“Yellowstone” season five aired live on Paramount Network starting back in November 2024, and wrapped just six weeks later in December. The entire series can now be streamed on demand on Peacock. Meanwhile, “1923″ just aired its final episode on Sunday, April 6. You can stream the entire series on Paramount+. Confused about the difference between Paramount Network and Paramount+? Read on.
The Kevin Costner-led drama came roaring back without its biggest star to tell the end of five seasons (and two spinoffs) worth of storytelling about a family trying to protect the largest cattle ranch in the United States. Costner announced his departure from the series in June. In the mid-season premiere, the mystery of how Costner’s character would be written off the show was solved, as the episode begins with John Dutton’s death at the governor’s mansion.
The half-season featured just six episodes, as generations of blood reached their boiling point. Here’s everything you need to know about “Yellowstone.”
Where to watch ‘Yellowstone’ on demand
The entirety of “Yellowstone,” seasons 1-5, is now available to stream on demand exclusively on Peacock. Previous streaming homes for “Yellowstone,” including Philo and fuboTV, no longer have episodes available.
Episodes are also available to buy and watch on Apple TV+ and Prime Video, but may require additional subscriptions.
Where to watch ‘1883′ and ‘1923′ ‘Yellowstone’ spinoffs
“1883: A Yellowstone Origin Story” starring Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and Sam Elliot and “1923: A Yellowstone Origin Story” starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, are both available to stream on demand on Paramount+ (free trial).
What time does ‘Yellowstone’ air?
There are no new episodes of “Yellowstone” airing live at this time.
Paramount Network occasionally rebroadcasts episodes of “Yellowstone,” and fans can check their local channel listings for the latest marathons.
New “Yellowstone” Season 5 episodes aired live at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Sundays, starting November 10, 2024 until the series finale on December 15, 2024.
What TV channel is ‘Yellowstone’ on?
Paramount Network.
How many episodes are in ‘Yellowstone’ Season 5?
There were just six episodes in Season 5, Part 2. However, Part 1 of the season, which premiered way back in 2022, had eight episodes, which means the full count for Season 5 is 14 episodes.
Each prior season had 10 episodes, except for Season 1, which had just nine. After the finale on December 15, the full series will be 53 episodes long.
The full Yellowstone Season 5 schedule is as follows:
Episode 9, “Desire is All You Need,” Sunday, Nov. 10, 8 p.m. ET
Episode 10, “The Apocalypse of Change,” Sunday, Nov. 17, 8 p.m. ET
Episode 11, “Three Fifty-Three,” Sunday, Nov. 24, 8 p.m. ET
Episode 12, “Counting Coup,” Sunday, Dec. 1, 8 p.m. ET
Episode 13, “Give the World Away,” Sunday, Dec. 8, 8 p.m. ET
Episode 14, “Life is a Promise,” Sunday, Dec. 15, 8 p.m. ET
Will there be another season of ‘Yellowstone?’
Sort of. Fans of the “Yellowstone” series and broader franchise still don’t know whether there will be a proper Season 6 of “Yellowstone,” but “1923,” the “Yellowstone” spinoff starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, is currently airing a second season on Paramount+, which started in February of 2025.
As of right now, there is no announced sixth season of “Yellowstone.” This is being billed as the series finale. But the “Yellowstone” series is hugely popular (think what “Game of Thrones” was for HBO), and has already sparked two prequel spinoffs, with a third, currently titled “1944,” and a fourth, originally titled “2024″ and later renamed “The Madison,” also planned.
Also, in August, reports circulated that Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser were in talks to star in a sixth season, although no official confirmation has been announced.
Yellowstone Season 5 cast
Kevin Costner, who led the series as John Dutton III, is not returning to wrap the story with the rest of the cast. The rest of the core cast, however, is returning, including:
Kelly Reilly as Beth
Luke Grimes as Kayce
Wes Bentley as Jamie
Cole Hauser as Rip
Kelsey Asbille as Monica
Brecken Merrill as Tate
Finn Little as Carter
Gil Birmingham as Thomas Rainwater
Some new additions expected include Orli Gottesman as Halie, Kathryn Kelly, who plays Jimmy’s fiancée, Emily, and Josh Lucas, returning as young John Dutton for the first time since Season 3.
Why did Kevin Costner leave ‘Yellowstone?’
Costner has chalked up his departure from the series to production delays that clashed with the rest of his schedule. It has been more than a year since Part 1 of Season 5 ended in January of 2023. Costner was committed to shoot “Horizon: An American Saga,” but attempted to reach an agreement with Paramount and showrunner Taylor Sheridan to at least come in and shoot a death scene for John Dutton. They did not take him up on it. He officially announced his departure in an impromptu Instagram video in June of 2024.
“Simply with all the questions that were being asked, the longer I thought about that … I just wanted to say that this is a stepping-off point,” said Costner in the video. “Whatever I’d hoped for maybe was not in the cards. I don’t want to keep saying, ‘Yeah, I hope I can do it.’ That’s drifted to a place that I don’t think is realistic anymore.”
However, Costner’s character will still be central to the final six episodes of “Yellowstone” Season 5. Christina Voros, who directed four of the six final episodes, recently told The Hollywood Reporter, “his presence is integral,” adding, “he is the patriarch and his presence is an essential component to the story.”
In episode 9, Dutton’s absence from the show was quickly explained. Beth arrives at the governor’s mansion to see police cars and a tearful Clara. Kayce sees blood spatter on the walls and a gun on the ground. When all is said and done, it is revealed the it wasn’t Jamie, as Beth thinks, or suicide, as the official story is given, but a contract killer, hired by Sarah, to stage the killing as a suicide.
What is Yellowstone about?
According to the official series synopsis, “Oscar and Emmy winner Kevin Costner is the marquee attraction of the ensemble cast in this drama series, starring as the patriarch of a powerful, complicated family of ranchers. A sixth-generation homesteader and devoted father, John Dutton controls the largest contiguous ranch in the United States. He operates in a corrupt world where politicians are compromised by influential oil and lumber corporations and land grabs make developers billions. Amid shifting alliances, unsolved murders, open wounds, and hard-earned respect, Dutton’s property is in constant conflict with those it borders — an expanding town, an Indian reservation, and America’s first national park.”
Where is ‘Yellowstone’ filmed?
Montana, a key part of the show, is filmed on location, with the Governor’s Office scenes shot in Helena and Broken Rock Reservation scenes on the Crow Reservation.
The ‘Yellowstone’ Dutton Ranch is the real-life Chief Joseph Ranch, a 2,500-acre cattle ranch in Darby, Montana, owned by Shane and Angela Libel since 2012.
Yellowstone Season 5 recap
Season 5, episode 9, “Desire is All You Need”
John Dutton is dead at the governor’s mansion, Kayce and Beth are reeling. Meanwhile, Jamie, now acting as Montana’s Attorney General, is in shock, made worse when his lover, Sarah Atwood, reveals that she orchestrated John’s death to look like a suicide.
In a flashback, Rip and the ranch hands move cattle to Texas due to a brucellosis outbreak. They reunited with Jimmy at the Four Sixes Ranch.
Kayce, Monica, and Tate move into a new home on the ranch, trying to find some stability after their recent loss. Beth heads to Texas to be with Rip.
Thomas Rainwater and Mo contemplating the impact of an oil pipeline being constructed on their land.
Beth and Kayce started piecing together the events leading to John Dutton’s death. They suspect foul play, and a major showdown between Beth and Jamie seems inevitable.
Season 5, episode 10, “The Apocalypse of Change”
Six weeks earlier, Rip and the crew encounter rattlesnakes in Teeter’s tent at the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas. Beth arrives unexpectedly, hinting at future plans (and setting up potential spin-offs?).
Back in Montana, Rip and Lloyd discussed the uncertain future of the ranch following John’s death. Beth confronted Jamie, vowing revenge, and promising that her face will be the last thing Jamie sees.
Kayce, Monica, and Tate worked on their new home. Beth called Kayce, confirming her suspicions about Jamie’s betrayal.
Beth and Kayce plotted their next moves, setting the stage for a dramatic showdown.
Season 5, episode 11, “Three Fifty-Three”
Both Beth and Kayce have unsettling premonitions about their father’s fate. In the present, Steven Rawlings is sworn in as governor and offers Clara a position as his chief of staff, which she declines upon learning of his and Jamie’s plan to seize control of the Yellowstone ranch.
Kayce, determined to uncover the truth about his father’s death, pressures the medical examiner to reexamine John’s body. The new autopsy reveals signs of forced restraint, confirming Kayce’s suspicions of foul play. He confronts Jamie, who denies any involvement in their father’s death, claiming he has nothing to gain from it.
Beth and Kayce face the grim reality of potentially losing the ranch. They discuss selling parts of it to keep the rest intact. Rainwater and Mo visit to pay their respects and offer assistance, with Rainwater and Beth brainstorming ways to preserve as much of the land as possible.
Season 5, episode 12, “Counting Coup”
Rip decides to sell some bulls and horses to save the ranch from financial ruin. Tragedy strikes when Colby is killed by a horse while trying to help Carter, who blames himself for the accident. Rip reassures Carter that it wasn’t his fault.
Jamie becomes a suspect in the murders of John Dutton and Sarah Atwood. Detective Dillard’s investigation raises suspicions, and Jamie’s defensive behavior only makes things worse.
Kayce, determined to protect his family, threatens Grant Horton, a suspect in John’s murder, by holding his daughter at gunpoint. This act of intimidation, known as “counting coup,” is a Native American tradition, gives the episode its title.
Beth shows a softer side, comforting Carter and helping him cope with Colby’s death. She also supports Rip, who is struggling with the loss and the ranch’s uncertain future.
Season 5, episode 13, “Give the World Away”
Rip and Beth are preparing for a massive auction at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch in a desperate move to save the land. Beth decides to head to Texas to oversee the sale of their horses, despite Rip’s concerns about her dealing with Travis Wheatley.
Thomas Rainwater and Mo are feeling helpless to stop the construction of an oil pipeline. Rainwater suggests that the best way to fight back is to convince people to stop selling the piping needed for the project.
Jamie watches a news report that suggests he might have benefited from a land lease that John Dutton canceled as governor. Jamie warns Beth that if she destroys him, she destroys the entire family. Beth hangs up on him.
Kayce has his own, risky plan to save the ranch, which he reveals to Beth.
The episode also features a somber moment with Colby’s funeral, which is overshadowed by the recent death of John Dutton. The funeral serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who love the ranch life.
Season 5, episode 14, “Life is a Promise”
The series finale (for now) packed in plenty of farewells, fresh beginnings, a funeral, and some sweet revenge.
Making good on his suggestion of sabotaging the pipeline, Rainwater has Broken Rock Reservation volunteers steal the pipes and sink them in the river. He then meets with Kayce to discuss a deal to save the ranch – Kayce will sell the land to Rainwater for just $1.25/acre, on the conditions that Kayce retains ownership of his family’s east camp and Rainwater promises to never sell or develop the land.
Meanwhile, Beth informs Rip she’s purchased them a remote place to start anew. But the news is bittersweet as she soon gets the call that her father John is ready to be buried. At the small funeral, Beth whispers to her dad’s coffin that she will avenge him. She wastes no time keeping that promise, brutally confronting Jamie and stabbing him to death with Rip’s help, before claiming to authorities that Jamie attacked her first.
The episode catches us up with the fates of the ranch hands and shows the Broken Rock residents taking over the Dutton land. In a poignant final scene, we see Beth and Rip settling into their new life as Willie Nelson’s “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” plays, possibly signaling the end of Yellowstone as we know it.
Where to watch ‘Yellowstone’ live for free
“Yellowstone” is not currently airing live, but when it does, it airs on Paramount Network. Below, you can find the best streaming options to watch Paramount Network without cable.
Philo is the best place to watch Paramount Network. It includes a 1-week free trial, so you can binge seven days completely free, and is the most affordable live TV streaming service at just $28 per month after your trial for 70+ popular channels including Paramount Network, AMC, A&E, BET and more.
fuboTV also offers a free trial, and includes Paramount Network, but the monthly charge is $64.99 for the first month and $84.99 after that. However, fubo offers sports and local channels that are not available on Philo.
Sling is another decent budget option, at just $23 for your first month. But viewers will need to add the $6 Entertainment Extra pack in order to get Paramount Network. Still, it’s technically your cheapest option here. It just doesn’t include a free trial.
DirecTV Stream is pricey at $86.99 per month for its cheapest package, which includes a five-day free trial and Paramount Network. Hulu + Live TV offers a free trial and costs $82.99 per month.
What about Paramount+?
While the name may lead you to believe you can also catch Yellowstone on the Paramount-owned streaming service, this is not the case. However, Paramount+ does have all episodes of “1883″ and “1923″ to stream, on demand.
Paramount+ is not a TV channel, it does not have Paramount Network live, and it does not have episodes of “Yellowstone” live or on demand.
Generative AI was used to draft this episode recap for this story, based on data provided an episode recap. It was reviewed and edited by Syracuse.com.
