The Yellowstone season 5 part 2 premiere was full of gunshots, grief, and gripping drama.
Almost two years without the streaming staple left room for lots of questions, including a pressing one regarding the reasoning behind the departure of Kevin Costner's character, John Dutton, from the show. And the premiere on Sunday, November 10, took no time to answer that inquiry. That's right: there's no sugarcoating the Dutton patriarch's demise, which signaled the end of an era in more ways than one.
So, what exactly happened to John Dutton on Yellowstone? Read on to find out, and see what you can expect from the final season of Yellowstone next!
Warning: Major spoilers ahead!
Did John Dutton die?
If you haven't already guessed it, John Dutton is dead. The discovery of his demise was the first plot point of the episode, foreshadowing an explosive final season to come. Straight away, the rancher is found dead of a gunshot wound to the head in the governor's mansion. Even more shocking is the presumed cause of death: suicide. But initial inklings aren't always accurate, and this curious case is proof.
The episode goes on to reveal that John Dutton's death was a staged suicide at the hands of big brother Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley)—or rather, his girlfriend Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri). As the Duttons come face to face with their father's corpse, fingers start to point. Particularly the finger of Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), which goes straight to Jamie.
"I know nothing, but I know he's gone," Beth screams after discovering her dad's bloody body (which doesn't explicitly show Costner's face). While Beth immediately sets out to avenge her father by going after Jamie, her brother, Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes), is in denial.
Regardless of what actually happened—and at whose hands—if there's one thing that's for sure, it's that John Dutton is gone with the wind. Thankfully, Yellowstone isn't, which means you can look forward to a whole season of episodes dedicated to unfurling the dirty details of his death.
Nitya Rao is the editorial assistant at The Pioneer Woman, covering stories ranging from food, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, news, and more.
