leading up to the premiere, it was also unclear how Costner would be written out of the show, though director Christina Voros recently[ described](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/yellowstone-new-season-5b-top-secret-1236054023/ "undefined") John’s presence in these episodes as “integral.” She was coy about what exactly that means—could Costner make an appearance (or appearances) after all, or will he just be a powerful unseen character hanging over everything? Many have called _Yellowstone_ “[_Succession_ in the west](https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a38215144/succession-vs-yellowstone-comparison-guide/ "undefined"),” and those comparisons are sure to continue with both shows’ final seasons featuring an absent patriarch looming large. When the first episode of Season 5 Part 2 aired on Nov. 10, viewers got an answer: John Dutton is found dead of a gunshot wound in the governor's mansion. The circumstances and motivations surrounding his death will undoubtedly drive the episodes to come. ## **What other** **_Yellowstone_** **spinoffs are in the pipeline?** There remains speculation that _Yellowstone_ could come back for a Season 6, with Hauser and Reilly reportedly in talks to continue their characters. Until then, though, there’s a lot in the _Yellowstone_\-verse to look forward to. Paramount+ has already aired a pair of prequel series focused on earlier generations of the Dutton family: _1883_ (starring Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and Sam Elliott) and _1923_ (starring Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford). The latter of those still has a second and final season coming; it’s currently filming. There’s also a number of other planned shows in development, including a sequel to _1923_ called _1944_. _6666_, which was announced back in 2021 and set up via Jimmy’s (Jefferson White) Seasons 4 and 5 appearances at the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas, is currently on hold. The biggest confirmed project coming up is _The Madison_, a sequel to the parent show that was originally announced as _2024_: Michelle Pfeiffer is set to star as a wealthy matriarch who moves her family to Montana from New York City after her husband’s death in a plane crash. As far as we know, there are no immediate plans to feature any _Yellowstone_ characters in this one, but Patrick J. Adams, Elle Chapman, Matthew Fox, Beau Garrett, Amiah Miller, and Ben Schnetzer have already officially boarded the cast. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7173442/yellowstone-season-5-kevin-costner-spinoffs/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7173442/yellowstone-season-5-kevin-costner-spinoffs/"},"headline":"What's Going on With Yellowstone Right Now?","datePublished":"2024-11-06T21:50:57.000Z","dateModified":"2026-01-19T15:18:09.000Z","description":"It's not clear whether we'll get more of the popular show after the next batch of episodes, but Taylor Sheridan's TV universe keeps expanding.","url":"https://time.com/7173442/yellowstone-season-5-kevin-costner-spinoffs/","keywords":["Television","Explainer","freelance","culturepod"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9c16392226e4709d/698a5a61e6e84a6ffe2b3536/YS_UNIT_505_061422_EM00336_R-5c8cb73f2a2cb892.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Ben Rosenstock","jobTitle":"Rosenstock is a contributor for TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/ben-rosenstock/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9c16392226e4709d/698a5a61e6e84a6ffe2b3536/YS_UNIT_505_061422_EM00336_R-5c8cb73f2a2cb892.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Yellowstone","caption":"Yellowstone","creditText":"Courtesy of Paramount+","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/television/","name":"Television"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7173442/yellowstone-season-5-kevin-costner-spinoffs/","name":"What's Going on With Yellowstone Right Now?"}}]}] ```