Luke Grimes SaysYellowstoneHas the 'Perfect Ending' After a Nearly 2-Year Wait: 'Very, Very Profound'

Mar. 15, 2025

Luke Grimes on ‘Yellowstone’.Photo:Cam McLeod/Paramount Network

Cam McLeod/Paramount Network

WhenYellowstone’sseries finale finally airs,Luke Grimesknows viewers won’t be disappointed.

During a recent interview withEntertainment Weekly,Grimes, 40, shared that he read the script for the final episode “the day before we started shooting.”

“I couldn’t be happier. I think it’s a perfect ending for the show for every character,” he said. “It’s just a testament to what a good writerTaylor [Sheridan]is, and it’s a very, very profound, beautiful ending. I can’t wait to sit down and watch it one day.”

For five drama-fueled seasons,Yellowstonehas followed the Dutton family — patriarch John (Kevin Costner), Jamie (Wes Bentley), Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Kayce (Grimes) — and their conflicts revolving around the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. The show premiered in June 2018, with the first half of season 5 wrapping up in January 2023.

The following month, rumors began swirling that Costner wasleaving the showto focus on his multi-part Western movie seriesHorizon: An American Saga. When an agreement between Costner and Sheridan couldn’t be reached, and as the 2023 SAG and WGA strikes extended into the fall,the network announcedthat the second half of season 5 would be the show’s final installment.

Yellowstone cast.Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock

Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock

Despite the delay, Reilly, 47, toldEntertainment Weeklythe break was a boon.

“With the [SAG and WGA] strikes and with changes with certain things, everything got delayed longer than anybody wanted,” she said. “In a weird way, having a little break meant that you’re coming back to something that you’re not taking for granted, and the scripts were so good.Sogood. We got to finish something rather than draw something out or prolong it.”

Reilly recognized thatYellowstonehas a “huge following of fans” who are “emotionally connected” to the series.

“Some of them are mad as hell that we’ve taken so long, but we’re like, ‘It’s not our fault! We wanted to go to work!’” she explained.

Grimes then added, “I’ve been itching to get back to the show, and I’m so glad it finally worked out, and we got to finish strong.”

Wes Bentley and Kelly Reilly on ‘Yellowstone’.Emerson Miller/Paramount Network/Courtesy Everett Collection

Shooting has already wrapped onYellowstone,which has been bittersweet for some members of the case, including Grimes.

“There’s definitely a sort of summer camp blues feeling,” the actor explained. “All my friends are going away, but I’ve made friends for life on this job. I’m glad we got to finish strong.”

Added Bentley, 46: “It’s one of the biggest things I’ve ever been a part of, and it’s a character that’s a double-edged sword. It’s both very satisfying to play a character who’s given so much emotional work to do, but it also takes its toll. I’m excited to let him go, but I’m also sad to let him go.”

Meanwhile, the Yellowstone universe will live on with spinoff shows, including season 2 of1923and two new upcoming shows: another prequel called1944and thepreviously announced sequel seriesentitledThe Madisonstarring Michelle Pfeiffer.

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Part 2 ofYellowstone’s season 5 returns Sunday, Nov. 10, on Paramount Network.

source: people.com