Fans of "Yellowstone," the hugely popular TV series that's spawned some spicy offscreen drama, have been waiting for what seems like forever for the contemporary Western to return with new episodes. That date is finally drawing near, as "Yellowstone' will air the second half of Season 5, beginning Sunday, Nov. 10.
(You can catch up with "Yellowstone" on the Philo streaming service, which offers a free trial; on Fubo, which also offers a free trial; and on Peacock.)
For a while, it's been reported that this will mark the final episodes of "Yellowstone," as earlier announcements indicated the show would end with Season 5. But hold your horses, pardners.
More recently, entertainment sites have reported that stars Kelly Reilly, who plays Beth Dutton, and Cole Hauser, who plays Yellowstone ranch hand Rip Wheeler, have been in talks to possibly star in a sixth season of "Yellowstone."
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While we don't know about that, we do know that Kevin Costner, who has played patriarch John Dutton, head of the Dutton's Yellowstone ranching empire, won't be back to make new episodes for the second part of Season 5.
Reports have circulated that Costner decided to exit the show for several reasons, scheduling and Costner's commitment to his Western movie project, "Horizon: An American Saga," among them.
The new trailer for the back half of "Yellowstone" Season 5 includes glimpses of Costner, as well as his voice, but the story will no doubt revolve around the conflict between Beth, Dutton's strong-willed daughter, and Jamie, her brother, who has his own agenda.
The series is built around the Dutton family's fight to keep control of their Montana property, while also contending with family feuds, and other controversies. The cast also includes Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton, Kelsey Asbille as Monica Dutton, and Gil Birmingham as Thomas Rainwater.
Choice bits of dialogue in the teaser include Beth intoning that her family legacy is the ranch, and a scene of her wearily saying, "I can't do this anymore," to which Rip, Beth's husband, responds with, "Well, you're going to have to, honey, or we're going to lose this place."
Jamie, meanwhile, seems to be having issues with his supposed co-schemer for power, Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri). At the end of the teaser, Beth ominously says, "The only thing left to do is to kill as much as you can before they kill you."
Well, that sounds like fun for the whole family, doesn't it? Beyond those battles, the "Yellowstone" universe keeps getting bigger, as it's been announced that, in addition to prequels including "1883'' aand "1923," the show will get a sequel, "The Madison," about a New York City family that moves to central Montana's Madison River Valley. That show, created by the busy Taylor Sheridan, co-creator of "Yellowstone," is set to star Michelle Pfeiffer, Patrick J. Adams ("Suits"), and Matthew Fox, the "Lost" star who for a while had a home in Bend.
"Yellowstone" will return at 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10 on the Paramount Network.