Yellowstone (which is set to end with Season 5 Part 2) has become a cornerstone of network television since it was first released on the Paramount Network in 2018.
The modern-day Western brought a new concept to the genre as a whole. Instead of pitting cowboys and ranchers against one another, it focused on a rancher's fight against urban development.
While Yellowstone saw great success throughout the entirety of its run, some behind-the-scenes drama between series lead Kevin Costner and creator/writer Taylor Sheridan led to the show getting canceled with plenty of spin-offs planned for the future.
Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 Release: When Will It Come Out
Season 5 Part 1 of Yellowstone premiered on November 10, 2022, and the midseason finale came on January 1, 2023.
Part 2 was originally supposed to begin filming sometime in March 2023, but that date was pushed back due to the drama between Costner and Sheridan.
Costner reportedly only wanted to dedicate a single week to filming the last batch of episodes, which would be essentially impossible due to the amount of screen time his character, John Dutton, always has.
The actor would not budge in his wishes, which caused animosity between him and others, specifically Sheridan. Because of this drama, filming continued to be delayed.
Part 2 production was further delayed due to the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) strikes, which shut down the entertainment industry for much of 2023.
Kayce Dutton actor Luke Grimes recently revealed that they would be shooting Part 2 if it were not for the strikes, at least making it seem as though Costner and Sheridan may have worked something out so Part 2 could get made:
"We have not [started filming the second half of Season 5] because of the writers strike. I think we would be if it weren’t for that. But that takes precedence over everything. They got to get that all sorted, and then we’ll be getting after it."
Both job actions have since been resolved, meaning filming can commence at any point now.
Originally, the plan was to film the series' final episodes starting in March 2023 which would have put Season 5 Part 2's release date sometime in November of the same year.
That was the original release window that Paramount was eyeing for the series, but seeing as how not even a single scene has been filmed yet, it will likely not come out until late 2024.
Variety reported (via Forbes) that the series' release window had been pushed to November 2024, meaning filming will likely get underway early in 2024.
How Many Episodes Does Yellowstone Season 5 Have?
As a whole, Season 5 of Yellowstone will be the longest installment by a fairly good amount.
Season 1 had the shortest number of episodes with nine, with each season consisting of 10 episodes.
After Part 2 of Season 5 comes out, the season as a whole will have 14 episodes in total.
Eight of those have already been released with Part 1, so Part 2 will feature six brand new episodes once it is filmed and released.
Is Kevin Costner Returning for Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2?
While it is unlikely that Kevin Costner will be a part of the Yellowstone universe after the flagship show ends, he is still expected to be in Season 5 Part 2.
After all, he is still the series lead and his character is not only the governor of Montana but the central figure in the political conflict going on, so it would be almost impossible to make a second part of the season without including him.
Even though he is supposed to come back for Part 2, it is unclear exactly how much he will be featured. If Costner stood his ground and didn't change his filming schedule at all for Sheridan, then it is possible that he could only appear in one or two of the six remaining episodes.
Puck previously reported that Costner was directly affecting the status of Season 5 Part 2, which made Sheridan "furious" as he "can't finish writing the 5B episodes until" he and Costner work out their differences:
"This is a relationship that has run its course. Sheridan is certainly furious…he can’t finish writing the 5B episodes until the Costner drama is resolved and his star is either in or out."
It is unclear at this point whether those differences were worked out or not, but even if they were, Costner's role in Part 2 will probably not be as major as was originally planned.
If that is the case, considering that he probably won't be back at all in the future, Part 2 could even see the death of John Dutton.
This comes as Yellowstone rounds out its run reairing on cable to audiences of millions (via Forbes). This linear TV debut caused a surge in popularity for the show, meaning Costner's potential exit could be coming at the word possible time.
Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 Cast: Who Will Return?
Pretty much every cast member who was a part of Season 5 Part 1 is expected to return for the final few episodes once they are released.
However, since Part 1 ended with a mid-season cliffhanger, not all of the characters involved will be in the same place anymore.
Some characters will be heading down to Texas to move the Yellowstone Ranch's cattle to a better location for the time being, while others will be staying in Montana.
Then there's John and all of the political drama with Jamie that will likely take place away from the ranch as well.
Some major characters set to reappear include Luke Grimes' Kayce Dutton and Cole Hauser's Rip Wheeler, but here are other big names expected to come back for Season 5 Part 2:
- Kevin Costner as John Dutton
- Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton
- Wes Bentley as Jamie Dutton
- Kelsey Asbille as Monica Dutton
- Denim Richards as Colby Mayfield
- Jen Landon as Teeter
- Wendy Moniz as Lynelle Perry
- John Emmet Tracy as Ellis Steele
- Ian Bohen as Ryan
- Piper Perabo as Summer Higgins
- Jacki Weaver as Caroline Weaver
Two characters who are likely to appear, but have not been confirmed are Jefferson White's Jimmy Hurdstrom and Kathryn Kelly's Emily, as the two were featured in Episode 8 of Part 1.
They are currently in Texas, but since some of the ranch hands are traveling down there, Jimmy and Emily may aid them in Part 2.
The final few episodes could also feature Jimmy and Emily in a way to set up one of the upcoming Yellowstone spinoffs, 6666.
That show will be set in Texas at the ranch where Jimmy works, and one of the episodes in Part 2 could serve as a great backdoor pilot for the spinoff.
What Will Happen in Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2?
The end of Season 5 Part 1 set up the conflict between John Dutton and his adopted son, Jamie.
Jamie decided to go through with calling for John's impeachment, putting the main character and Montana governor in a difficult position.
The midseason finale also showed that there are just as many problems at the ranch itself and that the cattle will have to be moved away to the 6666 Ranch in Texas.
Before the drama between Kevin Costner and Taylor Sheridan, it would have been safe to assume that Part 2 would mainly be about Jamie vs. John.
However, since it is unknown just how much John will appear on-screen in Part 2, a lot of the focus may be put on the ranch hands that went to Texas, ultimately setting up a backdoor pilot for the 6666 spinoff show.
How Jamie will move forward with impeaching John will still definitely play a major role in Part 2, viewers may just not see the lead actor as much as previously thought.
It could be that Beth will act as John's spokesperson and do most of the dirty work for her father, which would almost seem more appropriate anyway since Jamie and Beth have been at each others' throats for the entirety of the show.
However, no matter what happens, fans can expect to see some sort of closure for all of the involved characters seeing as how Part 2 will be the final few episodes of the entire show.
Where Can I Watch Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 When It Releases?
When Season 5 Part 2 of Yellowstone comes out, fans will be able to watch a new episode every week on the Paramount Network.
Since the first season aired in 2018, each episode has been released on a Sunday night on the Paramount Network, and that will likely be the same release strategy that Sheridan and Paramount utilize for Season 5 Part 2.
Once all of the episodes of Part 2 are released, however, they will likely be added to the Peacock streaming service library, where all five seasons (barring Season 5 Part 2) are currently streaming.
Fans can subscribe to Peacock for $5 per month for the ad-supported plan or $10 monthly for the ad-free option.
On the digital side, past seasons of Yellowstone are available for purchase or rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and other platforms.
As for Season 5 Part 2, fans can pre-order it on these digital platforms so that they can watch the new episodes one day after their airing on the Paramount Network.
Aside from Peacock and digital options, CBS also aired re-runs of Yellowstone Season 1 starting from September 17 to October 22, 2023.
Given that the Hollywood actors' strike is still ongoing (as of writing), there's a chance that CBS could also do a re-run for past Yellowstone seasons.
If fans want to expand their knowledge about the Yellowstone universe, two spin-offs are available on Paramount+. These shows are the prequel series, 1883, and its sequel, the Harrison Ford-led 1923.
Another spin-off that will eventually premiere on Paramount+ is 6666, a series that explores the origin of the titular ranch.
All five seasons of Yellowstone are available to stream on Peacock.
