No offense to Kevin Costner (but kind of an insult to Kevin Costner) as Luke Grimes shares his honest take on the loss of Yellowstone’s star in the final episodes

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Although it has never been technically confirmed, it is no secret either Kevin Costner’s exit from Yellowstone came after over a year of reports of drama between him and Taylor Sheridan. Ultimately, the show went on without him. Now his son Luke Grimes has commented on the shooting last episodes of Yellowstone fifth season without the John Dutton actor as it was easier to work on the show without him.

Like in the last episodes of Yellowstone The fifth season aired on the TV program 2024Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce Dutton in the series, sat down with him esquire to discuss this final chapter. While fans were upset that Kevin Costner decided to hang up John Dutton’s cowboy hat for his on-screen son, his departure made filming the show easier, as Grimes said:

Hopefully everyone can see that it was time. To be completely honest, part of Kevin’s death meant that part of the conflict was gone. Apparently it wasn’t much fun to be here. I don’t want to point fingers, but it was actually the easiest season we’ve ever filmed.

For those who may not remember, the rumors about Costner’s feuds are over Yellowstone were dramatic. Although not confirmed, issues with scheduling and the way his character was written, among other things, made for a very chaotic situation.

At one point there was even a report from Puck News (via Esquire) about a violent incident Call Costner allegedly had with Taylor Sheridan where he apparently laid out a list of demands that included “more money, a shorter shooting schedule and – here’s the kicker – the right to review, approve and possibly veto any Sheridan script.” The creator of Yellowstone He is known to write his own scripts, and he reportedly did not agree with this request.

Check out CinemaBlend’s interviews with the Yellowstone cast

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If all of these rumors are true, it would make sense if tensions between the lead actor and the show’s creator would lead to conflict on set.

Of course, we don’t know exactly what happened. However, thanks to Luke Grimes, we know that filming Season 5B was much easier. And that was probably because the tension he mentioned was gone because Costner was gone too.

Now we’re deep into the series of episodes filmed without it Yellowstone long-time leading actor. In fact, they didn’t wait at all to show how Costner was written out like they do revealed John’s death almost immediately in the midseason premiere.

The response to this choice was great, some even thought so The ending of John’s story tarnished the character’s reputation. However, it also makes for an interesting twist in the story as the Dutton children try to figure out how to save the ranch that their father has tried to keep his entire life.

Luckily, we’ll find out how they do exactly that this Sunday (December 15) when the finale of Yellowstone Airs. The focus will likely be on Grimes’ character Kayce gives away the ranch and perhaps the explosive end to Jamie and Beth’s feud. Overall, it promises to be action-packed as the kids figure out what to do with the ranch after John Dutton’s death, and I personally can’t wait to see the end.

To watch the final episode of Yellowstone (minus Kevin Costner), you can catch it live on Paramount Network on Sunday at 8:00 p.m. ET. If you want to go back and watch Costner, Grimes et al. Together you can stream the first four and a half seasons of the modern western with a Peacock subscription.