The last season of Yellowstone still feels a bit surreal without the Dutton family patriarch, Kevin Costner. It certainly feels like there's a massive void where he used to be, and that must've put some intense pressure on the rest of the cast to deliver. That definitely seems to be the case for country crooner and actor Luke Grimes.
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Recently, Luke Grimes spoke with PEOPLE Magazine ahead of the final season of Yellowstone. There, he candidly admits that there was a lot of pressure in filming the season. The gravitas truly set in, and the crew had to pick up without the head of the Dutton family. "Him not coming back felt like, 'Okay, we're going to have to land this plane now for real,'" Luke says. "I think the patriarch leaving was always going to be part of the story. That's always where it was headed: what do these kids do? What does this family do when their rock is gone? Whatever the circumstances may be, [it] definitely felt like, 'Okay, we're coming in for a landing.' It definitely felt different."
Luke Grimes Explains The Extra Pressure Without Kevin Costner Onboard
Additionally, Luke gives Kevin Costner his flowers regardless. Still, he remains confident with all of his co-stars on set. "He's a big presence, man. The guy's an icon. So not having him around to set felt a little different," Grimes expresses. "But as always, I mean, we're a big family now. It was just as special, and hopefully, the fans will be able to connect with the story just as much ... I think they will be able to."
Lastly, Luke holds a bit of hope in terms of what could be next for that iteration of the show, if there could be any spinoffs. He places the faith solely on the show's creative visionary. "I think when anything is this successful, there's a pressure to keep it going because they know they have an audience and that's what they're looking for," Grimes explains. "But it all comes down to Taylor [Sheridan's] vision. He has to see it to be able to write it, and I don't think he's going to write something that he doesn't want to. Basically, we're just going to see if Taylor has an idea that he gets excited about, and that's going to make all the difference here."
