We can envisage how Yellowstone might have played out if Taylor Sheridan had stuck with his original plan for a limited series by looking

at single-season shows that are similar in tone, setting, and premise. Sheridan himself has been involved in producing multiple limited-

series Westerns for Paramount to run alongside his most famous show.

Yellowstone spinoffs 1883 and 1923 have been massively successful for Taylor Sheridan, which begs the question as to why he ended Yellowstone.

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First, there’s the Yellowstone prequel 1883, which tells the story of how the Dutton family journeyed to Montana and founded their ranch 140 years before the events of the main series. In just 10 episodes, this beautifully shot, quietly powerful period drama starring Western acting great Sam Elliott ventures across several states and various storylines to reach its singular conclusion.

Then, the eight-episode, Taylor Sheridan-produced Lawmen: Bass Reeves gives us a completely fresh take on life in the American South during the late 19th century, from the perspective of its real-life title character. The elegant approach of this miniseries to its historical subject matter gives us an idea of how Yellowstone’s story could have been told in a shorter format.

Why Kevin Costner Left Yellowstone Midway Through Season 5
The Actor Couldn’t Wait Any Longer With Other Projects In The Pipeline
Kevin Costner was more than willing to stay on as John Dutton into Yellowstone’s fifth season, despite initially being led to believe that the show would be a limited series, and then signing on to play Dutton for just three seasons. However, his patience with its extended run was exhausted midway through season 5.

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A lengthy break in shooting between the two parts of the season led Costner to quit Yellowstone, effectively killing off his character, John Dutton. In his interview with People, Costner described the situation in the following terms: