The production of My Cowboy Soap Opera became a soap opera itself over the past couple of years, with a loooong delay and unseemly squabbling over who did and said what to cause it, mostly centered around Kevin Costner, who went off to make a giant Western while Yellowstone lay fallow.
Just a couple of days ago, Paramount announced that Yellowstone will return for a six-episode finale on November 10. And Costner has come out to say that he will not be part of it:
“I want to reach out and let you know that after this long year and a half of working on Horizon and doing all the things that’s required, and thinking about Yellowstone, that beloved series that I love, that I know you love, I just realized that I’m not going to be able to continue Season 5B or into the future,” he said. “It was something that really changed me. I loved it. And I know you loved it. And I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be returning and I love the relationship we’ve been able to develop and I’ll see you at the movies.”
There are many ways to handle the departure of even a key character like John Dutton — including an off-screen death, which was kind of set up by the episodes of 5A. Feels a little cheap though, gotta say.
Anyways…
One of the hardest things to do with a great, multi-season show is to stick the landing. Black Sails did it. Justified did it. Deadwood did it — but it took a movie made 12 years after it just … stopped. I hope Taylor Sheridan can pull this off and give a very devoted audience the satisfying ending they deserve. And I sure hope we get a S2 of 1923.
Brian H. says
I’m starting think of Yellowstone more of a remarkable zeitgeist phenomena as much as it being a good tv serial. About how it’s inherent line in the sand violence resonated with so many people. I shouldn’t have been surprised when I saw Yellowstone merch at our local Murdoch’s store but I was. I was standing nearby when I heard someone explain “train station” to another.
JimC says
X-ring. Marilyn and I went to the Cowboy Christmas thing in Vegas during the NFR (we were there for Corb Lund/Ryan Bingham). There was a HUGE Yellowstone “booth” the footprint of which was as big as my entire newspaper office. Women were lined up getting their picture taken with a life-size cardboard cutout of Rip. Beth was not getting that kind of action from the guys, whatever that tells you. Anyway…. it was just a massive “thing” and I found it kind of weird. Not in a bad way, just … excessive.
I do think the don’t-mess-with-the-Duttons sensibility resonated — as does the direct-action ass-kickery of both Rip and Beth. I think people feel more and more constrained, and the Stone (as the kids say) offers a fantasy of unbridled action and the power it offers, which has always been an element of the Western.
Brian H. says
“my heroes have always been cowboys'”
Greg Marshall says
So what’s happening with the other elements of the franchise. I’d really like to know where ‘1923’ goes.
I’m also curious about the reasons for the hiatus. Did Sheridan get out over his skis financially? Hard to maintain that kind of output.
JimC says
Don’t think it was money. Time and bandwidth. He didn’t have scripts, which caused scheduling problems, particularly with Costner, then the writer’s strike forced downing pencils. I think he has too many irons in the fire. Like you say, hard to maintain that prodigious level of output.
Greg Marshall says
I read a story (can’t remember where) that when he was writing he’d basically lock himself away sometimes for days at a time, without any sleep, until he was done.
I hope things get squared away. I’m looking forward to Costner’s film, as I can’t resist a good oater.
Cooter Brown says
At least some of the negative critical reaction to Costner’s “Hoorizon” is likely due to the perceived dustup between him and Sheridan, who’s a cash cow (sorry) for a lot of folks in the entertainment business.
The “critics” are as much a part of that money machine as anybody.
JimC says
Good point. Ugh.