Kevin Costner’s exit made filming ‘really difficult’ for the cast

One of television’s biggest shows is back after almost two years.

“Yellowstone,” the hit Paramount Network drama, will return Sunday night for the second half of its fifth season. But since New Year 2023, the audience has been waiting for a new episode of the series. During this time, Dutton family patriarch and Yellowstone star Kevin Costner left the series, which then led to major recasts for the rest of the season.

During the show’s carpet premiere Thursday night at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the cast hit the red carpet for a reunion that felt like a joyful homecoming. Even though the star of the show is no longer there and the controversial election day was only 48 hours ago, the mood among the core cast was good.

However, they were honest about how things changed when they returned to the ranch following Costner’s departure and a long break between seasons. Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce, said it took him a while to get back into the pace of the show.

“I had a really hard time getting my bearings again,” he says. “I’ve been playing this guy for a long time, but a two-year break… It’s hard to find the nuances again. Part of what I did was wait until the last minute to read the last episode. I had a feeling it would be the thing that would hook me again, and it worked – I read the last episode and was completely confused. But then I felt like, ‘Now I remember who he is!’”

Kelsey Asbille, who plays Kayce’s wife Monica, was grateful that they were able to continue filming the series in the end.

“We were so grateful to be back,” she says. “Especially after working on the show for so long, coming back to ‘Yellowstone’ and coming home, it was a great pleasure to be able to successfully complete the show.”

Judging by the gasps heard at the top-secret post-red carpet premiere screening, audiences will also be grateful that “Yellowstone” has returned.