Yellowstone, the hugely popular drama on Paramount Network, is finally returning this Sunday night with the second half of its fifth season, following a nearly two-year break.
Fans have been waiting since January 2023 for new episodes, and during that time, the Dutton family saga underwent some significant changes—most notably, the departure of Kevin Costner, the show’s lead star, which resulted in major rewrites to the remaining episodes of the season.
According to Variety, the cast reunited on the red carpet at Thursday night’s premiere event at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, creating a celebratory atmosphere that felt like a homecoming. Despite Costner’s exit and the fact that it came just 48 hours after a heated Election Day, the mood was upbeat among the core cast members.
However, they were open about the challenges they faced returning to the series after such a long hiatus. Luke Grimes, who portrays Kayce Dutton, admitted that it took him a while to find his rhythm again.
“It was tough getting back into the groove,” Grimes shared. “I’ve been playing this character for a long time, but two years away… it’s hard to reconnect with the little details. So, I decided to wait until the very last minute to read the final episode. I had a feeling it would be the key to getting me back into it, and it totally worked—I was in tears. After that, I was like, ‘Okay, I remember who he is.’”
Kelsey Asbille, who plays Monica, Kayce’s wife, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to continue filming and finish the series strong.
“We were just so thankful to be back,” she said. “After all this time working on the show, returning to ‘Yellowstone’ felt like coming home. There was a lot of joy in being able to complete the story the way we wanted.”
From the enthusiastic reactions at the top-secret premiere screening, it seems that fans will also be thrilled to have Yellowstone back on their screens.
