‘Yellowstone’ Creator Taylor Sheridan Explains Why No Character Is Safe in Season 5 [Watch]

Yellowstone's highly anticipated Season 5 is set to launch in a few months, and according to series co-creator Taylor Sheridan, the show can't go forward in the new season without some of the characters dying.

The Kevin Costner-led modern-day Western follows the Dutton family, who own the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United Staes. Their conflict with all of the entities that border their land, as well as their interpersonal conflicts, provide the drama for the runaway hit show, which has grown into the most-watched drama on cable television over the course of four seasons since it launched in 2018.

Yellowstone's upcoming Season 5 is one of the most hotly anticipated television events of 2022, and in a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, Sheridan basically flat-out states that viewers will have to say goodbye to more characters during the new season.

"If you look at everyone as a chess piece, in Season 5 it is impossible to keep playing the game without taking pieces off the board," he says matter-of-factly:

Yellowstone dropped a trailer for Season 5 in late August, teasing viewers with the same mix of intrigue, drama and violence that has become the hallmark of the show.

Season 5 of Yellowstone began shooting in Montana in mid-May, and it's set to premiere on Nov. 13.

The new season will consist of 14 episodes airing in two arcs of 7 episodes apiece. Seasons 1-4 of the hit Paramount Network show are currently available to stream via Peacock.

As part of Taste of Country's comprehensive coverage of all things Yellowstone, check out our Dutton Rules podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.