No offense to Kevin Costner (but kind of an offense to Kevin Costner), as Luke Grimes shares his honest opinion about losing Yellowstone’s star for the final episodes

Although it has never been technically confirmed, it is no secret Kevin Costner’s exit from Yellowstone it came after over a year of reported drama between him and Taylor Sheridan. Eventually, the show went on without him. Now his on-screen son Luke Grimes opened up about filming final episodes of from Yellowstone season five without actor John Dutton, noting that it was easier to work on the show without him.

Like the last episodes of Yellowstonehis fifth season aired on TV schedule 2024sat down with Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce Dutton on the show Esquire to discuss this final chapter. While fans were upset that Kevin Costner decided to hang up John Dutton’s cowboy hat for his on-screen son, his departure made filming the show easier, as Grimes said:

Hopefully everyone can see that it was time. To be honest, it was a part of Kevin that was gone, which meant that some of the conflict was gone. Obviously, it didn’t make being very fun. I’m not pointing fingers, but it was actually the easiest season I shot.

For those who may not remember, the rumors flying around about Costner’s feuds Yellowstone were dramatic. While unconfirmed, scheduling issues and the way his character was written—among other things—created a very messy situation.

At one point, a report from Puck News (via Esquire ) even came out about an intense call Costner had with Taylor Sheridan where he reportedly gave a list of demands that included “more money, a reduced shooting schedule, and—here’s the kicker—the right to review, approve, and possibly veto every Sheridan script.” The creator of Yellowstone famously writes his own screenplays and apparently didn’t agree to this request.

If all those rumors are true, it would make sense if the tension between the lead actor and the show’s creator would cause conflict on set.

Of course, we don’t really know what happened. However, we do know, thanks to Luke Grimes, that filming season 5B was much easier. And that was probably because that tension he mentioned was gone, seeing as Costner was gone too.

Now, we’re deep into the set of episodes that were made without from Yellowstone long time leading man. In fact, they didn’t wait at all to show how Costner was written, as they did revealed John’s death almost immediately in the midseason premiere.

The response to this choice was great, some thought the same John’s story ended and tarnished the character’s reputation. However, it also has an interesting twist to the story as the Dutton children try to figure out how to save the farm that their father has spent his entire life trying to preserve.

Luckily, we’ll find out how they do on Sunday (December 15) when the finale Yellowstone ventilation. It will likely center around Grimes’ character Kayce giving the farm and maybe the explosive end of Jamie and Beth’s fight. Overall, it promises to be action-packed as the kids figure out what to do with the farm after John Dutton’s death, and I personally can’t wait to see how it ends.

To see the final episode of Yellowstone (sans Kevin Costner), you can watch it live Sunday at 8:00 PM ET on the Paramount Network. If you want to go back and watch Costner, Grimes and co. working together, you can stream the first four and a half seasons of the modern western with a Peacock subscription.