After what seemed like an endless delay, the second half of "Yellowstone's" fifth season has finally arrived at the Paramount Network. Co-created by Taylor Sheridan, the Western has faced multiple obstacles in premiering new episodes since its January 2023 broadcast, including a double Hollywood strike by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, protracted negotiations with star Kevin Costner, and a necessary shift in creative direction have been encountered.

The most notable consequence of these delays is that Costner will not return as Montana rancher John Dutton in future episodes, ending the series with these episodes. It is not yet clear how showrunner Sheridan will handle Cosner's departure or how he will wrap up the show, but fans will soon be reunited with the Dutton family. Here is what we know so far about the second part of "Yellowstone" Season 5.

Paramount Network recently announced that the final six episodes of "Yellowstone" Season 5 will air beginning November 10. These episodes will air on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the Paramount Network. After various delays, production finally resumed on the fifth season in April 2024, with the new episodes ready to premiere in November.

This was almost two years after the end of the first half of the fifth season, when the future of "Yellowstone" looked very different, and the season was set to resume much earlier. Viewers who need to refresh their memories of what happened in previous episodes can catch up on all previous seasons of "Yellowstone" on Peacock.

The saga of Kevin Costner's possible departure from "Yellowstone" has dominated news about the show for the past year and a half, and as recently as April, Costner claimed he "wanted to return" to the show, fueling speculation about John Dutton's possible final appearance.

After the show resumed production, Kosner's situation remained unclear, but he admitted on Instagram that he would not be returning, saying, "I have learned that I will not be able to continue with season 5B or the future."

Aside from Cosner, the entire regular cast of "Yellowstone" is expected to return for the final episode to conclude the story of the Dutton family ranch; see the official Paramount Network cast list for the second part of "Yellowstone" season 5 here.

The biggest question about the new episodes of "Yellowstone" season 5 is how to handle the exit of Kevin Costner, and by extension John Dutton. Since Costner does not return for even a single scene, whatever happens to John, whether it is a dramatic death or a graceful retreat somewhere out of sight, can only happen off-screen. Given that the first half of the fifth season ended with John and his son Jamie each plotting to eliminate the other, it is no surprise that John meets a violent end between episodes. [As much conflict as there was between John and his children, the loss of the patriarch would have a major impact on the ranch and the Dutton business empire. The final episode will likely focus on the power struggle between John's children Jamie, Beth, and Casey and their various allies.

Since John was also governor of Montana at the time of his last appearance, the issue of political succession will not be addressed. If he was killed, it would be a political assassination, which in reality is a much bigger issue.

Since "Yellowstone" is essentially a soap opera, the political implications would be less important than the personal drama. While these episodes conclude "Yellowstone" as a series, the "Yellowstone" universe is thriving, with a new season of the prequel series "1923" planned, as well as previously announced spin-offs "1944" (another prequel) and " 6666" (set on the nearby 6666 Ranch). Then there is "2024" (tentative title), a sequel to "Yellowstone" that essentially continues the series with a new protagonist, possibly played by Matthew McConaughey.

The story is not yet complete, and the end of the last episode of "Yellowstone" may leave many loose ends to be tied up for the new series. As of now, main cast members Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, and Cole Hauser are said to be in negotiations to appear in the series, and it is likely that their characters will still have more stories to tell. The Dutton family dynasty is far from over.