The last episode of the fifth and final season of Yellowstone is set to air on Sunday. Earlier this year, Kevin Costner declined to return to film the second half of this season, which led to his character John Dutton being killed off.
Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce Dutton in Yellowstone, is now speaking out to indicate that Costner, 69, wasn’t necessarily missed on set after his exit.
‘Some Of The Conflict Was Gone’
“Hopefully everyone can see that it was time,” Grimes, 40, told Esquire. “To be really honest, there was a part of Kevin being gone that meant some of the conflict was gone.”
“Obviously, it didn’t make it super fun to be around,” he continued. “Not pointing any fingers, but it was actually the easiest season we’ve filmed.”
Wow. That’s not the typical kind of opinion we’ve heard so far.
Yellowstone began its run in 2018. Though Grimes has enjoyed the ride, he’s ready to say goodbye to the show.
“It feels like good timing,” Grimes said. “Seven years is a long time to do anything, and I had never played a character for more than a few months before.”
“I’ve loved all of it,” he added. “But there is a part of it that—once you read those final episodes—sees that there’s a finality to it.”
Fan Reaction To John Dutton’s Death
Grimes went on to talk about the fan reaction to the death of Costner’s character John Dutton.
“This year, I read a little bit of the fan reaction about John Dutton dying,” he admitted. “I was just interested in how people were feeling about that, because I think we all had a pretty good idea that people weren’t going to like it very much.”
Related: Kevin Costner Responds To Fan Outrage Over His ‘Yellowstone’ Character’s Death
Grimes couldn’t help but laugh when asked if fans will like the Yellowstone series finale on Sunday.
“At the rate we’re headed, I don’t think they’re going to be satisfied with anything,” he chuckled. “Some people will realize that it was very well written and well executed. But a large part will just be mad that it’s over, which is fair.”
Of course, as we know, it’s not really over. There’s a major spinoff in the works.
Yellowstone Spinoff
Meanwhile, this comes days after it was confirmed that a Yellowstone spinoff starring Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser is officially happening. Sources told Deadline that the spinoff will center around their respective characters Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler. The spinoff will be set in the same present-day time frame as the flagship series.
It will likely feature other cast members from Yellowstone as well. At the time of this writing, it’s unclear if Grimes will be in it.
“There’s always talks of spin-offs. I’d do it [but] I just don’t understand how it would work once the story ends,” Grimes said. “Kayce wants to cowboy and be happy with his family.
“He doesn’t want to kill people anymore,” he continued. “He doesn’t want the weight of a huge mega-ranch that isn’t sustainable in today’s times….he wants his little slice of heaven. It’s that simple.”
Related: ‘Yellowstone’ Spinoff Confirmed – It’s Officially Happening
Though Grimes has enjoyed working on Yellowstone, he surprisingly isn’t a fan of the actual show.
“I want to like the show, and I bet one day I will, but it was kind of hard to because I was still in it,” he explained. “I want to give it a couple years, and just to cleanse the palette. Then I’ll go through all of it.”
The final episode of Yellowstone airs on Sunday night. Be sure to tune in to see how the saga of the Dutton family ends!
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