Forgotten Yellowstone S1 Arc Is a Perfect Way to Write Kevin Costner Off

Summary:

• Given that the succession of the ranch was one of the main arcs that initially drove the Yellowstone storyline, John Dutton's cancer diagnosis was meant to add more pressure.
• After it was revealed in Season 2 that the cancer recurrence was fake, the Dutton patriarch's health scare was left unaddressed.
• However, now that Kevin Costner is leaving the show and will have to be written off, the return of the dropped storyline makes a lot of sense.

As painful as it is to say goodbye to their favorite show, Yellowstone fans must also face the unfortunate prospect of never seeing the Dutton family again. When Paramount Plus releases the second part of the fifth season of the popular western series, not everyone will have the opportunity to return.

One of the show's main characters, the head of the Dutton family and a man who defends his land with a fierceness that many will envy, John, will not be returning to our screens, no matter what the plot of the sequel might be. Now the big question is: how will Taylor Sheridan choose to end the story of John Dutton?

Will John Dutton Die in Yellowstone Season 5?

While there are several different ways things could go for the Dutton family in the closing part of season 5, most fans are inclined to believe that John Dutton's life story has come to an end. Since the very first season, the question of his succession has been a pressing issue, and now that the show is nearing its finale, that same conflict could be its culmination.

Again, there are many scenarios that could end John Dutton's life, from the most mundane to the most sinister. However, if Taylor Sheridan wants to bring this story full circle, the most reasonable solution would be to revisit the forgotten first-season storyline.

At the beginning of Yellowstone, John Dutton was diagnosed with colonial cancer. Back then, medical issues were used primarily to add pressure and raise the stakes of the inheritance issue. In season 2, however, the cancer issue was completely dropped... at least until now.

While some fans feel that the show would have been better if John had just ridden off into the sunset, leaving his condition and death off the screen, others feel that he is not a man to do that. As someone who fought to have control over everything in his life, he would've fought to have control over his death.

Redditor TheDarkHelmet1985, for example, went so far as to suggest an entire scenario in which Rip takes John's life himself, with a request to do so, of course.

“I'd have the cancer come back and they find it is spread everywhere and its end stage 4 level 3 days/weeks to live. He holds his sh#t together just long enough to win a final battle for the ranch. <..> They are beat up and injured but are alive and upright. BUT, John in that moment realizes he wouldn't want go out any other way.”

Whether you agree with such a dramatic scenario or would have preferred something a little less traumatic, Yellowstone is too good a show to leave a years-long storyline unresolved in its final hours. So be sure to tune in for season 5, part 2 in November 2024 to see how the cancer story wraps up.

Source: Reddit