When the news finally broke that Kevin Costner wasn’t coming back to Yellowstone, it felt like a gut punch to the fans who had spent years watching John Dutton defend every inch of that Montana dirt. But for the people actually standing on that dirt—the cast and crew—it wasn't just a headline. It was a massive shift in their daily reality. Ian Bohen, who has played the fan-favorite ranch hand Ryan since the very first season, has been surprisingly vocal about the whole ordeal. He didn’t just give some PR-sanitized answer; he laid out exactly how the vibe changed when the "quarterback" left the field.
The Quarterback Analogy: Why Ian Bohen Isn't Sugarcoating It
Honestly, Bohen’s take on the situation is probably the most relatable one we’ve heard from the bunkhouse. Speaking at the CMA Awards and in subsequent interviews, he used a sports metaphor that basically sums up the entire Season 5B production cycle. He compared Kevin Costner to a star quarterback who gets sidelined in the middle of a high-stakes game.
"If your quarterback gets hurt and he has to come out of the game, you have to play," Bohen told Us Weekly. It’s a gritty way to look at it. You don't just forfeit the game because your biggest star isn't there. You figure out a different way to run the ball. You change the play. You keep moving because, at the end of the day, there are hundreds of families—from the caterers to the camera ops—who still need to go to work.
There's a certain level of "get it done" energy in Bohen's reaction. He acknowledged that when you’ve spent five seasons getting comfortable with a specific dynamic, and that dynamic gets "altered," it’s a bump in the road. But his philosophy was simple: put your helmet on and go catch the next pass. You can’t dwell on the "what ifs" when you've got a job to finish.
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Was There Drama? The Reality of the Costner-Sheridan Split
Everyone wants to know if there was beef. We’ve all seen the reports about Taylor Sheridan and Kevin Costner clashing over filming schedules and the Horizon saga. While Bohen wasn't in the rooms where those high-level contracts were being argued, he’s been around long enough to see the friction. Bohen actually has a deeper connection to Costner than most people realize—he played a young version of Costner’s character in the 1994 film Wyatt Earp.
Despite that history, Bohen’s loyalty remains firmly with the work and the creator, Taylor Sheridan. He’s repeatedly praised Sheridan for being able to "sort it out." Even without the patriarch, Bohen insists the scripts for the final episodes are some of the best he’s ever read. In fact, he’s gone on record saying he thinks this will be the "best series finale in history." That’s a bold claim, especially when the show lost its main character right before the finish line.
What This Means for Ryan and the Bunkhouse Boys
With John Dutton out of the picture, the focus of Yellowstone had to pivot. For characters like Ryan, this meant more heavy lifting. We saw the bunkhouse boys taking on more of the emotional and narrative weight in the back half of Season 5. Bohen has mentioned that the "nebulous" nature of the ending was actually a strength. It forced the ensemble to step up.
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The show basically became about whether or not the "kids" and the ranch hands could sustain the legacy without the man who started it all. Bohen has been a huge cheerleader for this transition. He’s often spoken about the responsibility they feel toward the real-life ranchers and farmers who watch the show. To him, the show is a "cultural phenomenon" that’s bigger than any one actor—even one as legendary as Costner.
Why the Fans Are Torn (and Why Bohen Isn't)
If you spend five minutes on Reddit, you'll see the divide. Half the fans say "No Costner, No Yellowstone," while the other half are ride-or-die for the remaining Duttons. Bohen is clearly in the latter camp. He understands the frustration—kinda hard not to when the face of the franchise disappears—but he’s asked for patience.
He’s admitted that he didn’t even know exactly when some of the episodes were airing because the production was so chaotic. "Sometimes I'm just a passenger in my life," he joked during an interview with The Independent. That lack of preciousness about the "celebrity" side of the show is what makes his perspective so grounded. He’s there to do the work, ride the horses, and tell the story.
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The Future: Life After John Dutton
So, where does this leave us? Bohen has teased that "anything is on the table" for the future of the franchise. While the main series is wrapping up, the "Dutton Ranch" universe is expanding. There have been rumors of a sequel series—potentially titled The Dutton Ranch or 2024—with big names like Matthew McConaughey or Annette Bening entering the fray.
Bohen hasn't confirmed if Ryan will be part of the next chapter, though he’s jokingly pitched a "Ryan's Ranch" spin-off. Given how much Sheridan likes to keep his reliable actors around, it wouldn't be surprising to see the bunkhouse crew show up in whatever comes next.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re still reeling from the Costner-sized hole in the show, here is the best way to handle the final stretch of Yellowstone:
- Watch the ensemble closely: The shift in Season 5B is subtle but real. Characters like Ryan, Rip, and Beth are carrying the narrative now.
- Ignore the "Behind-the-Scenes" Noise: If you focus too much on the contract disputes, you’ll miss the craftsmanship that went into the final episodes.
- Keep an eye out for the sequel announcements: Taylor Sheridan rarely ends a story; he just changes the title.
The "quarterback" might have left the stadium, but the game is still being played at a very high level. Bohen’s message is clear: the ranch is still standing, and the story is far from over.