Yellowstone Season 5 Episode 9 Recap: John Dutton's fate is finally ...

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

This is it. Yellowstone's final season has officially kicked off.

After months of waiting and five incredible seasons, the Dutton legacy is coming to an end – and the gut-wrenching action starts in Season 5 Part 2's opening scene.

Watch every episode of Yellowstone now, only on Stan.

The question everyone's been asking is clear: How will Kevin Costner's absence be written? You have your answer right here.

Luke Grimes warned us, there's no easing into it – and certainly no turning back now.

Catch the Season 5 Episode 9 recap below:

The end begins. (Stan)

Within seconds of the episode beginning, we see Beth. She is racing, sirens are wailing and our hearts are sinking.

"It's my father!" Beth (Kelly Reilly) screams as she runs up to the crime scene outside the Governor's home. She tries to call her dad, John Dutton (Costner). PICK UP THE PHONE!

EXCLUSIVE: Luke Grimes admits his 'still processing' Yellowstone's shock ending

Beth is in hysterics. Kayce (Luke Grimes) races over and tries to settle his sister.

In Pictures

"Kayce... He's gone," she lets out a gasp. Two words confirming everything we need to know, but it's not enough for Kayce. He needs to see for himself.

He storms through the police barricade, and finds himself in the bathroom. Blood is splattered on the wall, there's a gun on the floor and there's... a body.

We're only three minutes in, and already we know John Dutton's fate.

Watch the moment in the video above.

Kayce races over. (Stan)

Where's Jamie? Last we heard he tried to impeach his father, but John never made it to the hearing. Jamie knows something and he whispers it into Governor Perry's ear.

"Do you believe it?" Lynelle's heart aches.

"I don't know what to believe anymore," he replies.

YELLOWSTONE SEASON 5 PART 1: A family is torn by a war within and the chilling end begins

Jamie tries to address the press but chokes. And just when we think we've seen the worst, Beth's plea makes our hearts stop once more.

"Suicide?!" she cries as she forces Kayce to pull over the car. "It was Jamie. I know it," Beth scolds.

Beth is in pain. (Stan)

Like Beth, we find John's cause of death incredibly hard to believe. That's where Jamie's lover (and now partner in crime) Sarah comes in.

If you recall during the chilling final moments of Season 5 Part A, Sarah offered Jamie a "professional" contact to discreetly remove his enemies, if you will.

And while this whole time we thought Beth was the target, this next scene makes it very clear that Sarah did indeed, hire a hitman to kill his father.

Proposed cause of death? Suicide.

Permission to execute? Granted.

The enemy we never saw coming. (Stan)

Time has passed and we see our favourite ranchers, Rip (Cole Houser) included over at the 6666 Ranch. They reunite with Jimmy, the crew's all there.

That leaves us with Jamie's whereabouts.

In Pictures

WATCH: The cast of Yellowstone reveal a huge finale 'secret' in behind-the-scenes video of epic final chapter

Jamie is home, sobbing. Sarah walks in holding two glasses of Champagne.

"Well, this is not the reaction I was expecting," she smirks. "Oh sweetheart, we discussed this, and you said go forward."

Jamie looks up and everything clicks.

Jamie mourns. (Stan)

"This was... you?" Jamie slowly realises, with pain in his voice.

"I... s-said it b-but we never discussed it again," he stutters. "I thought he did it because of me, because of the hearing."

Well, Jamie better get his story straight because Beth is onto him and Kayce doesn't believe that his father took his own life.

"Look Jamie in the eye if you have to, Kayce," Beth asks him.

"Look him in the eye then come home and help me decide how to kill him."

Kevin Costner's beloved character John Dutton has officially met his fate. (Stan)

There's so much more to cover in the episode, and the return of so many characters we've missed so dearly... but for now, the big question has been answered.

And we need to know more.

Fans took to social media in their masses to comment on the episode, with one writing: "Was definitely not expecting that in the first five mins."

"Still can't get over what happened," another wrote, while a third added; "First 60 seconds of @Yellowstone had me crying, why did they have to kill off John Dutton!"

Kevin Costner had confirmed earlier this year that he wouldn't be returning for the final episodes, and questions surrounding his character's exit ran rife.

But now they've been answered... even more questions have arisen.

That brings us to Episode 10 - see you next week.

Can't get enough of Yellowstone? Go behind the scenes of Season 5 Part 2 and catch an explosive first look in the video below:

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

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