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    Yellowstone Just Proved It Can Still Be a Massive Ratings Hit Without Kevin Costner

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    Yellowstone Just Proved It Can Still Be a Massive Ratings Hit Without Kevin Costner

    Warning! The Following Contains SPOILERS from Yellowstone Season 5B.



    John Dutton (Kevin Costner) tragically died, but that didn’t stop Yellowstone from shattering records when the show returned on Sunday, Nov. 10. Creators Taylor Sheridan and John Linson’s Western drama proved it still had the power to draw in an audience, even without the Dutton family’s patriarch. The final tally revealed that 16.4 million viewers tuned in to see the hit series, and that’s an all-time number for a “first-night audience” watching Yellowstone.


    The record-breaking number was reported by VideoAmp, which included multiple airings on Sunday and repeats on both the Paramount Network and CMT over the course of early Monday morning (Nov. 11). Yellowstone Season 5A originally held the record with 15.9 million, although Nielsen Media Research reported a total of 12.1 million (per THR).

    Unfortunately, the Nielsen ratings were unavailable for Season 5B because of a contract dispute. Now, the numbers were more than promising because John Dutton’s demise didn’t diminish the show’s audience. However, Costner’s absence did affect his co-stars, including Luke Grimes, who portrays the character’s son, Kayce Dutton. Grimes said in an interview with People:


    “Him [Costner] not coming back felt like, ‘Okay, we’re going to have to land this plane now for real.’ I think the patriarch leaving was always going to be part of the story. That’s always where it was headed is like, what do these kids do? What does this family do when their rock is gone? […] “He’s a big presence, man, guy’s an icon. So not having him around to set felt a little different.”


    Kevin Costner Reacts to John Dutton’s Death

    Kevin Costner’s absence in Yellowstone 5B certainly impacted the remaining cast, but fans still turned out in record-breaking droves to watch the show’s long-awaited return on Sunday, Nov. 10. Now that it’s been revealed that John Dutton’s (Costner) “suicide” was ordered by his own son, Jamie (Wes Bentley), Costner has learned his character’s fate. And the actor responded while appearing on The Michael Smerconish Program. Costner said:


    “I didn’t know it was actually airing last night. That’s a swear to God moment. I swear to God. I mean, I’ve been seeing ads with my face all over the place, and I’m thinking, ‘Gee, I’m not in that one.’ I’m not in this season. But I’ve been seeing… but I didn’t realize yesterday was the thing […]

    So no, I found out about it this morning, actually […] I heard it’s a suicide. So, that doesn’t make me want to rush to go see it [laughter]. Well, they’re pretty smart people. Maybe it’s a red herring. Who knows? They’re very good. And they’ll figure that out.

    4:09

    Related

    Yellowstone Couple Luke Grimes & Kelsey Asbille Tease Their Fate in the Final Season

    Luke Grimes stars as Kayce Dutton, husband to Monica Long Dutton, played by Kelsey Asbille, and the actors spoke with us about the final episodes.


    Despite reiterating that he won’t reprise the role of John Dutton in the final episodes, Kevin Costner might not be done with the Western series just yet. After all, Christina Alexandra Voros did coyly tease that Costner might have been on set while she directed four of the final six episodes. Fans can find out as Yellowstone Season 5B continues each Sunday at 8 p.m. EST/PST on the Paramount Network.

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