“The Final Chapter of ‘Yellowstone’: Insights on Season 5B Episodes”
When Yellowstone aired its midseason finale in January 2023, the outlook for the Dutton family was grim. Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) had just challenged his sister Beth (Kelly Reilly) and father John Dutton (Kevin Costner), setting the stage for an all-out family war. Would Jamie kill Beth, or would John eliminate Jamie first? These high-stakes questions left viewers on edge.
Behind the scenes, a scheduling conflict with star Kevin Costner led to a months-long production delay for the second half of season five. Initially, filming was set to resume in March 2023, with a summer premiere. However, those dates passed, and it wasn’t until early May 2023 that the network announced production would restart. They also revealed that the remaining episodes—originally slated for a November 2023 release—would mark a sudden conclusion to the flagship series, though plans for a sequel featuring Matthew McConaughey were already in the works.
This announcement came just days before the writers’ strike began on May 2, followed by the SAG-AFTRA strike on July 13, which halted numerous Hollywood productions, including Yellowstone.
After months of uncertainty, the final episodes received a premiere date of November 2024 following the resolution of the strikes and the formal announcement of Costner’s exit. However, fans can look forward to the Yellowstone universe continuing with a sequel series titled The Madison, now starring and executive produced by Michelle Pfeiffer. There are also indications that the flagship series might not end as definitively as initially thought.
Here’s what we know about the upcoming episodes and the series as it approaches its conclusion.
When Will the Season 5B Episodes Air?
Initially, we speculated that the second half of the final season would air in 2024, and we were correct. The remaining episodes will debut on November 10 at 8 p.m. on Paramount Network, with a replay at 10 p.m. on CBS.
Production was expected to start in late spring 2024, and on May 20, the network confirmed that filming had begun in Montana for what are believed to be the final episodes.
Prior to the writers’ and actors’ strikes, Yellowstone had not yet begun production, as creator Taylor Sheridan was still completing the scripts. Filming typically occurs from April to October to avoid Montana’s harsh winters. Sheridan resumed scriptwriting after the writers’ strike concluded in September 2023.
Now that the scripts are complete and filming is underway, the exact episode count has yet to be revealed.
Why Did Kevin Costner Exit the Series?
In the months leading up to the strikes, speculation about Costner’s potential exit sent shockwaves through the Yellowstone community. In late March 2023, Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, assured fans that Yellowstone wouldn’t be what it is without Costner and hoped he would remain with the series. However, by May 2023, viewers learned that while Costner would continue in the series, it was still concluding. The big question remained: how would John Dutton’s character be portrayed moving forward? McCarthy later commented that while this chapter of Yellowstone was closing sooner than desired, they felt confident about how it would wrap up.
