Will Montanans Still Watch This Popular Show Minus It’s Biggest Star?

UPDATE: Kevin Costner has put out a video on social media stating that he will not return to the Yellowstone series.

Love it or hate it, there is no denying the impact of the hit show "Yellowstone".

For many Montanans, the number of tourists and full and part-time residents the popular show has brought to Montana can be a sore spot. While the state has benefited financially, many feel it's brought too much attention to Big Sky Country.

As fans of the series wait for new episodes, the question remains for many, will we see the return of John Dutton? Dutton who Kevin Costner plays is the patriarch of the Dutton family and is the current Governor of the state of Montana (on the show)

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The show, filmed in Montana took off like a rocket and for many, in the beginning, Costner was the only star power the show had. The Academy Award Winner is one of the biggest names in Hollywood and as the show grew in popularity so did the series other actors. Most fans have their favorites. Rip and Beth are popular as are Kacee, Lloyd, and Teeter.

However, Costner is still the heart of "Yellowstone" and with his return up in the air, will people still watch?

The situation has gone back and forth over the last several months and at one point it looked like Costner was done, however, his stance has softened recently and he has said he is willing to make a return.

As a fan of the show, I'm not sure I would watch it without Costner. As mentioned, there are certainly enough storylines to keep it interesting, but Yellowstone without John Dutton seems...weak. One of the great features of the show is all of the characters are flawed and there aren't good guys vs. bad guys...there all a mix of both, including Dutton.

We know they've started filming the last part of the final season, but the question remains will those behind the scenes work out a deal to get Costner back on set to finish the story? The bigger question is, would you continue watching if Costner doesn't return?