there’ll be more looks into the Dutton past, too.

While Yellowstone fans await news on the final episodes to come in Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2, there’s been one major concern. With the show’s early cancellation bringing an end to any ongoing arcs or larger plans for series creator Taylor Sheridan, there have been fears that the six episodes to come won’t have time or space to give the show a worthy ending.

John Dutton’s ultimate fate. Beth and Jamie’s ongoing war. The future of the Dutton Ranch. These are all key plotlines that were obviously intended to be explored over time. But now, they have just a few episodes to wrap it all up in a satisfying way.

However, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. One Yellowstone cast member has confirmed that there should be more episodes than we think to round-out this Western drama. And what’s more, we’ll probably be getting some important flashbacks, too.

Yellowstone star says there will be ten episodes in Season 5 Part 2

Speaking to Deadline, Josh Lucas said he’ll be reprising his role as a young John Dutton in Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2, and that there will be at least ten episodes to come.

Speaking about his return, Lucas said that he’ll come back as John Dutton’s flashback form “as far as he knows.” He also added: “I did text Taylor [Sheridan] a couple of months back and said, ‘Hey man, I’ve loved working on the show so much.’ He’s like, ‘Well, we’ll be back.’ …I think we’re going to do ten or more so episodes.”

Paramount

These means Yellowstone fans can be glad of two things. One: if Lucas is back, that means we’re due a few more Dutton family flashbacks in the second half. And two: that’s far more episodes than previously assumed to round-out the show.

Originally, it was thought that there would be six episodes remaining, since Season 5 was said to have 14 episodes in total, with 8 episodes already released. These episodes have the momentous task of ending the show, so it’s a relief to hear the pressure is being lessened. (Sounds like Sheridan knows how he wants to end things now.)

What’s more, the flashbacks shown throughout Yellowstone prove to be incredibly valuable when humanizing and understanding the otherwise complicated Duttons. As we learn about their childhoods and family history, the Duttons become fuller, richer characters.

If John Dutton is killed off-screen (depending on the terms of Costner’s return to finish out the show), could a flashback be Sheridan’s way of paying tribute to his ranching patriarch?