Is John Dutton alive? Eagle-eyed 'Yellowstone' fans spot one major clue
Contains spoilers for 'Yellowstone'
Ever since the debut of 'Yellowstone' in 2018 Kevin Costner's character John Dutton has been the heart and soul of the story. The drama series which has the Dutton family's struggle to keep their ranch at its core, underwent several crucial plot developments throughout four successful seasons. However, things have changed drastically in 'Yellowstone' Season 5 Part 2, as Costner's off-screen dispute with Paramount+ and allegedly with creator Taylor Sheridan has culminated in the legendary character's death.
'Yellowstone' Season 5 Episode 9 kicks-off with the death of Costner's character, which completely alters the dynamic on the show. While it is evident that John's death will propel the story forward, observant fans have discovered certain evidence pointing to John's return.
Fans speculate John Dutton's return 
While John's demise caught fans off guard, speculation mills are rife with theories that the Dutton patriarch is still alive. As soon as John's death was revealed in 'Yellowstone' Season 5 Episode 9, fans shared their theories on a Reddit post.
One fan said, "The dead body was a double where the face was too badly injured to truly identify. Late in the season, as Beth and Kayce are facing off against Jamie, what looks like a tornado hits the ranch. What it is really is two riders doing horse twirlies and kicking up dust. The first is John, who set this in motion to see who he could trust. The second is Travis, who is revealed as the one true hero of the show and saves everything and everyone before triumphantly twirling off into the sunset. The end."
Another shared, "The John theory could be possible. Like the hit man is in on it and John knew someone was trying to kill him. Jamie and skanky Sarah go to prison."
A fan speculated "He could have been faking, had to let the other kids 'see' him so they too believed it. They needed to grieve for real for his death to be believable."
Sharing an explosive, if ridiculous, fan theory, a fan commented, "John Dutton isn’t really dead, he just had his face blown off by the gunshot and has to have a secret face transplant. He will return recast, played by some actor that we can’t be mad about like Harrison Ford or Tom Hanks or something."
Another hopeful fan shared, "I think John comes back, I really do. I think this whole beef is manufactured and it’ll be part of a big reveal."
A fan said, "I said to my husband, I had a feeling that John isn't actually dead. I think he knew he had a hit on him, so he's currently in hiding with the vegan until he can take down Jamie and the biatch who ordered the hit."
Is John Dutton alive in 'Yellowstone' Season 5 Part 2?
While speculation abuzz about John's survival, this is one of the most unlikely scenarios for 'Yellowstone' Season 5 Part 2. First and foremost, the off-screen tension between Costner and the network reached a boiling point, so much so that the iconic character of John was forced to suffer the brunt of the consequences. With Sheridan pulling the strings on 'Yellowstone', it's unlikely that the iconic character will return to the show.
Now, if the attention is moved to the scripting perspective of 'Yellowstone', there is a potential that John is still alive as viewers were never shown the face of the dead body and it was just passed off as a suicide. It is probable that John paid the authorities and orchestrated his demise to deal with his adversaries. While this speculation appears thrilling, the odds of it being true are small, as it has already been stated that Costner has hanged up his boots as John, and is not aiming to make a comeback anytime soon.
'Yellowstone' Season 5 Part 2 trailer
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