Yellowstone official trailer
Warning - this article contains major spoilers for Yellowstone season 5 episode 9.
Viewers are clamouring for answers following Kevin Costner's abrupt departure from his six-year role as John Dutton on Yellowstone.
Despite show creator Taylor Sheridan being a self-proclaimed "fan" of Costner before their collaboration, tension seems to have arisen since the Hollywood actor announced he would be leaving after the current season.
The star has affirmed his commitment to the Horizon franchise, despite its box office slump.
Sheridan appears to have taken Costner's exit to heart, with John's departure from the series shockingly sudden; he appears to take his own life in the opening moments of season five, although his family remains sceptical.
This unexpected twist left viewers and even some crew members, including director Christina Voros, taken aback, reports the Mirror.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Voros expressed her surprise, admitting she didn't "see it coming."
However, she backs Sheridan's decision, describing it as "incredibly brave", according to Express US.
Discussing the reasoning behind the swift onscreen death, Voros said, "I can't talk to the decision: It's Taylor's world. He made the bold decision.
"It's a tricky question, because I don't want to foreshadow anything that's coming. Because it has to do with the writing."
She also thinks not dragging out the inevitable was smart, given fans knew Costner was exiting.
"I think rather than stringing people along to get to a place everyone sees coming, the decision to just open with it is really brave and really interesting," commented the director.
Voros also shared insights about Costner's abrupt exit, stating that his character's influence will reverberate through the others.
"In the absence of John, the family has to come together to shoulder the weight of the world, much in the same way as the cast has come together to shoulder the weight of his absence in such a bold and beautiful way," she expressed.
Voros attributed the smooth transition to Sheridan's rapport with the ensemble.
"I think it is testament to his faith in the characters and the actors who embody them to go, 'Let's not make this about the incident. Let's make this about how these human beings exist in the aftermath.'
"That was more interesting to [Taylor] than the incident itself," she elaborated.
Yellowstone season 5, part 2 continues Sundays on Paramount and the following Monday on Paramount+.
