John Dutton’s Shocking Death in Yellowstone: Did He Deserve Better?

Yellowstone fans were left in a state of shock after the suspense surrounding John Dutton (played by Kevin Costner) was revealed in Season 5, Part 2.

With Costner’s sudden departure and Dutton’s surprising end, a fiery debate has sparked – was justice done by sending off Yellowstone’s most compelling character?

What Made John Dutton’s Death So Controversial?

Fans and critics alike share a common thread of disappointment regarding John Dutton’s offscreen death, portrayed as an apparent suicide in Season 5, Part 2.

Kevin Costner’s departure from the show was announced in 2023, as he left Yellowstone to pursue his own Western saga Horizon.

Fans speculated on how Taylor Sheridan would handle his character’s departure. However, such an abrupt ending was beyond anyone’s imagination for the beloved ranch owner.

The shock wasn’t just about John Dutton’s exit—it was about the manner in which he left. To many, Dutton was nearly indestructible, a character who had survived countless assassination attempts and the brutal trials of ranch life.

Given this perseverance, ending such a character through a supposed suicide, without even showing Costner in his final scene, disappointed many loyal viewers. Agitated fans took to social media, calling it an “unworthy” end for a character central to the show’s success.

Was John Dutton Really Murdered?

To complicate matters further, Yellowstone’s episode “Desire Is All You Need” hints that Dutton’s death wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed.

Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and her brother Kayce (Luke Grimes) struggle to believe their father would take his own life, even with pressures like his impending impeachment.

The episode suggests that Dutton’s “suicide” may have actually been a murder, potentially orchestrated by Jamie Dutton’s (Wes Bentley) lover, Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri).

Why Was Kevin Costner’s Presence So Important to Yellowstone?

For many fans, Kevin Costner was Yellowstone. As the face of the show, Costner brought gravitas and authenticity that grounded the series, even as it expanded with spinoffs like 1883 and 1923.

His character, John Dutton—a powerful yet flawed patriarch—was central to Yellowstone’s success, and fans find it difficult to imagine the show without him.

Costner’s exit not only puts an end to an eventful era for Yellowstone, but also marks a shift in the show’s dynamics.

With Costner off the screen, Sheridan now has full room to move focus to other characters like Beth and Rip, exploring their lives and individual stories beyond Dutton’s shadow.

Could John Dutton Have Had A Different Ending?

After all that unfolded, fans were left but with one question: could Sheridan have given John Dutton a different farewell? A better one, maybe? Perhaps a sequence where he lays down his own life protecting his family and his land seems like a proper conclusion of his lifelong devotion to the Yellowstone Ranch.

Otherwise, even a mysterious disappearance, leaving his family to come and find him would be a better way to send him off; more mysterious, more interesting.

Final Thoughts

John Dutton’s closure in Yellowstone has left fans divided. Whether it’s a bold plot choice or a clearly missed chance for subplots, one thing’s for sure – Dutton’s legacy is far from dying, and as it keeps stirring up passion, mystery, and vengeance, Dutton’s family is all set to embrace it all.

About Yellowstone

Yellowstone is an American neo-western drama created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson that premiered on Paramount Network.

The series follows the Dutton family, owners of the largest ranch in the United States. The plot revolves around family drama and the bordering Native reservations and national parks.

The series stars Kevin Costner, Wes Bentley, Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser, and Gil Birmingham.