Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Yellowstone season 5, part 2 and Landman episode 9.Taylor Sheridan has a chance to do what he couldn’t do with Kevin Costner’s John Dutton inYellowstone: kill off a major character in a satisfying way. Theseries finale ofYellowstonewasn’t what most longtime fans of the show were expecting, and it’s largely becauseKevin Costner leftYellowstonebefore its ending. Costner was experiencing creative differences with Taylor Sheridan, so his character, John Dutton, had to be written off the show. Unfortunately, that didn’t leave Sheridan with many options, and John’s ending inYellowstonedidn’t feel adequate for such an important character.
Both Taylor Sheridan andYellowstoneseason 5, part 2were somewhat trapped by Kevin Costner’s departure from the series. After Costner leftYellowstonein the middle of season 5, Sheridan had to find a way to dance around his absence in the show’s final episodes. There was really no satisfying way to do that, as John was the biggest part of the cast ofYellowstone, but what ended up happening was still disappointing. Luckily, Sheridan got another chance to write a major character’s death in a different show, and it’s shaping up to be much better thanYellowstone.
John’s Death In Yellowstone Was An Anticlimactic Ending To A Legendary Character
John Dutton’s death inYellowstoneseason 5wasn’t the best possible way the show could have bid farewell to its main character. It was probably the best way to handle it without Kevin Costner’s involvement, but it was still lacking for the character himself.After years of development and buildup and years ofYellowstonefollowing John fighting tooth and nail to save his ranch and protect his family, he died rather easily. A group of assassins simply broke into his house and killed him while he slept. It wasn’t the warrior’s death fans were hoping for, and it wasn’t fitting for John to go out so meekly.
Yellowstone’s Dutton Family Tree Explained (Including 1883 & 1923)
The Dutton Family Tree in Yellowstone comprises characters from 1883, 1923, and Yellowstone, growing with Taylor Sheridan’s Neo-Western universe.
Part of the reason John’s death was so underwhelming is because of how sudden it all felt.Because of Costner’s departure,Yellowstonehad to abruptly end John’s story without much setup. At the start ofYellowstoneseason 5, part 2, John was simply already dead, and the show backtracked to explain how it happened. Aside from Jamie (Wes Bentley) asking Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) about “professionals,“Yellowstonedidn’t have any buildup to John’s death. He also didn’t get much resolution because of how quickly he died, and the whole situation just felt messy.
Taylor Sheridan Looks Set To Do A Big Death Right In Landman
Landman Could Give Jon Hamm’s Monty A Much Better Death Than Yellowstone Gave John
Taylor Sheridan now has the chance to do a major character’s death right inLandman. At theend ofLandmanepisode 9, Monty Miller (Jon Hamm) seemingly dies from complications with his heart health. While there’s a chance he survived, it seems much more likely thatMonty is dead or dying inLandman.If Monty did die, thenLandmanalready handled a major character’s death better thanYellowstonehandled John’s death. While most of that is due to the fact that Sheridan was able to plan the season around Hamm’s involvement, which he couldn’t with Costner,Landmanalso earned Monty’s death.
Landman created a situation where even the death of a major star’s character felt natural and earned, which is what Yellowstone should have done with John.
ThroughoutLandmanseason 1, Monty’s heart health has been a major concern. From the very beginning, Cami (Demi Moore) has been hounding him about the stress related to his job as the CEO of M-Tex and begging him to worry about his personal health.That set up a major heart problem for Monty later in the season, whichLandmanepisode 8 delivered on. Then,Landmanepisode 9 actually let the moment where Monty (potentially) died breathe.Landmancreated a situation where even the death of a major star’s character felt natural and earned, which is whatYellowstoneshould have done with John.
Landman Is Taylor Sheridan’s Best Yellowstone Replacement
Landman Has All The Pieces To Be Sheridan’s Newest Franchise
The wayLandmanis handling Monty’s death is a sign of why it’s probably Taylor Sheridan’s best chance at a replacement forYellowstone. Out ofall of Taylor Sheridan’s shows,Landmanhas the most justification to become a franchise and spawn spinoffs likeYellowstonedid.Landmanhas a star-studded cast, plenty of interesting characters - like Cooper (Jacob Lofland) or Rebecca (Kayla Wallace) - and a subject that could easily be the focus of multiple seasons of television. It’s incredibly easy to imagine Tommy’s (Billy Bob Thornton) work in the oil industry to turn into a sprawling saga like John’s work in the ranching industry.
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Sheridan also has one major benefit withLandmanthat he didn’t withYellowstone: experience.Sheridan has always been a great writer, ever since he createdSicario, but he now has over half a decade of experience writing for television. He knows how to manage characters across multiple seasons, his name carries enough weight to get stars onboard and keep them in the cast, andLandmanjust proved he knows how to write a fitting ending when one is needed. If anything is going to replaceYellowstone, it might beLandman.
Yellowstone
Cast
Yellowstone follows the Dutton family, led by patriarch John Dutton, as they defend their expansive ranch against external threats from land developers, an Indian reservation, and America’s first national park. Released on July 10, 2025, this series examines the complex dynamics and violent conflicts surrounding the largest contiguous ranch in the United States.
Landman
Set in West Texas, this series explores the world of oil rigs and the fortunes they create. It portrays a modern upstairs/downstairs narrative of roughnecks and billionaires, highlighting the profound impact on the climate, economy, and geopolitics in these boomtowns.
