Spoiler alert: The following article contains spoilers from Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 12, “Counting Coup.”

The ranch lost another person Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 12, “Counting Coup,” but her death feels very different than the murders of John Dutton III and Sarah Atwood earlier in the season. The story of Paramount Network’s neo-Western drama is expected to come to an end in 2024 as Season 5 is set to be the final airing of the TV show. Given How much carnage has already happened Yellowstone Season 5, Part 2, It seems like everyone’s life is fair game (even if their deaths make no sense in terms of the plot).

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Yellowstone
Season 5, Episode 12, “Counting Coup,” only two episodes left in the Paramount Network series (unless reports of a possible sixth season are correct).

In Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 12, Rip Wheeler and the other ranch hands worked hard to sell as much of their livestock as possible. As Rip told the others, he would rather lose horses, cattle, bulls, etc. to the state than any piece of land. So the cowboys and cowgirls got to work and some of them helped transport the animals. However, In episode 12, tragedy struck at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. and the death of one character will change the lives of the others forever, affecting two of the ranch hands in particular.

Colby dies trying to help Carter at the Dutton Ranch

A bad-tempered horse kills Colby

In Counting Coup, Carter was filling up the water for the horses in the stables when he came across an untamed horse. This stallion was dangerous and Carter had been warned to stay away, but he didn’t want the animal to become dehydrated. So he sneaked into the stable and got the bucket without any fuss. However, Carter wasn’t so lucky when he returned. After he brought the full bucket of water into the stable, The horse backed Carter into a corner and Colby Mayfield arrived before the stallion could hurt Carter. Colby helped Carter escape, but it cost him Yellowstone Season 5, Part 2 Character his life.

In the stable, the horse kicked and stomped on Colby, killed him almost instantly Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 12. After escaping, Carter ran to get a shotgun, returned and shot the animal, but it was too late. The sound of the gunfire alerted the other ranch hands, who all ran to the stables. Unfortunately, they had no choice but to carry Colby’s body out of the stable and inform the others (and Colby’s family) of his death. Ryan and Teeter were, of course, devastated when they lost their best friend and boyfriend, respectively.

Why Colby’s death is more heartbreaking in Yellowstone Season 5 Episode 12

Colby and Teeter’s conversation at the beginning makes his death even sadder

Perhaps the first scene in Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 12 should have informed viewers of Colby’s death because it seemed too good to be true. At the top of the hour, Colby and Teeter were on the phone and Colby accidentally let on that he loved her. He tried to take it back, claiming it was too soon, but Teeter wouldn’t let him off the hook. Before hanging up, Teeter told Colby that she loved him too, not knowing that this would be the last time she ever spoke to him. That made Colby’s death all the more tragic.

After watching Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 12, The Hollywood Reporter sat down with Executive producer and director Christina Alexandra Voros discusses Colby’s unexpected death. During the interview, the Counting Coup director explained why Colby’s fate was so heartbreaking. Voros said:

“For anyone who really understands the cowboy lifestyle and working with animals and the risks of the job – and Rip says it about himself – it’s a dangerous job and something like this happens, and it happens in a split second. This.” Death is a shock because it is so simple and so ingrained in the world in which all these characters work that it is deeply tragic because there is no enemy here. And mostly because of the way it works Colby and Teeter’s relationship has evolved – the absence makes the heart grow fonder, and their relationship had just begun to establish itself in a different way – the timing for that is just heartbreaking.”

Colby’s Yellowstone death felt unnecessary

There is no good reason why Colby had to die for Yellowstone’s story

Television shows should never do anything unexpected just to surprise the audience – they should shock viewers with unforeseen developments that make sense for the story. For example, Sarah’s murder at the end Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 11 was shocking and moved the plot forward. However, Colby’s death, while unexpected and heartbreaking, added little to the story other than putting a further dent in the lives of the other characters. John had already lost the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Did that Yellowstone Do the Season 5 characters really have to lose Colby too?

The only thing is Colby’s unnecessary death Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 12 is another tally on the body count list from Season 5, Part 2. Plus, John and Sarah’s earlier deaths softened the impact of Colby’s death. When a television series starts killing off characters left and right, each death becomes less and less profound as the story progresses, which is why Colby’s fate in Yellowstone was so disappointing, confusing and completely inappropriate.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter