“Yellowstone” Director Reacts To Fans’ Anger Over John Dutton’s Fate

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Yellowstone Fans Express Outrage After The Show’s Midseason Premiere

Christina Voros, the director of Yellowstone, is surprised by many fans’ anger over the show’s handling of John Dutton’s fate in its midseason premiere.

Before you continue, consider this your spoiler warning for the November 10 episode of Yellowstone.

Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton in "Yellowstone."
Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton in “Yellowstone.” Photo Credit: Yellowstone / Facebook

As a brief recap, Yellowstone finally returned on November 10 after an extended hiatus. During the break, series lead Kevin Costner announced he would not be filming the new episodes.

Scheduling conflicts with Costner’s own Horizon movie saga contributed to his decision to step away from the show. But he’s clarified in recent interviews that he never technically “quit” Yellowstone.

So, the show had to figure out how to continue without Costner’s John Dutton. Many fans anticipated John would die, and those suspicions were right.

In the first few minutes of Yellowstone‘s midseason premiere, Beth and Kayce Dutton discover their father’s body at the Montana governor’s mansion. While the scene was staged to look like his death was self-inflicted, Beth believes their adopted brother, Jamie, killed John.

We later learn it was actually Sarah Atwood of Market Equities who ordered a hit on John. But, considering Sarah’s romantic ties to Jamie, he’s still connected to the plot.

Yellowstone Director Christina Voros Is Confused About Fans’ Anger Over John Dutton’s Death

Many fans were upset after learning that John Dutton died. Some were angry at the way the show handled his death, thinking he deserved to go in a more dignified manner. Others were simply outraged that Yellowstone got rid of its beloved main character.

Despite being the most-watched episode in the show’s history, Yellowstone‘s midseason premiere sparked an onslaught of negative fan reviews. Season 5 is now the worst-rated season by fans on Rotten Tomatoes.

Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton in Yellowstone
Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton in “Yellowstone.” Photo Credit: Yellowstone / Facebook

Yellowstone‘s director, Christina Voros, reacted to fans’ anger in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. She said some fans’ responses left her confused.

“I was reading Twitter and it’s strange the number of people who seemed upset that John Dutton was killed off, despite knowing that Kevin himself said he wasn’t coming back to the show,” Voros said.

However, Voros understands why people are upset about John Dutton’s death. After all, that’s how they want the viewers to feel.

“I think even in the face of that information, people don’t want it to be true,” Voros said. “And in a weird way, it’s life imitating art. There were a lot of people who were outraged that John was killed — and you’re supposed to be outraged he was killed. The characters are outraged that he’s killed. So in a strange way, it is the point. You are not supposed to be OK with it.”

Yellowstone‘s November 17 episode perfectly showcased how the other characters are not “OK” with John Dutton’s death. As the season comes to a close, it will be interesting to see how their anger and heartbreak fuel their actions and behavior.

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About the Author

Miranda Raye

Hello everyone! My name is Miranda. Iโ€™m originally from Ohio, but currently live in Michigan with my husband, Max, and our Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Clover. My love for country music and music in general fueled my own love of performing. I grew up singing and dancing in my schoolโ€™s show choir and musicals.

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