Or he's part of the family due to the prequel lineage.

1923 was amazing. Glad it's getting another season

Yeah, that's the way they'd need to bring new life into the show. Find another Dutton Patriarch.

Because this show has no path forward currently constructed. Rip/Beth seems to be what they're trying to set up but that's just gonna yield more of the same.

Any new juice to the story would require a harder pivot.

Killing off Costner and having a Beth vs Jamie vs Kayce battle royale over their father's legacy would have worked.

Who could you possibly root for?

They all suck at this point and really how much more mileage can you wring out of ****y Beth defending daddy?

What you're asking for is essentially what the last 2 seasons have BEEN, just while Costner is still alive. Take him out of the equation altogether and you have similar plotlines but without their most compelling actor tossing off grizzled one-liners.

What's all this gossip I'm seeing from the gals who fervently watch Yellowstone that a Costner irl affair ended Yellowstone earlier than planned? Any truth to it or is that just gossip rag stuff talking.

(Show's been out of gas since Season 4, to be real).