It’s Possible Kevin Costner’s John Dutton Would Have Died In Yellowstone’s Finale Anyway

John Dutton Had To Die For Yellowstone’s Intended Ending To Happen

“Inevitably, at some point, he was going to die.”

Executive producer Christina Voros confirmed John Dutton’s death was inevitable in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. When asked about John’s death, Voros said it was always supposed to be part of the conclusion, because Kayce’s (Luke Grimes) solution wouldn’t have been possible without his father’s passing. She said, “Inevitably, at some point, he was going to die,” and, “Even if there had been 17 more seasons with Kevin Costner, eventually in the story that is the saga of Yellowstone, that’s what happens. The patriarch passes and the legacy moves onto his children.”

What Would Have Happened To Yellowstone If John Dutton Lived

Taylor Sheridan Still Could Have Fulfilled Yellowstone’s Prophecy

While it’s evident that John’s death was part of the story Yellowstone set out to tell, it’s tempting to think about what could have happened if John Dutton lived. If the governor had somehow avoided the attack on his life, he would have continued fighting for the ranch, regardless of whether his adopted son, Jamie (Wes Bentley), the attorney general for Montana, successfully impeached him. If John had survived, perhaps he would have finally listened to Beth (Kelly Reilly), who said the ranch needed to turn a profit and enact her business plans, giving John the capital to continue.