In both the United States and worldwide, Yellowstone is proving to be a juggernaut for Paramount. Per The Wrap, the premiere of Season 5, Part 2 was the No. 1 launch-day debut show internationally for any series in the history of Paramount+, according to internal metrics from the streaming service.
The premiere garnered 16.4 million viewers in total on its debut night per VideoAmp, which is a 3% increase in viewer numbers as opposed to the first half of the fifth season of Yellowstone. Part 2 of Season 5 is the most-watched season premiere of the show since it premiered in 2018. The viewership for the premiere was measured by VideoAmp and not Nielsen as there are ongoing negotiations between Paramount and Nielsen.
The second half of the season saw a 3% increase in the number of viewers from the first half. Those numbers include the live viewership count as well as showings across eight cable networks and CBS. The premiere of the first half of the fifth season of Yellowstone was available on just seven cable networks.
John Dutton’s Character Passing Was Always “Part of the Plan”
Part 2 of Season 5 dropped on Paramount+ on Nov. 10 with episodes airing weekly until Dec. 1. However, the response to the second half of the fifth season has been mixed. A lot of the negativity is coming from the lack of Kevin Costner’s character John Dutton in the season. Costner left after rumors of strife with series creator Taylor Sheridan.
Luke Grimes, Kayce Dutton on the show, recently talked about the issues on the show and how Costner’s leaving affected the show. Grimes said in a previous interview that the passing of the Dutton patriarch was “always part of the plan.”
“Originally, he was supposed to die much earlier. So, in a way, they got more of John Dutton than they were going to originally get,” Grimes said. He told People in an interview that there have been some negative reactions to the passing of Costner’s character.
“I think they feel sort of cheated. I think we were all lucky to have Kevin on the show as long as we did,” Grimes said. “It was always the plan for him to have to go away for the story to really ramp up, and that was the story.”
Costner Didn’t Realize the Show Was Back
In a previous interview with SiriusXM’s The Michael Smerconish Program, Costner said he didn’t even realize that the show was back on the air, and was confused as to why his character was featured in the previews when he wasn’t in any of the final episodes.
“I’m going to be perfectly honest, I didn’t know it was actually airing last night,” Costner said. “That’s a ‘swear to God’ moment. I mean, I’ve been seeing ads with my face all over the place, and I’m thinking, ‘Gee, I’m not in that one. I’m not in this season.’ But, I didn’t realize yesterday it was the thing. I had, really, my focus has been on what I was having to do, and I got a few calls to me. Sometimes I’m like a passenger in my life. You know, there’s a lot going on, and somebody said, ‘You know, it played last night.’ And I said, ‘Hm, okay.’ So, I found out about it this morning, actually,” he said.
Not the End for Yellowstone
However, the passing of John Dutton and the final season of Yellowstone isn’t the end for the franchise as it has spawned a number of spinoff series, including 1923. The series starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren is working toward a final season. Another spinoff, The Madison, set to star Michelle Pfeiffer, is also in the works. That show will be a direct sequel to Yellowstone.
Yellowstone airs on Sundays on Paramount Network and is streaming on Paramount+.
