With the unpredictable world of Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone, nothing is as it may seem at first glance. Underneath the breathtaking expanse of the mountains and the valleys lies a cruel and malicious world that guides the Duttons and those associated with them into a life of violence and oppression. However, with the series coming to an end, it is finally time to put some conflicts to rest.
The volatile narrative of the Paramount+ series has reached its peak with regard to the feuding siblings, Beth and Jaime Dutton. With their conflict serving as the epicenter of the Season 5 storyline, there remains little space to explore other arcs, especially one involving a supporting character such as Forrie J. Smith’s Lloyd, the ranch hand.
But with Sheridan leaving Lloyd high and dry after his extenuating Season 4 and 5 arc, it seems unlikely for the character to slink away into the background, never to be seen or spoken of again.
One Yellowstone Arc Could Prove Costly to John Dutton
For most of Yellowstone‘s characters, violence has been a defining trait in their everyday ranch life, whether they liked it or not. From the beginning of the series, branding was a significant reminder of the cult-like obedience that was demanded from the ranch hands by giving them a life away from the shackles of prison. Among them, Forrie J. Smith‘s character, Lloyd, remains a shining example of the tragedy that can make a character feel shackled even without the bars holding him in.
Lloyd has been a Yellowstone character since the very beginning of Season 1 of the Taylor Sheridan drama. With his supporting arc in the series, fans grew comfortable with seeing him operating as a steady fatherly figure to both Rip and Jimmy over the course of the first 3 seasons. However, as his role grew more integral in Season 4, violence seemed to overshadow his character growth with an eager intensity.
After coming to a head with his fellow ranch hand and romantic rival, Walker, the fallout of the barn fight witnessed Rip Wheeler taking the fight to Lloyd to teach him a lesson regarding breaking the rules. For a character who has spent the better part of his life serving the Duttons and being a paternal figure to Rip, the insult to injury stuck when the latter claimed it was for his own good.
As one fan on Reddit suggests, the relentless physical abuse, his broken relationship with Laramie, being made to feel disposable along with the underlying threat from John Dutton himself could have pushed someone as loyal as Lloyd to his breaking point. Turning on the Duttons after being treated as such might not be a far-reaching conclusion.
With his character already being shown to adhere to a code of honor, Lloyd could indeed become a sinister threat to Costner’s John Dutton if that code were to be threatened even after devoting his life to Yellowstone’s service. If Sheridan decides to take Lloyd’s arc in that direction, a reserved and revered ranch hand could ultimately be the downfall of the great John Dutton in a symbolic revenge.
Kevin Costner Navigates a Wary Path in Yellowstone
Kevin Costner‘s casting in Yellowstone as John Dutton was a phenomenal choice, not only for the actor’s expertise in the Western genre but also because of his contribution toward shaping the role. John Dutton would not be the same without Costner personifying the character, and the same goes for Kelly Reilly‘s Beth Dutton, and Cole Hauser‘s Rip Wheeler.
However, with the behind-the-scenes drama reaching an explosive high, it remains highly unlikely for Costner to return to the role midway through Season 5. After stepping away due to a scheduling conflict, the Oscar-winning actor claimed his extended contract with Paramount and Yellowstone failed to stick to the pre-designated timeline, making him wait out 14 months with no end in sight.
With Costner’s passion project, Horizon: An American Saga suffering as a result, the actor took a proactive stance by stepping away from Yellowstone, after putting the series first for months. With no public acknowledgment of the current situation between Sheridan and Costner, the future of John Dutton in Yellowstone remains uncertain, with his character being potentially written off in some justifiable arc.
Yellowstone Season 5, Part 2 will premiere exclusively on Paramount+ in November 2024.