Kevin Costner Explains Why Yellowstone Season 5 Will Be Tough on John Dutton

The fifth season of Yellowstone sees some major changes for the Dutton family, specifically when it comes to its patriarch. John Dutton has reluctantly taken to the world of politics this season, becoming the mayor of Montana in order to protect the family's ranch despite his distaste for public office. The decision to run for governor may be good for the Yellowstone Ranch in the long run, but it's going to have some negative effects on John in the short term.

Kevin Costner has lead the Yellowstone charge for the last half-decade, playing John Dutton in Taylor Sheridan's record-breaking Paramount Network drama. He recently spoke to USA Today about the evolution of his beloved character in Season 5, and how the time away from the ranch while serving as governor is going to be difficult for him.

"I know how hard it's going to be on him," Costner explained. "His heart is at the ranch, not trying to find middle ground with people. That's going to be problematic. He has a lane that he operates in that is not as expansive as some would want it to be. And he won't change."

Yellowstone Season 5 Ratings Breaking More Records

Yellowstone Season 5 may have gotten off to a tough start for John Dutton, but the premiere could not have been better for the Paramount Network. 12.1 million people watched the Yellowstone premiere on Sunday night, with 8.8 million of those watching it live on Paramount Network. The episode was simulcast live on several other networks, including CMT, Pop, and TV Land, and there were 10.3 million folks watching across all channels, up significantly from the Season 4 premiere last year.

Yellowstone has quickly become one of the biggest properties in Paramount's roster, and the company is clearly going all-in on the Taylor Sheridan-created franchise. In addition to the arrival of 1923, there will be a spinoff to the already existing prequel 1883, which will tell the story of Bass Reeves. The long awaited 6666 spinoff is also acting as a prequel of sorts, and it has been moved from Paramount+ to the Paramount Network.

What did you think of Yellowstone's Season 5 premiere? Let us know in the comments!