'Yellowstone' Season 5: All About the Western's Highly-Anticipated Final Installment

Warning: Yellowstone season 5, part 1 spoilers ahead.

Saddle up! It's time to return to Yellowstone Ranch one last time.

The "most-watched scripted series in all of television" in 2021, according to CBS, is back for one final season — and fans are anxiously waiting to find out how the Dutton family drama will resolve itself.

Part 1 of Yellowstone season 5, which consisted of eight episodes, premiered in November 2022. Viewers saw Kevin Costner's character John Dutton become the governor of Montana much to Jamie Dutton's (Wes Bentley) chagrin. Meanwhile, Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) managed to halt Market Equities' plan to build an airport and resort. Creator Taylor Sheridan also hit audiences with yet another tragedy: the loss of Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) and Monica Dutton's (Kelsey Asbille) son, John, following a car accident.

Script delays and disagreements with Sheridan led to Costner's early exit. However, director Christina Voros told The Hollywood Reporter that "John Dutton is still central" to the story in the final six episodes.

Part 2 of season 5 premieres on November 10.

"It's a visceral, emotional roller coaster with every character across the board," Gil Birmingham (Thomas Rainwater) told PEOPLE in September 2024 of the remaining episodes. Bentley added: "It's going to be really, really exciting for people, I think. Because you've been waiting a long time to see what's going to happen with few things."

Keep reading to find out more about Yellowstone season 5.

What is Yellowstone season 5, part 2 about?

While Paramount Network hasn't divulged much about the second half of season 5, Grimes has hinted at what fans can expect in the fifth season during an interview with Entertainment Tonight.

"Love and family and serve your tribe, your people — that's a huge theme in the show," he said.

When speaking specifically about his character, Grimes said that Kayce has "a hard time choosing his relationship with his father versus his relationship with his wife and son." He also noted that the show gets "all of this really juicy drama" from the characters "fighting for their team."

The production team went to extreme lengths to keep the plot of part 2 under wraps, including how the Dutton patriarch will be written off the show. Even the actors were kept in the dark.

"We get these redacted scripts," Jen Landon (Teeter) explained to PEOPLE in September 2024. "Basically everything is blacked out, except for your lines."

When will Yellowstone season 5 air?

Season 5 has been Yellowstone's lengthiest season yet — 14 episodes with a mid-season hiatus. The first two episodes of season 5 aired back-to-back on Nov. 13, 2022, and more than 12 million people tuned in — a record for the show.

"After four seasons, the show's massive audience base continues to impress with its latest season premiere becoming the most watched scripted television premiere of 2022," said Ashwin Navin, co-founder of Samba TV. "Yellowstone continues to tap into the passions of a broad swath of viewers throughout the American Midwest hungry for Western-themed genres that have been largely underrepresented on television in recent years."

Yellowstone season 5, part 2 will premiere on November 10 and consist of six episodes.

Where can I watch Yellowstone season 5?

Season 5 airs on the Paramount Network and the Paramount Network app. The first half of season 5 is now streaming, along with seasons 1-4, on Peacock.

Is there a trailer for Yellowstone season 5?

Paramount Network released the first official trailer for season 5 in September 2022, ahead of the season premiere.

A teaser for the second half of the season arrived in August 2024, though it shared less than 30 seconds of clips from the upcoming episodes.

Which cast members are returning for Yellowstone season 5?

The top of the call sheet — Costner; Reilly; Bentley, Cole Hauser, who plays Rip; and Asbille — all returned for season 5, part 1. The only cast member who will be missing from part 2 is Costner.

All the fan favorites in the bunkhouse returned for season 5. Meanwhile, Jefferson White, who plays Jimmy Hurdstrom, is expected to make an appearance in part 2 despite his character's decision to choose the Four Sixes over Yellowstone Ranch in season 4.

Which new cast members are joining Yellowstone season 5?

There are four new cast members to note for season 5. Newcomers include a cowboy named Rowdy, played by Kai Caster, and a musician named Abby, played by country music singer Lainey Wilson. Actress Lilli Kay also joined the cast as John's assistant, while Dawn Olivieri, who fans might recognize from 1883, plays a corporate shark named Sarah Atwood.

Will there be a Yellowstone season 6?

The hit series is set to conclude with season 5. However, a sequel series, likely starring Matthew McConaughey, was announced to premiere in December 2023.

In February 2023, Deadline reported Costner's departure from the show. The outlet said the "crux of the issue" was shooting schedules as the actor attempted to juggle two jobs — Yellowstone and his Western film, Horizon. Sheridan was reportedly frustrated with Costner and already piecing together a franchise extension with McConaughey as the lead.

"I'm disappointed. It truncates the closure of his character. It doesn’t alter it, but it truncates it," Sheridan told The Hollywood Reporter in June 2023, following Costner's decision to leave the series. "His movie seems to be a great priority to him and he wants to shift focus. I sure hope [the movie is] worth it — and that it’s a good one."

In September 2023, Costner spoke about his departure from Yellowstone at a child support hearing with his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner.

“I’ve been told it’s a little disappointing that [it’s] the #1 show on TV [and] I’m not participating,” he said during his testimony. "I couldn’t help them anymore. We tried to negotiate, they offered me less money than previous seasons, [and] there were issues with the creative.”

While no official announcement has been made, in August 2024, Deadline reported that negotiations were underway for a sixth season that would star Reilly and Houser.

How did Yellowstone season 4 leave off?

In case you need a quick refresher, season 4 ended with Jamie killing his biological father, Garrett Randall (Will Patton), after it was revealed that he ordered the hit on the Dutton family.

In a spur-of-the-moment ceremony, Beth and Rip Wheeler wed. Meanwhile, Kayce returned from his spiritual journey that lasted four days and four nights.