Kevin Costner's John Dutton is MIA in first images of final episodes of “Yellowstone ”season 5
Back to the ranch we go.
The Dutton siblings are front and center — but Kevin Costner's rugged patriarch is notably absent — in the first images from the final episodes of Yellowstone season 5, which heads back to the ranch in November.
Power couple Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) stand tall in one photo from part 2 of the upcoming season, while attorney general Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) holds a presser alongside former governor Lynelle Perry (Wendy Moniz) in another.
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Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly in 'Yellowstone' season 5, part 2
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Wes Bentley in 'Yellowstone' season 5, part 2Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes), his wife Monica (Kelsey Asbille), and his son Tate (Brecken Merrill) are doing well after their car accident in one photo, while Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) and his right-hand man Mo Brings Plenty look onto the horizon in another.
Related: Kevin Costner says he's open to working with Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan again
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Kelsey Asbille, Brecken Merrill, and Luke Grimes in 'Yellowstone' season 5, part 2
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Gil Birmingham and Mo Brings Plenty in 'Yellowstone' season 5, part 2In another photo, Rip tends to his adopted son, Carter (Finn Little).
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Finn Little and Cole Hauser in 'Yellowstone' season 5, part 2It's unclear how the final half of the fifth season will address the absence of patriarch John Dutton following Costner's exit from the series. Given the somber nature of the teaser trailer for part 2, it's possible that John becomes collateral damage in the murderous war between siblings Beth and Jaime.
Costner confirmed in June that he would not be able to continue with the rest of the season due to his Horizon film franchise. "I love the relationship that we've been able to develop, and I'll see you at the movies," he said, later elaborating in another interview, "It was just time to move on and as gracefully as you can with something that's been very important to you."
Rumors swirled of strife between Costner and creator Taylor Sheridan, but the latter — who conceded he was "disappointed" by Costner's exit — denied them, citing Costner's commitment to his Horizon films as the reason for his departure.
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Costner might be gone, but the Dutton legacy lives on, with Sheridan expanding the Yellowstone universe with a bunch of spinoffs, including The Madison, which is set in the present and stars Michelle Pfeiffer as a matriarch who relocates her family from New York to Montana.
In the latest Sheridan shocker, negotiations are reportedly underway to continue the flagship series with a season 6 centered on Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler. (Rumors are also abound that the two will appear in The Madison.)
The second part of Yellowstone season 5 returns to Paramount+ on Nov. 10. Before that, Paramount Network will air a Yellowstone marathon during Labor Day weekend, playing seasons 1 through the first half of season 5, starting Friday, Aug. 30, at 10 pm ET and running all the way through Monday, Sept. 2.
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