‘Yellowstone’ Season 5’s Biggest Problem Was Taylor Sheridan

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Even though Taylor Sheridan is likely to leave Paramount when his contract ends in 2028, the impact of his hit show, Yellowstone, will be long-lasting. The series brought both Sheridan and Paramount+ significant attention and led to several spin-off shows that are still being planned. However, the difficult relationship and eventual exit of Kevin Costner during Season 5 leaves a somewhat sad feeling about how the original Yellowstone story will end.

Even more frustrating than Kevin Costner’s departure from Yellowstone is a clear indulgence in the show’s penultimate episode. Instead of building towards the finale, creator Taylor Sheridan focused heavily on showcasing his own character, the cowboy Travis. Looking back a year later, it’s hard to understand the reasoning behind the choices made in Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 13, “Give the World Away.”

‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Part 2 Got off to a Rough Start With Costner’s Exit


Paramount Network

After a long disagreement between the creator of Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan, and its star Kevin Costner, they decided to write Costner’s character, John Dutton, off the show. This happened at the start of the second half of Season 5, in the episode “Desire is All You Need,” where John Dutton was killed without being shown on screen.

Kevin Costner decided to leave the series because he wanted to dedicate more time to directing and starring in his new Western film, Horizon: An American Saga. Scheduling conflicts and disagreements about the show’s creative direction with Taylor Sheridan and Paramount also contributed to his departure.

Even though there were reports Kevin Costner might leave before the second part of the season aired, fans were upset by how quickly his character was killed off. This left many storylines unfinished, especially since his character, John Dutton, had just become Governor of Montana at the beginning of Season 5. Fortunately, the show’s creator, Taylor Sheridan, skillfully shifted the focus to Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes), who embarked on a brutal quest for revenge against Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley). This created a dramatic and sweeping family tragedy reminiscent of Shakespearean plays.

The biggest issue with Season 5 remains. In the final episode, Sheridan surprisingly spent a lot of time on his character Travis Wheatley, a tough cowboy, which felt out of place and didn’t resolve the main storylines.

What Happens in ‘Yellowstone’s Penultimate Episode?

The next-to-last episode of Yellowstone, “Give the World Away,” spends little time on the Duttons deciding what to do with the ranch. Kayce thinks about selling land cheaply to cover inheritance taxes, even though Montana doesn’t actually have such a tax – this was made up for the show. Still, the episode does try to show how the family is coping now that John Dutton is no longer in charge.

The aftermath of Sarah Atwood’s death revealed Jamie Dutton’s involvement with her. It turns out Sarah used Jamie to try and kill John Dutton. Now that this dangerous connection is known, Jamie is desperately trying to protect himself. Many viewers feel this storyline – and the threat to Jamie – is far more important than the recent focus on Travis Wheatley and his activities at the ranch, which have felt like an unnecessary distraction.

In the final episode before the series ends, the show surprisingly focused most of its time on Travis Wheatley, a supporting character. Travis is a rugged, confident cowboy – a rodeo rider, skilled horseman, and trainer connected to Bosque Ranch. He frequently purchases horses from the Yellowstone Ranch.

How Sheridan Nearly Ruined ‘Yellowstone’s Penultimate Episode


Paramount Network

The next-to-last episode, “Give the World Away,” features an auction where the ranch’s cattle are sold. This led the show to spend too much time on Travis, with over-the-top attempts to portray him as a charming and effortlessly cool cowboy.

There’s a ridiculous scene where Travis, looking like Sylvester Stallone in Rambo, flexes his muscles in a sleeveless shirt, calmly smoking a cigar with a beer nearby. He’s playing strip poker with another cowboy and three women, including his girlfriend Sadie (played by Bella Hadid), while a crowd cheers over his winning streak.

There’s nothing more jarring for viewers than when a show’s creator interrupts the main story to show off one of their characters. It’s an unnecessary side project that doesn’t contribute to the plot at all.

Beyond that issue, the movie spends an unnecessarily long time showing off Travis’s abilities at rodeo competitions. It feels like a detour to demonstrate that Travis is a skilled rider, almost as if the filmmaker wanted to prove his own expertise with horses, similar to his reality show, The Last Cowboy.

It was enjoyable to watch, but this reveal would have been more effective earlier in the season, rather than so close to the finale. The Dutton family was facing much bigger and more important challenges than figuring out Travis’s romantic life.

It seems likely that the fifth season of Yellowstone felt stretched out, possibly because it had more episodes than usual. Instead of the typical 9 or 10 episodes, Season 5 was divided into two parts with a total of 14. One particular episode felt like unnecessary filler and would have made more sense earlier in the season. Giving Travis a spotlight episode so close to the series finale felt out of place. You can watch all of Yellowstone on Peacock.

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2025-11-08 23:03