Warning: The following contains spoilers for Yellowstone season 5, episode 9.
Yellowstone’s Beth actor, Kelly Reilly, explains how her character will be affected by John Dutton’s absence, with Kevin Costner departing the show. Costner, who plays the Dutton family’s patriarch, is the series' biggest star, but due to a scheduling conflict with Costner launching his ownHorizonfranchise, the star left the show prior toYellowstoneseason 5 part 2. Beth is John’s daughter, who inherits the ranch after John’s cancer diagnosis.
In an interview withScreen Rant’s Grant Hermanns, Reilly speaks about how John Dutton’s departure will affect Beth. The actor touches on the daughter-father relationship in the show, with John being “everything” to Beth along with Rip.John’s absence “affects” Beth “wildly,” but it’s “only physical,“because his legacy will still be felt inYellowstone. Check out what she said:
It affects her wildly. Her father is everything to her, as is Rip. These two men in her life are her linchpins, and yeah, you’re able to imagine what that might do to someone who has been so utterly devoted. John Dutton is still a very central character in our show in this last season. His absence is only physical, he is there in all of us as we round this thing up.
What Reilly’s Comment Means For Yellowstone
John Dutton Is Still Central To The Story
Yellowstoneseason 5, episode 9, opens with the shocking revelation aboutJohn Dutton’s death. Beth and Kayce are the two people who discover John’s body. In the episode, Beth’s worst fear has become a reality. Though it looks like suicide, she suspects that her brother Jamie is behind it. What Reilly said confirms what viewers already know from the scene,John’s death will play a huge part in Beth’s character arc in the final six episodes.
Yellowstone Season 5 Part B: Rip & Kayce’s Potential Conflict About Running The Ranch Addressed By Luke Grimes
EXCLUSIVE: Yellowstone star Luke Gimes addresses Kayce and Rip’s potential conflict about running the ranch following the show’s season 5 return.
Beth is loyal to her father and the two have a special bond. With Beth being sharp-witted and business-oriented,Kelly Reilly’s characterhas inherited more than just the ranch from John. The actor’s comment about John being absent only physically indicates that viewers will likely see how his spirit and core values will stay on through his children. At the same time,this seems to hint that the last six episodes will have a lot to do with John. Though the family patriarch is no longer there, the series will put an emphasis on those who remain.
Our Take On The Remaining Yellowstone Episodes
Yellowstone Returns With A Bang
Yellowstoneis officially back, and the first episode hits viewers with a bang. One of the series' biggest mysteries is solved by finally addressing how it handled John Dutton’s departure. It seems that no resurrection will ever happen and John is really gone.
John’s death marks a pivotal pointin Beth and Jamie’s lives, leaving fans with more questions than answers. The event seems tohavesent the rest of the Dutton on a path to find out the truth, and the aftermath is just beginning. It comes as a surprise thatYellowstonereturns with the murder mystery of the show’s own John Dutton.
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 June 29, 2025, this series examines the complex dynamics and violent conflicts surrounding the largest contiguous ranch in the United States.
