‘He’s a big presence’: ‘Yellowstone’ star Luke Grimes reveals what it was really like not having Kevin Costner around for the rest of season 5

Kevin Costner’s departure from Yellowstone is a deal-breaker for many fans, and it seems that even his co-stars know that they have been riding this wave since 2018 under the shadow of his endless charm and charisma.

When I started binging through Yellowstone, my immediate takeaway was that Costner made this entire thing come together and work. Almost as if the man was born to play this one role, and the fact that he was working under Taylor Sheridan’s guidance on a show about an old-timer trying to protect what is his own against the powers of Corporate America seemed like nothing short of a fateful stroke. A project can fail despite everyone’s best efforts, but sometimes the stars align in such a perfect way that you begin to wonder if it wasn’t all meant to be.

And then a few years later, just as the story is reaching its final stop, its towering crescendo, we learn much to our dismay that there’s no love lost between Sheridan and his main star Costner. The details of this rumored fallout are still murky and unclear, but the result has nevertheless damaged the prospects of a satisfying resolution to Yellowstone season 5, part 2, which is expected to be the series’ final outing.

We don’t know how John Dutton will bow out, but the show is probably opting to use pre-recorded footage to give him a heroic sendoff. Costner’s absence is something that even influenced the crew’s performance. In a recent interview with People (per Deadline) this is what Luke Grimes (Kayce Dutton) had to say about his on-screen dad’s abrupt exit.

“Him not coming back felt like, ‘Okay, we’re going to have to land this plane now for real,'” He said. “I think the patriarch leaving was always going to be part of the story. That’s always where it was headed is like, what do these kids do? What does this family do when their rock is gone?”

If the elder Dutton is leaving the ranch to his children, what do you think will become of his ideals? Will Kayce, Beth, and Jamie fight to preserve their father’s legacy or will they sell the place and be done with the hopeless struggle?

Grimes further added that though Costner’s absence will be felt in the remaining episodes, the Dutton family can carry on reasonably well without him, and you’ll be able to “connect with the story just as much.”

“He’s a big presence, man, guy’s an icon. So not having him around to set felt a little different. But as always, I mean, we’re a big family now. It was just as special and hopefully, the fans will be able to connect with the story just as much … I think they will be able to.”

After a 2-year wait and a plethora of disheartening rumors casting doubt on Yellowstone and its future, the show is returning with a final run consisting of 6 episodes. The first one, titled “Desire Is All You Need,” is slated for release on November 10.