Yellowstone Finally Gets Season 4 Premiere Update, Reveals Fate Of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton

Published: Jul. 1. 2021 11:57 AM

At long last, Yellowstone has put a pause on celebrating past seasons’ big moments and finally offered an official update about its future, even if the news isn’t exactly as specific or as pleasurable as we’d hoped. Paramount Network dropped a brand new Season 4 teaser on its rabid fanbase, which not only offered up our very first look at Season 4 footage of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton and Cole Hauser’s Rip Wheeler, but also confirmed that audiences will be waiting until the fall to witness the aftermath of Season 3’s explosive finale.

While some fans were extremely hopeful that Paramount Network would stealthily debut Yellowstone Season 4 during its Father’s Day weekend marathon, which would link up with the timing of past season premieres, that clearly didn’t happen. And now we know that new episodes won’t arrive for another few months at least, unless the network’s execs are (hopefully) of the mind that the first week of September counts as “Fall.” The silver lining is that we don’t have to wonder whether a stealth premiere during the Fourth of July marathon will happen, and that energy can now be directed at clamoring for a full Season 4 trailer.

The promo above is a well-edited recap of all the damage done to the Dutton clan, both blood family and ranch family, and leans hard into the idea that Season 4 will be all about revenge. (I also would have taken the tagline “Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Slammed Into Your Face By An Enraged Beth Dutton,” but that’ll do.) And the most exciting moment is definitely in the final seconds, when it’s revealed that Rip somehow figures out where John’s bloody body is at, and he’ll presumably be the reason why John is still alive enough to get revenge in the upcoming season. Thankfully, the teaser is clear about showing John is still breathing, and saves us from going down that avenue of speculation, since his slumped-over body doesn’t inspire much optimism.

Of course, even if Rip did arrive in time to transport John to a hospital (or to a backwoods-y doctor that wouldn’t ask too many questions), that’s no guarantee that Kevin Costner’s patriarch will survive the entire season. Costner hinted at endings being imminent in the past, though in a vague enough way to dodge hardcore worrying. Perhaps creator Taylor Sheridan will keep him around long enough to rain hell down on whoever was responsible for all the attacks, and then have him bow out with peace of mind. Or perhaps John Dutton will find a secret formula that allows him to live forever. Either way, I’m watching it happen live.

Now we just have to worry about the respective fates of Kelly Reilly’s Beth and Luke Grimes’ Kayce, as well as the overall fate of Beth and Rip. In the meantime, the 2021 Summer TV season has more than enough options to take your mind off this dreaded wait until Yellowstone Season 4 premieres on Paramount Network in the fall.

Nick Venable View Profile

Nick is a Cajun Country native, and is often asked why he doesn’t sound like that’s the case. His love for his wife and daughters is almost equaled by his love of gasp-for-breath laughter and gasp-for-breath horror. A lifetime spent in the vicinity of a television screen led to his current dream job, as well as his knowledge of too many TV themes and ad jingles.