Breaking: Part 1 of ‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 to Arrive on Streaming This Month as Fate of Remaining Episodes Unclear
Sometimes, art imitates life, and if you are a fan of the soapy, Western drama of the Dutton family, the behind-the-scenes drama might be just as tantalizing as what you are able to see on screen. Despite the fact that the second half of “Yellowstone” Season 5 was originally scheduled to premiere on the Paramount Network in June, Peacock will stream the first eight episodes of the show's final season beginning on Friday, May 26.
Normally, “Yellowstone” episodes don’t arrive on Peacock until three months after the conclusion of its most recent season, but this is a special case. Season 5 marks the first time that the show has been broken up into multiple episode batches, with the first set concluding on Jan. 1, 2023. However, due to ongoing disagreements between the series’ star Kevin Costner and series creator Taylor Sheridan, filming has yet to begin on the final six episodes of the season.
Now, with the onset of the Writers Guild of America strike, when the show will return to filming is yet to be determined. Today’s Peacock news comes on the heels of the announcement that Season 5 will be the final one for the original series. However, a new spinoff — the first to keep “Yellowstone” in its name — is currently scheduled to premiere on the Paramount Network later this year. It is believed that this is the show that Matthew McConaughey has long been rumored to be leading.
Though no details have been announced as to why the show is breaking its traditional pattern of waiting until a season wraps to eventually head to Peacock, it very likely that it has to do with the long delay following the end of the first block of episodes. Due to a licensing agreement that Paramount Global executives now admit was a mistake, Peacock is the streaming home for television’s most popular series, and not the in-house Paramount+. So, traditionally, Paramount does everything it can to wring the most benefit out of the series, delaying the streaming premiere of the episodes for three months.
While Season 5 is not yet technically complete, May 26 will be nearly five months since the last episode aired with no indication of when — or even if — new episodes will even be filmed, let alone air. Whether there is a contractual proviso requiring Paramount to relinquish episodes to NBCUniversal’s streaming service after a certain amount of time in between episodes, or if Paramount just believes this is the best move to keep the show front of mind for audiences during the protracted delay, this is a huge boon for Peacock to land the first eight episodes of “Yellowstone” Season 5 earlier than anticipated.
Why Costner’s Official Exit From ‘Yellowstone’ is the Ideal Outcome For Paramount+
Last week — ahead of the spinoff and cancellation announcements — it was reported that Costner would officially be exiting the series following Season 5. Despite the obviously mutually beneficial relationship between the Oscar and Emmy-winning actor and the indefatigable series creator, their differences came to a head leading into the back half of the season. Reportedly, Costner was frustrated that Sheridan — who is overseeing nearly a dozen shows for Paramount — didn’t have the scripts ready when planned, pushing back production, and leading to conflicts with the actor’s schedule.
From there, Costner apparently flexed his considerable Hollywood muscle making demands about how much time he was willing to be on set and the direction of his character. Those demands are apparently continuing even in the wake of recent news. Puck is reporting that Costner is refusing to commit to anything “Yellowstone” related until he approves of how his character will be killed off early on in Part 2 of Season 5.
Whatever the ultimate outcome of the Costner-Sheridan standoff is, by wrapping up the series that launched a thousand shows, Paramount is taking complete control of one of its most popular assets. By transitioning from the OG “Yellowstone” to a “Yellowstone”-branded spinoff, the entertainment giant will be able to end its deal with Peacock requiring them to send new episodes to a streamer owned by another company.
The potentially McConaughey-fronted series is tentatively scheduled to premiere on cable in November — Writers Strike permitting — and then it will move to Paramount+ at some point thereafter. While the drama surrounding “Yellowstone” is likely not the type of attention that Paramount would want for one of its signature series, the end result of all of the tensions might just end up being a net positive for the studio.
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” and “The Office,” as well as original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports including NFL, MLB, WWE, Olympics, Premier League, NASCAR, French Open, College Football and Basketball, and PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.