Luke Grimes has said that Kevin Costner's departure from Yellowstone made the hit Western's final instalment "the easiest season we've filmed". Costner's exit was shrouded in controversy, with reports suggesting he left the Taylor Sheridan series to focus on his own Western franchise, Horizon – An American Saga. His character, John Dutton III, was killed off in the second part of the show's fifth and final season.
Speaking to Esquire, Grimes, who plays John's son Kayce Dutton, said: "Hopefully everyone can see that it was time." He added: "To be really honest, there was a part of Kevin being gone that meant some of the conflict was gone. Obviously, it didn’t make it super fun to be around. Not pointing any fingers, but it was actually the easiest season we’ve filmed."
Grimes also expressed satisfaction with how Sheridan concluded his character's arc, saying: "It feels like good timing. Seven years is a long time to do anything, and I had never played a character for more than a few months before. I’ve loved all of it. But there is a part of it that — once you read those final episodes — sees that there’s a finality to it."
The Yellowstone finale is set to air on Sunday, December 15 on the Paramount network. While the original series is ending, Sheridan has announced a sequel series titled The Madison, led by Michelle Pfeiffer, which will follow a family of New Yorkers relocating to the Madison River valley in central Montana, dealing with themes of grief and human connection.
Earlier this year, Grimes told The Independent he was frustrated by the politicisation of Yellowstone, saying: "I think a lot of people see a cowboy hat and a horse and they think, 'Oh, that’s not for me, those people believe differently.'" He argued that flawed characters like Succession's Logan Roy were not judged in the same way, adding: "I just don’t understand why that has to immediately equal some political belief. And I don’t think it does."
