When the Kevin Costner-led “Yellowstone” premiered on the Paramount Network in 2018, its out-of-the-gate success took many by surprise as viewers were instantly drawn into the Dutton family drama. Starring Costner as patriarch John Dutton, Kelly Reilly as Beth, Luke Grimes as Kayce, and Wes Bentley as Jamie, the popularity of the lavish neo-Western series took off and became a cultural phenomenon, with over 16 million viewers watching the simulcast premiere of the first half of Season 5 in 2022.

Then, lingering COVID-19 concerns, the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes in Hollywood, and the unexpected departure of Costner from the series caused a two-year gap between the first and second half of Season 5. But now, finally, the long-awaited return of “Yellowstone” is upon us, with the remaining episodes of Season 5 premiering on the Paramount Network on November 10.

Everyone involved in the production has been extremely tight-lipped about how Costner’s exit will be handled and how the series will come to a close, with rumors of a Season 6 surfacing despite official word being that this will be the end of the flagship show that has spawned multiple prequels and spin-offs under the helm of creator Taylor Sheridan.

During an exclusive interview with TheShockNews, Bentley — who plays patriarch John Dutton’s long-suffering right-hand man and adopted son Jamie — reveals how he really feels about saying goodbye to his anguished “Yellowstone” character and recalls a favorite moment that happened on set all the way back in Season 1.

So, as far as we know, this is the end of “Yellowstone.” What has playing Jamie meant to you? What will you miss? What won’t you miss?

[laughs] It’s been a lot of things playing Jamie. There are things to miss and not miss. I won’t miss the weight of Jamie when this is over one day, and I won’t miss the dreaded scenes where I get beat up. But I also will miss those scenes because I’ve enjoyed working with this cast and on this show. It’s been a really special experience, but it’s TV, so you never know if it’s over when it’s over, or if it’s over too soon. [laughs]

What can you tell us about how Jamie’s story ends? And are you content with that ending?

I don’t want to say anything about where it goes because I’m a TV fan myself, and I don’t like to know spoilers or even hints of things. So for our fans, I won’t say. But I will say that what Taylor has done is really good. He always delivers, and he delivers again here. Jamie’s a great character, and Taylor has done a fantastic job with him.

What’s a favorite memory — on screen or off — that stands out to you from filming this series?

That’s a good question. I’ve got a lot. I enjoyed doing the scene in Season 1 with Lee [Dave Annable] and Kayce, and with his boy, and we’re all sitting around cooking fish and laughing and joking. That’s one of the few times I’ve done a scene where Jamie laughs. [laughs] We had a great time that day. It was actually the day of the eclipse, so I have a lot of good memories from that day and the show kicking off and discovering who these guys were.

But there are a lot [of memories]. There are a lot of seasons. And even though the scenes were really difficult, I had a lot of great moments with Will Patton [who played Jamie’s birth father], and I learned a lot in those moments. But, yes, five seasons, and every scene seems to be cathartic, so I’ve been lucky.

There was a report that the directors kept cast and crew in the dark about the overall storyline of the second half of Season 5, and people only got information as needed. Is that true? And how different was filming this half of the season with that kind of mindset?

Well, I knew everything. [laughs] I don’t know who didn’t know. I feel bad saying that, but I know that the most difficult thing was the crew didn’t know. I mean, they literally didn’t know anything sometimes, and that’s challenging because they’re really like family, and they’ve been there since the beginning. So it felt deceitful to not share in that experience with them, but I also understand where it was coming from. We’re in the internet age and trying to keep everything tight — because, like I said, I’m a TV fan, and I don’t want any spoilers. But I did get to know everything, and that made my job easier. [laughs]

Any chance you’ll remain in the “Yellowstone” universe in some capacity? There are rumors of a Season 6; there are a bunch of spinoffs — so, any hopes you’ll return?

As far as I know, everything [like that] is above my pay grade, and I truly have no idea. [laughs] Even when we came back to shoot [the second half of Season 5], it was sort of all of a sudden, “OK, we’re coming back.” There’s a lot going on that I have no idea about. I just show up when they ask me to show up, and they write me lines to say, and I’m grateful for it.

If this is truly goodbye to Jamie, are you content with that? Will you miss him? What are your feelings there?

Well, because it’s TV, I’ve known from the beginning that this could end at any moment. You could get that next [script] all the way back from Season 2 and be like, “Oh, that’s it, Jamie’s dead.” So I’ve been prepared for that for a long time and maintain that preparedness. It kind of just goes that way with TV. The show could have been canceled, so I’m always prepared for that. I don’t want to say anything more than that, though, so as not to let on.

Season 5 of “Yellowstone” returns on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 8 pm ET/PT on Paramount Network.