Happy Birthday Kevin Costner – you were right about Yellowstone

It’s the birthday of the modern Western king, Kevin Costner, and to celebrate his life and times, we just want to say: you were right about Yellowstone.

All the cards have been dealt. Yellowstone is officially over, there’s no word on Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 or beyond, and the dust has settled on the most fascinating feud the small screen West has ever seen. So, who won?

Well, it’s not that simple. Both Taylor Sheridan and Kevin Costner hold big stakes in the world of on-screen cowboys. One kickstarted a TV franchise that would monopolize the genre for over half a decade, while the other has been at the forefront of some of the biggest Westerns of all time. 

So when Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 came around, all eyes were on the show’s final episodes. Would it prove to be a success without Costner, or was the veteran gunslinger right to hang up John Dutton’s hat? Well, in my opinion, there’s only one winner in this shootout, and it’s KC.

When Yellowstone fails, Costner wins

Let’s not beat around the bush: everyone knew Taylor Sheridan had one job with Yellowstone’s final episodes: prove that the show didn’t need Kevin Costner. 

His way of doing this was to prioritize Beth and Kacye’s roles, stage a murder with a John Dutton body double, and make sure an entire episode revolved around his self-inserted character, Travis, instead.

Paramount

Did this work? …Not really. In fact, one could say the final Yellowstone run was something of a disaster. Yes, loyal viewers still tuned in to watch it, but they weren’t happy with what they saw. 

From criticisms about indulgent cameos to resentment over killing one of the show’s most interesting characters (yes, Jamie), fan threads were filled with weekly backlash over whatever that cowboy hat-wearing madman had done this time.

In trying to prove that the show could exist without Costner, Sheridan really only proved that…no, it couldn’t. John Dutton was the driving force behind the drama series, with his star power and magnetism grounding even the most ridiculous storylines. 

And since then, Sheridan’s wave of new projects and announcements (Lioness Season 2, Landman, The Madison, and 1944), have proven that try as he might, Costner will always have the Yellowstone creator beat with one big thing: his legacy.

There’s a legacy in my boot!

Paramount may be dropping an alleged $500 million-a-year on Sheridan’s projects, but that’s chump change compared to Kevin Costner’s bag of metaphorical gold after a steady 40-year Western career.

Even with Sheridan’s real-life ranches and intense “cowboy camp” program designed for his actors, Costner’s impact in the genre will likely outlive the Yellowstone wave.

Orion Pictures

Granted, it’s two entirely different approaches. While Sheridan is developing a full-scale TV universe, Costner has focused on films, trying to make each one its own hit. While it hasn’t always paid off, the wins are obvious.

One need only say the words “Dances with Wolves” and an image of Costner will pop into your head. Even Tombstone, which Costner dipped from in order to make his own Wyatt Earp movie, will always carry his name as part of its history.

When it comes to modern Western icons, Costner will always be at the top of the list. And that’s something money can’t buy.

Hope on the Horizon

Naturally, we can’t talk about the Yellowstone-Costner drama without addressing the Horizon of it all. After all, the passion project was one of the main reasons Costner ended up leaving Yellowstone early. 

It’s obvious this move didn’t necessarily pay-off – the first chapter didn’t make back its budget, earned mixed reviews, and Chapter 2 (originally scheduled to come out a month later), was pushed back. 

Six months later, there’s still no release date confirmed for the (completed) sequel.

Warner Bros.

But it’s clear Costner isn’t giving up on his baby. He’s not afraid of making public pleas for funding, and even having funded a large chunk of the budget himself, he’s determined to see through his four-movie plan. 

There’s a parallel here: Sheridan unloads one project after another, building a universe in which he seemingly can’t even keep up with the pace of his own promises (still no word on 6666, and a Beth and Rip spinoff has been announced in the wake of Yellowstone’s finale). Costner has also doubled down on his dream saga, despite having seemingly no backing or faith from others. 

And ultimately, that’s the thing that brings them both together and sets them apart. Sheridan is a machine who can’t stop throwing new ideas into the wind, while Costner would die trying to see one thing (or four things) he loves through to the end.

For more, learn about all the Yellowstone spinoffs. You can also take a look at all the Yellowstone cameos in Horizon, and find out what we thought about Costner’s passion project with our Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 review.