'Yellowstone' Fans Get Significant Update About Show's Ending: DETAILS

The ending of "Yellowstone" reportedly depends heavily on one major thing:

Kevin Costner's future.

There's been nonstop drama going back to last year revolving around whether or not Costner would return to finish the series as John Dutton.

The show was supposed to return for the rest of season five summer 2023. That didn't happen after multiple strikes and issues behind the scenes.

Now, it's slated to return this November, and it apparently all boils down to whether or not Costner returns to reprise his role as the Dutton patriarch.

"Yellowstone" ending will all depend on Kevin Costner.

"They’ve internally discussed going a couple different ways with the story line if Kevin doesn’t return.[Co-creator Taylor Sheridan] could incorporate a big event to explain the disappearance, or there’s a calculative move to protect his family from an enemy," an unnamed insider told Us Weekly when discussing how the show might adapt depending on whether or not Costner returns.

If Costner's time playing John Dutton is truly over, then the final episodes are expected to "focus more on the children and ranch hands and their relationships, conflicts and alliances," according to the same source.

Translation: It sounds like Taylor Sheridan and company are waiting to get a final decision on Costner before moving on.

"Yellowstone" is ending with season five. (Credit: Paramount Network)

Here's where things get a bit confusing and interesting. There's been some reporting that Costner wants back on the show, but it's unclear if the feeling is mutual with Taylor Sheridan.

It's nearly mid-April. The rest of season five hasn't even started filming yet, and it's expected to return in November. How much time does Sheridan have to start reworking scripts? The answer has to be not much at all. Does he really want to start toying around with more Costner drama?

Will the show even return as planned in November? These are all questions that nobody seems to have a good answer for.

Will "Yellowstone" return as planned? (Credit: Paramount Network)

All I hope for is that fans get the kind of ending we deserve. Millions of us have been invested in "Yellowstone" since its 2018 premiere. We'll have put in more than six years of time by the time it's officially over. Anything less than a great ending would be wildly disappointing. Let's hope Sheridan successfully brings it home. Let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.