‘Yellowstone’ may be ending: What to know about Sheridan’s hit Western program

DALLAS — Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western “Yellowstone” returned this week with part two of its fifth and possibly final season.

Here’s what to know.

What is ‘Yellowstone’?

The show centers on John Dutton (Kevin Costner), the patriarch of the Dutton family. The family fights off a rotating group of foes (a local Native American tribe, land-hungry corporations, etc.) who want to own their sprawling Montana ranch. Conflicts also pit the Dutton children against one another and their father.

How can I watch it?

Part two of season 5 premiered on Paramount Network. CBS also airs the show. The six episodes of Season 5B are widely expected to mark the end of the series. But a surprise sixth season may be on the table, Variety reported.

What’s happening with Kevin Costner?

Costner will not be in the upcoming episodes of “Yellowstone.” After a rumored dispute with Sheridan, the show’s co-creator, Costner confirmed he was departing earlier this year. He has recently been focusing on his four-part Western saga, “Horizon.”

“His creation of John Dutton is symbolic and powerful … and I’ve never had an issue with Kevin that he and I couldn’t work out on the phone,” Sheridan told The Hollywood Reporter last year. Sheridan went on to say he was disappointed by Costner’s exit, adding “it truncates the closure of his character.”

Costner’s Dutton appeared in a recent trailer for Season 5B, but it’s unclear how the show will deal with his absence.

‘Yellowstone’ has North Texas ties

Since debuting in 2018, the show has spawned spinoffs, some of which filmed in North Texas. Sheridan, a Fort Worth native, shot scenes for “Yellowstone” and a prequel, “1883,” at his ranch in Weatherford.