Storylines can get relatively intense when a wildly popular (and drama-filled) series like Yellowstone approaches the end of its lifespan. The noir-ish western ensemble, led by Kevin Costner, is coming to a conclusion, with the final half of the last season seemingly poised to deliver one hell of an ending. At least that’s what series star Wes Bentley seems to have indicated, as the actor viewers know for playing Jamie Dutton has made some remarks that suggest the potential for a “crazy bloodbath.”
It’s crazy to think that the person tipping their hand at such a result is Wes Bentley. His character on creator Taylor Sheridan’s gritty series has often been cited as one most likely to dance with death. While there are certainly hopes that Jamie could stay on board for the Matthew McConaughey-led sequel, that didn’t stop Bentley from giving TV Line this tease towards terror:
The potential is there. We’ve seen what this show can be and how violent this world can be. I thought it was really amazing to see the restraint [in the first half of] this season from the violence.
He's definitely correct, as the show has proven to be violent when it wants to be. So the notion of a number of characters biting the dust isn't too far-fetched. In relation to this, another subject seems to crop up rather regularly when discussing the end of Yellowstone’s flagship series. The major million-dollar question in that respect is, of course, whether or not Kevin Costner’s John Dutton III will make it to the conclusion of his own story alive.
The decision to end the show that set the tone for current and upcoming Yellowstone series certainly came at an interesting time. Drama within the Academy Award-winning actor's professional and personal lives seemed to factor into that decision. And in the months since the actor's departure was announced, the situation has seemingly been tumultuous, to say the least.
Of course, it's still uncertain as to whether a potential bloodbath could take out Kevin Costner's character. That's mostly due to the fact that the final episodes haven't been filmed yet due to both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes that are still in place. Both negotiations would seem to be key, as Costner has been lobbying for creative control of how he’s written off of Yellowstone when all is said and done.
For fans who recently devoured the first half of Season 5 with a Peacock subscription, that could be more frustrating than the usual wait between cliffhangers. With those final episodes, and the new Matthew McConaughey-led follow-up originally set to debut this fall, it feels inevitable that a delay will be officially announced.
Bringing it all back to Wes Bentley’s comments on this impending grand finale, he seems to be under the impression that Yellowstone is set to have a deadly vibe. With that feeling in mind, the Hunger Games and American Beauty veteran laid out some more fodder for speculation, as he reflected on the Paramount Network original’s recent tone thusly:
It was a different kind of intensity than we’ve had in previous seasons. Maybe that’s a build-up for some crazy bloodbath at the end, or maybe that tension continues until it explodes in some more compact way.
While no one can really speak to the future of the Dutton family (except for Taylor Sheridan), the facts at hand are this: Yellowstone is ending, and the drama surrounding both sides of the screen could explode in a very unique way. Will it be a satisfying -- and potentially bloody -- conclusion that leaves all parties happy? We’ll have to wait and see, as for the moment, this western drama is in the same holding pattern as the rest of the entertainment industry.
