“He deserved a better Goodbye” – Yellowstone fans upset by exit of beloved character

Yellowstone season 5 has brought a sudden twist for the fans following the story. John Dutton one of the beloved characters in the series played by actor Kevin Costner, has been killed off in the storyline. Though audiences were aware that Costner would be leaving the show after its fifth season, the manner of the exit took many by surprise.

Many netizens took to social media platforms as an outlet for their opinions at the character's exit. One fan shared:

"John Dutton was a fantastic character, and despite the Kevin Costner drama, he deserved a better goodbye than Yellowstone gave him. #YellowstoneTV"

Many fans felt that the character's exit marked the end of the show for them, revealing that they might not have anything to look forward to in the story going ahead:

"They completely ruined a great show in less than 5 minutes" - said an audience member via X

"I don't usually watch TV series (I watch cooking shows, my Philly sports teams, and some reality). but my sister got me into this. I will NEVER get into another TV show again..this crushed me. They better show how he really gets murdered" - said a fan of the show via X

A few audience members pointed out that the character's exit was inevitable. Given that Kevin Costner announced his departure from the show in mid-2024, many were expecting his storyline to wrap up in this manner:

"Costner quit the show. They killed him off in acceptable fashion." - said an audience member on X

"While fans might feel that John Dutton should have been part of the final season, his exit was inevitable given Costner's confirmed departure" - mused a netizen on X

Many fans even defended the actor and his exit, and pointed out that the showrunners followed a different filming timeline for the series:

"For the record, Costner didn't abandon anything. Sheridan was taking too long & Costner had other projects in the works, that he couldn't abandon bc he put his own money & employed 400 people" - said a fan on X

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What happened to John Dutton in Yellowstone season 5?

Kevin Costner as John Dutton on the show (via @yellowstone / Instagram)

In Yellowstone, season 5 part 2 episode 1, John Dutton exited from the series. The character was revealed to have suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head. This occurred at the Montana governor's mansion, from where Dutton was supposed to leave for his impeachment tribunal.

Dutton was discovered by his daughters Beth and Kayce in the bathroom of the mansion, with the audience seeing his bloodied body but not his face. Upon seeing their father, Beth was immediately distraught and blamed the death on their estranged brother Jamie. Even though Kayce had doubts about it, the matter was not addressed much by the two sisters.

Meanwhile, Jamie mysteriously got the news of his father's death. He mournfully arranged a press conference as the Montana attorney general and announced that Dutton was found dead by suicide. Hearing of this, Beth and Kacey's shock deepened as they found it hard to believe that their father would do something like that. The mystery around Dutton's death shall be the central plot for the rest of the season now.

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Why did Kevin Costner leave Yellowstone, prompting the exit of his character John Dutton?

Kevin Costner as John Dutton on Yellowstone (via @yellowstone / Instagram)

In February 2023, there were rumors that Kevin Costner would be leaving his character John Dutton. More than a year later, in June 2024, the actor confirmed his exit after the first half of season 5 of the series. The main reason for his exit was that the show’s shooting schedule and dates clashed with the shooting of Costner's film series Horizon.

Even after his exit, Costner was still featured on the credits of the show. This is because he is still an executive producer for the series, despite the end of his acting role in it.

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Audiences can watch season 5 of the show streaming online via Paramount+.