Yellowstone's director responds to 'outrage' over beloved character's shock death: 'It's what I expected'

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Season 5 Episode 9 of Yellowstone, which premiered November 11 only on Stan.

Yellowstone fans collectively gasped as the fate of Kevin Costner's beloved character was at last revealed.

Within minutes of Season 5B's premiere, John Dutton (famously played by Costner) was tragically killed, driving the rage behind the series' explosive ending.

The only place you can stream every episode of Yellowstone is on Stan.

But according to Yellowstone's director Christina Voros, some fans "were outraged" that Dutton was killed off – and now, she's responded to the reviews.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter this week, Voros explained, quite simply, it was the reaction she was expecting from fans.

"I was reading Twitter and it's strange the number of people who seemed upset that John Dutton was killed off, despite knowing that Kevin [Costner] himself said he wasn't coming back to the show," Voros told the publication.

Costner, 69, had announced he wouldn't be returning for the show's final instalment earlier this year, but just how he'd be written out remained a mystery until the mid-season premiere.

READ MORE: 'Frustrating' detail in Yellowstone's final season is absolutely necessary, according to the director

"I think even in the face of that information, people don't want it to be true," she continued.

"And in a weird way, it's life imitating art. There were a lot of people who were outraged that John was killed — and you're supposed to be outraged he was killed.

"The characters are outraged that he's killed. So in a strange way, it is the point. You are not supposed to be OK with it," she told The Hollywood Reporter.

"The reaction is what I expected," she concluded.

And while a "bold decision" to deal with John's fate "right off the bat", Voros explained it was almost necessary.

READ MORE: 'Very hard to carry': Yellowstone's Wes Bentley on the struggles of filming the final season following Kevin Costner's exit

"A lot of people expected the season to resolve in finding out that John is no longer with us. But when you go there first it's disorienting: Where are we gonna go next?" she told the publication.

Voros added that she looks forward to seeing the response as the season goes on.

"Because that's where it gets complicated and nuanced and beautiful," she said.

"The story is not over... and no one knows, really, where that's going now."

Want more Yellowstone?

Wes Bentley opens up about the struggles of filming the final season after Kevin Costner's exit, while Luke Grimes dissects that shocking premiere in the exclusive videos below:

The only place you can stream every episode of Yellowstone is on Stan.

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