Yellowstone is back, and even the show’s cast doesn’t know what to expect.
The Paramount Network drama returns to TV in November 2024 after a nearly two-year hiatus. Unfortunately, it may be the beginning of the end of the show, which is currently set to conclude with the second half of its fifth season. (Some cast members are reportedly in talks to return for a sixth season, according to Deadline, but nothing has been officially announced.)
So, what will happen to the Dutton family in season 5 – and how will the show write off series star Kevin Costner, who won’t appear in the upcoming episodes? That’s anyone’s guess. Extreme measures have been taken to avoid leaks and spoilers that could ruin the show for fans, including redacted scripts and instructions to the cast to not talk about their scenes.
There was ‘a lot of security’ on ‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 set
“This season has been very secretive,” Kelsey Asbille, who plays Monica Long, said in a behind-the-scenes video (via YouTube).
Director Christina Voros said that returning to work on the show after a long break came with “a new set of challenges,” especially because this could be the high-octane drama’s final season.
“There was a lot of security around the script and the narrative,” she explained.
“We get these redacted scripts. Basically, everything is blacked out except for your lines,” said Jen Landon, who plays Teeter.
“I don’t know what she did. She doesn’t know what I did. We can’t tell each other,” Dawn Oliveri (Sarah Atwood) said when speaking of her and fellow cast member Wendy Moniz’s characters.
The ‘Yellowstone’ cast delivers in the final season, despite challenges
Despite the pressure to keep the story hush-hush “for the sake of the audience,” the cast still delivered stand-out performances, Voros said.
“You are seeing the cast at the absolute top of their game,” she said. “I have been moved more by the performances from the cast than I ever have been. And that’s saying a lot.”
“I think it just kind of adds to a little bit more of the uniqueness. The audience this year will really see real reactions that really were not, like, rehearsed,” said Colby actor Denim Richards.
The end result? A “visceral emotional rollercoaster with every character across the board,” said Gil Birmingham, who plays Thomas Rainwater.
“It’s gonna be really, really exciting for people, I think,” said Jamie Dutton actor Wes Bentley. “Because we’ve been waiting a long time to see what’s going to happen with a few things.”
Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 premieres Sunday, Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Paramount Network. The first episode will also air the same day on CBS at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
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