You probably know him as the stoic Kayce Dutton, the man who spent seven years trying to balance his own family with the weight of a dying ranching empire. But lately, Luke Grimes hasn’t been acting. He’s been processing. As the world finally catches up to the massive conclusion of the Dutton saga, the actor behind the youngest son has finally opened up about how it all ends.
Honestly? It sounds like a total gut-punch.
Grimes recently admitted that he was "a mess" when he finally sat down to read the last pages of Taylor Sheridan’s script. He didn't rush into it. In fact, he purposefully avoided reading the final episode for as long as he possibly could. Imagine being part of one of the biggest shows on the planet and having the literal "Book of Life" for your character sitting in your trailer, and you just... don't look. That's exactly what he did.
Why Luke Grimes Says the Yellowstone Series Finale Script Is Heartbreaking
When the actor finally cracked the spine on that final script, the emotional weight hit him harder than a Montana winter. Grimes described the experience as "beautiful," "profound," and, most notably, "heartbreaking." For a guy who plays a character who rarely shows emotion outside of a few tense scenes with Monica or John, that’s a heavy set of words.
He didn't just feel sad for himself. He felt it for the story.
"I had no idea how the show was going to wrap up," Grimes told TVLine, "and I wanted to save reading that episode for the very last second."
It makes sense. If you know how the tragedy ends, it’s hard to play the hope in the beginning. Taylor Sheridan actually told him early on that he didn't want him to know the ending because it might change the way he played Kayce's journey. By the time the final episodes of Season 5, Part 2 were being filmed, the pressure was on.
The "heartbreaking" nature of the script isn't just about characters dying. It’s about the "end-end." That finality is what really got to him. When you’ve lived in Montana for years—Grimes actually moved there permanently because of the show—the line between your life and the character's life gets real blurry.
The Miracle of Finishing Without Kevin Costner
We have to talk about the elephant in the room: John Dutton. Or rather, the lack of him.
The drama behind the scenes with Kevin Costner’s exit was basically a soap opera of its own. But Grimes has been surprisingly candid about it. He called it a "miracle" that the show was able to stay the course and finish the story with any dignity at all.
He told Esquire that while nobody saw the exit coming in the way it happened, it actually made the final season one of the "easiest" to film. Not because they didn't miss Costner, but because the "conflict" was gone. The air cleared. The remaining cast members—Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Wes Bentley, and Grimes—had to huddle up and carry the legacy home.
Grimes noted that John Dutton’s absence was like "rocket fuel" for the plot. It forced the "kids" to grow up. Kayce had to decide if he was going to be the man his father wanted or the man he actually is.
Is This Really the End for Kayce Dutton?
While the main series officially "ended" its run in late 2024, we are now standing in January 2026, and the dust is still settling. We’ve seen the announcement of the Dutton Ranch spin-off starring Beth and Rip. We know The Madison is coming in March. But where does that leave Kayce?
Grimes has been a bit cagey. He’s released his country music album. He’s been enjoying life as a new father. But there are still whispers about a project called Marshals.
The actor has said he’d be open to returning, but he’s also protective of the ending they just finished. "I just don't understand how it would work once the story ends," he admitted recently. For Kayce, the goal was always simple: a little slice of heaven. No more killing. No more weight of a sustainable mega-ranch.
If the finale script was as heartbreaking as he says, maybe Kayce finally got the peace he was looking for—even if it cost him everything else.
What Fans Should Do Now
The Yellowstone universe isn't shrinking; it's just changing shape. If you're still reeling from Grimes' comments about that "profound" ending, here is how to keep the momentum going:
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- Watch for the March 1st premiere of the next chapter in the Sheridan-verse. While Yellowstone is the flagship, the new spin-offs are where the remaining Dutton threads will likely be tied off.
- Listen to Luke Grimes' self-titled album. If you want to understand the "soul" he brought to Kayce, his music is a much better window into his head than any press junket interview. It’s stripped-back, Montana-influenced, and honest.
- Revisit Season 5, Part 2 with the knowledge that the actors were "messes" while filming it. It changes the way you look at those final scenes between the siblings.
The era of the traditional Yellowstone Sunday night might be over, but the "heartbreak" Luke Grimes felt is a sign that the story actually meant something. It wasn't just a TV show; it was a seven-year commitment to a specific, rugged way of life that finally reached its natural, if painful, conclusion.