It was no secret that Kevin Costner was leaving Yellowstone, but fans are definitely not happy with how the issue was handled.

There’s no way to do this without issuing a spoiler alert, sorry. Paramount Network brought back the fan favorite Sunday, but fans quickly slammed Costner for the way he handled the character.

The fact of the matter is that John Dutton was killed – and sadly, it was a dramatic death. Dutton’s son Jamie, played by Wes Bentley, said his father died by suicide from a gunshot wound to the head. It is then revealed that Jamie was involved in his father’s death. The reason is that his girlfriend Sarah ordered him to be beaten.

There are a lot of people who say they won’t watch Yellowstone again because of the incident that led to John Dutton’s exit. As a character purist, I get it. But Kelly Reilly’s performance is worth fans watching all season long. pic.twitter.com/v33RKBWIpZ

— Kristen Kirshner – Author ✨🌊 (@KristenK1874) November 11, 2024

Sarah comforted Jamie, who was emotional over his father’s death. “That wasn’t the reaction I was expecting,” she said. TMZ.

The femme fatale concept was a plot twist and did not sit well with Costner’s die-hard fans. There was an immediate backlash on social media. Many fans said they felt Costner deserved a better death than the cards he was dealt, and some opined that this was a lazy and thoughtless way to kill Costner’s character.

One fan shared his disappointment: write“John Dutton wasn’t a victim and deserved to go out like a gladiator. It brings the series back together completely. “I’m totally a fan of how Yellowstone handled Costner’s departure. Others agreed, saying, “Many people are saying they won’t watch Yellowstone again after John Dutton’s exit. As a character purist, I understand that. But Kelly Reilly’s performance is worth watching all season long.

I even thought they knew Kevin Costner wasn’t going to be back for the rest of the season. #yellowstone. The way his character ended was just dumbfounded and lazy. There could have been a better way, or he could have just rode off into the sunset. #YellowstoneTV pic.twitter.com/5JhPPCoscl

— 🎬🎞️🎥🍿Anthony (@mrfilmstock) November 11, 2024

“If that’s the end of a great man like John Dutton… that’s bullshit.” internet users I wrote.

“I even thought we knew Kevin Costner wasn’t coming back for the rest of #Yellowstone. The way his character ended was just dumbfounding and lazy. There could have been a better way. Or he could have just rode off into the sunset #YellowstoneTV,” another fan said while airing his complaint on X.. (Related: Kevin Costner reflects on what drove his success after decades in the spotlight)

Kevin Costner talks about the latest episode of Yellowstone 😱 Listen to his full interview @smerconish in https://t.co/H4DB0oJZbu pic.twitter.com/1W6T34UqXw

— SiriusXM (@SIRIUSXM) November 11, 2024

Costner himself weighed in on the upset, saying he had no idea how his character would die, but after leaving the show at the end of season 5, he said the decision was not his to make. The first part that declared and said, “That’s their job.”