Did Yellowstone Make Major Changes To Its Ending After Kevin Costner Left? Why One Cast Member Was ‘Sworn To Secrecy’

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As a seasoned movie critic who has traversed the wild west of television landscapes for decades, I can confidently say that Taylor Sheridan’s masterful work on Yellowstone is nothing short of a modern-day western epic. The intricate plotlines and character development are reminiscent of John Ford’s classic films, with a twist of contemporary grit.

In its final episode, the murder-filled series Yellowstone concluded not just its own five-season storyline, but also tied up a plot point initially introduced in the finale of the prequel 1883. This concerned the Paradise Valley land being restored to the indigenous tribes who originally inhabited it. Essentially, this was the central narrative of Taylor Sheridan’s western drama, with the Dutton family serving as a secondary focus. Co-star Gil Birmingham revealed that this resolution-oriented approach had been planned since the series’ inception.

Originally from San Antonio, the actor played Tribal Chairman Thomas Rainwater throughout all five seasons of “Yellowstone.” He is arguably the most honorable and least corrupt character in the entire series. This positive opinion seems to have been present since the project’s inception, as Birmingham told TVLine that the central idea of regaining the land was something that Taylor Sheridan discussed quite early on. In his own words:

In Episode 1 of the initial season, I hadn’t anticipated the sequence of events. I’m not sure which season it was when Taylor Sheridan revealed the unexpected turn of events, and indeed, it differed greatly from what I had envisioned. However, he seemed to be adhering to, and foreshadowed in 1883 with Spotted Eagle’s [Graham Greene] prophecy that “in seven generations, my people will rise up and reclaim the land.” Essentially, it appears there was an unspoken agreement, a tacit understanding between John Dutton’s ancestors and the native inhabitants of old. Somewhere around midseason in Season 5, I sensed a land transfer was imminent, but the specifics remained unclear. It wasn’t until John Dutton left the series that we truly understood the details. There were likely modifications made to the plan as well.

It appears that Taylor Sheridan had a fundamental outline for one of the major Yellowstone plotlines established right from the beginning, though not every specific detail was fully developed yet. If he had planned everything meticulously, viewers might not have encountered open-ended storylines like the introduction and sudden absence of Q’orianka Kilcher’s character Angela Blue Thunder, a cutthroat lawyer who was supposed to reappear in Season 5 but ultimately did not.

Initially, Taylor Sheridan may have envisioned different ways to conclude John Dutton’s story when planning the series, unaware that Kevin Costner would depart in the fifth season. Although it appears John’s death might have been predestined, I find it hard to believe that his on-screen demise as a suicide was the original plan for John’s character’s ending.

Though he can’t speak for his fellow cast members, Birmingham says he was one of relatively few trusted with the storyline outcome from the earliest days, saying:

It wasn’t clear to me who else was aware, and since I had taken an oath of confidentiality, I couldn’t disclose the information to anyone, not even fellow cast members.

Filming the last six episodes of Season 5 for Yellowstone required more secrecy than ever before, even going so far as to redact scripts for some cast members, such as Kathryn Kelly who played the Four Sixes’ vet tech. However, despite who knew what was unfolding, creator Taylor Sheridan remained faithful to his original vision.

Is it likely that future episodes of “Yellowstone” spinoffs like Beth and Rip’s, as well as “The Madison,” will feature more ground combat scenes? Given that Taylor Sheridan is also working on another series titled “Landman,” it seems reasonable to anticipate such a development.

You can now stream the initial four and a half seasons of “Yellowstone” on Peacock, with the remaining episodes set to arrive on the platform at a future time.

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2024-12-23 18:38