The Yellowstone season 5 part 2 the premiere was full of gunfire, pain and gripping drama.

Nearly two years without the streaming element has left room for plenty of questions, including a pressing one about the reasoning behind the departure of Kevin Costner’s characterJohn Dutton, from the show. And the premiere on Sunday, November 10, did not have time to answer that question. That’s right: there’s no sugarcoating the death of patriarch Dutton, which signaled the end of an era in more ways than one.

So what exactly happened to John Dutton Yellowstone? Read on to find out and see what you can expect from the final season of Yellowstone Next!

Warning: major spoilers ahead!

Is John Dutton dead?

If you haven’t guessed already, John Dutton is dead. The discovery of his disappearance was the first plot point of the episode, foreshadowing an explosive final season to come. Immediately, the farmer is found dead of a gunshot wound to the head in the governor’s mansion. Even more shocking is the presumed cause of death: suicide. But initial suspicions are not always accurate, and this curious case is proof.

The episode goes on to reveal that John Dutton’s death was a staged suicide at the hands of older brother Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley)—or rather, his girlfriend Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri). As the Duttons come face to face with their father’s corpse, fingers begin to point. Especially Beth Dutton’s finger (Kelly Reilly), which goes directly to Jamie.

“I don’t know anything, but I know he’s gone,” Beth screams after discovering her father’s bloody body (which explicitly does not show Costner’s face). While Beth immediately sets out to avenge her father by going after Jamie, her brother, Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes), is in denial.

Regardless of what actually happened – and at whose hands – if there’s one thing for sure, it’s that John Dutton is gone with the wind. Fortunately, Yellowstone it’s not, which means you can look forward to an entire season of episodes dedicated to revealing the dirty details of his death.

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