John Dutton bowed out of Yellowstone’s third season bleeding on the side of the road after a mysterious assassination attempt. After the Paramount series left fans gripped by a devastating cliffhanger, some viewers were concerned the series had taken a major leap away from the show’s grounded tone.
After this year’s thrilling season of Yellowstone, the Paramount Network have confirmed Taylor Sheridan’s modern Western will return for a fourth season.
When the show returns, the Dutton Ranch could look a lot different after season three concluded with a severe blow to the family business.
After his children Kayce (played by Luke Grimes) and Beth (Kelly Reilly) were apparently the victims of a mysterious assassination attempt, John Dutton (Kevin Costner) himself was also gunned down on the side of the road.
Luckily, John’s well-placed cell phone managed to stop what may have been a fatal bullet.
READ MORE: Luke Grimes net worth: How much is Yellowstone star Luke Grimes worth?
However, presuming the formidable ranch-owner pulls through, the Dutton family could be in ruins when the series heads into season four.
Following such a crushing blow to so many major characters, the stars of the series have issued a warning that Yellowstone could look a lot different when it presumably returns next year.
Jimmy Hurdstrom star Jefferson White teased: “I’m lying face down in the dirt at the end of this s***. It’s a whole new show. So much is uncertain at the end of 310.
“It’s so exciting and this world that we’ve spent three seasons building is shattered in 10 minutes.”
“There’s no way on earth they’re just gonna have a team of shooters on standby 24/7 AND a bomb all made and ready to go.”
Although the identities of the Dutton assailants remains unclear, most fans are assuming shady ranch rival Roake Morris (Josh Holloway) has something to do with it.
Unfortunately, there’s no way a hit of this complexity and magnitude could be assembled as quickly as it was in the season finale.
Meanwhile, other fans grumbled Yellowstone’s slaughter of Dutton Ranch wouldn’t look out of place in Westeros, especially with the show’s previously realistic tone.
Another viewer sarcastically posted: “Did Yellowstone hire the writers from Game of Thrones?
“Am I the only one who thinks the series finale was ridiculous and poorly written? I know it’s made for TV drama but this is beyond bizarre.
“Three assassination attempts on three family members within minutes of each other not long after a contentious meeting over a land deal.”
The fates of some of the characters still remain unclear, so hopefully most of them made it out alive and Yellowstone can return to business as usual when season four begins.
Yellowstone is available to watch on the Paramount Network.