“Yellowstone” ended in December 2024 after five seasons and a lot of controversy.
PublishedJanuary 27, 2026 10:30 AM EST•UpdatedJanuary 27, 2026 10:02 AM EST
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Former “Yellowstone” star Kelly Reilly admitted that the show’s ending wasn’t what fans were expecting.
Taylor Sheridan’s legendary neo-Western saga wrapped up in December 2024 after five seasons…….and an insane amount of drama and controversy tied to Kevin Costner.
Costner never returned after the season five break. Instead, he left the most popular show on TV to make his “Horizon” film series.
The final episodes of the show felt rushed, under-developed and fans were left wondering what would have been different if Costner never left.
Reilly apparently feels the same way.
Kelly Reilly was a major star on “Yellowstone.” (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
Kelly Reilly admits “Yellowstone” ending was a shame.
Kelly Reilly played Beth Dutton in the series, and was easily one of the most popular characters on the show. Her ending in the series saw Beth murder Jamie, which everyone saw coming from a mile away. However, it still felt rushed and not fully developed. It sounds like Reilly has a lot of thoughts on the situation and how Costner’s exit impacted the series.
The talented actress said the following when discussing the show’s ending with The Sunday Times:
“If it wasn’t recording [for an interview] and we were just having a beer, I could share more. But yes, it was only supposed to go on for five years … It was successful … A life of its own …I’m just picking my words, because I’ve never really talked about it. A lot went on behind the scenes that had nothing to do with me; I was just waiting. ‘When are we going back to work?’ It was a shame it ended that way, but it did.”
Kelly Reilly admitted that how the ending of “Yellowstone” played out was a disappointment. (Credit: Paramount Network)
There’s no way in hell the back half of season five would have played out the way it did if Costner returned. Would the final fate of the characters have been different? No. John Dutton was always going to have to die, and the same was true for Jamie. The ranch was also always going to be given up, and that’s been known since “1883” aired.
The core pieces would all have been the same, but how it would have been written and put on screen likely would have been very different. John Dutton wouldn’t have just been killed immediately in a really boring and borderline unbelievable way.
I guess we’ll always have to wonder what could have been. The good news for Reilly is her time in the “Yellowstone” universe isn’t over.
She’s starring in “Dutton Ranch” with Cole Hauser on Paramount+. The “Yellowstone” spinoff is expected at some point in 2026.
Kelly Reilly stars in the upcoming “Yellowstone” spinoff “Dutton Ranch.” (Photo by Mary Kouw/CBS via Getty Images)
What are your thoughts on the ending of “Yellowstone”? Let me know at [email protected].
