[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for Yellowstone Season 5 Episode 12, “Counting Coup.”]
Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) held a toddler at gunpoint within the newest installment of Yellowstone, and that’s simply one of many inexplicable issues that went down within the episode. The opposite surprising second that has left us scratching our heads is the demise of one of many ranch’s cowboys that we’re unsure needed to occur in any respect, particularly with solely two episodes left within the season (and the sequence total till confirmed in any other case).
The episode started with a telephone name between lovebirds Teeter (Jen Landon) and Colby (Denim Richards) within the present-day timeline (thank goodness the Texas flashbacks appear to be over and carried out with). They stated “I like you” to one another for the primary time ever on this name, which apparently ought to have been learn as a nasty omen.
Rip (Cole Hauser) and Beth (Kelly Reilly) had determined to promote all the Yellowstone’s horses and cattle to attempt to elevate the funds wanted to avoid wasting the ranch as a substitute of promoting off a chunk of its land. There was one “maneater” horse that the workforce struggled to manage. The horse began bucking at Carter (Finn Little) when he tried to enter his pen to refill a water bucket. Colby rushed in to take his place and save the teenager, however he was bucked a number of occasions within the course of. It solely ended when Carter shot and killed the horse himself in an try to avoid wasting Colby, but it surely was too late. The blows to his physique killed the cowboy prior to Carter may intervene.
With solely two episodes to go, it doesn’t make sense to kill off a cowboy (and notably, the one Black character within the supporting solid) simply to construct Carter’s character. Certainly, there have been different methods to present Beth and Rip’s adopted teen son a significant arc that didn’t contain the pointless sacrifice of a personality who’s been there since day one and had a shiny future along with his associate forward of him. That is now the third main demise in simply 4 episodes of Season 5 Half 2 (solely the second episode didn’t characteristic somebody getting killed off), making this demise further pointless.
Colby died heroically saving a child, however the story didn’t want him to. The bunkhouse plotline would have been higher served by having the workforce become involved within the investigation into John’s homicide, persevering with to assist safeguard the ranch’s future, or getting bittersweet however completely happy endings by shifting on to new employment. The promoting of the horses and cattle and Colby’s demise did, nonetheless, give purpose to deliver the cowboys down in Texas again to Montana. The offloading of the animals would’ve been sufficient purpose for them to come back again.
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Within the aftermath of Colby’s demise, Beth opened as much as Carter by revealing her earlier being pregnant and the way it affected her relationship with Rip. It was odd that Beth advised her child that she obtained pregnant within the room he was sitting in, however that’s inappropriate. This was the primary time in a very long time that Beth opened as much as somebody new about that being pregnant. Rip doesn’t even know that she did get pregnant along with his youngster after they have been teenagers. The youthful Beth advised him she was taking a check, however she lied and stated it got here again destructive. In fact, she had an abortion and Jamie had her sterilized with out her consent or data. Sharing this with Carter is hopefully an indication that Rip will quickly study the reality about what Jamie did to Beth, one thing that must be addressed earlier than the sequence ends.
And now, over to the avenging John Dutton (Kevin Costner) plot. With Sarah’s (Daybreak Olivieri) homicide confirming her involvement in John’s demise, Kayce’s veteran good friend (performed by Will Trent‘s Jake McLaughlin) helped him determine the person Sarah employed, Grant Horton (Matt Gerald). Kayce was in a deadly temper the complete episode. All Monica (Kelsey Asbille) needed to do on this episode, in the meantime, was cook dinner and fear about her husband.
The episode ended with Kayce “counting coup” (the place the episode will get its title), a Native American battle custom that entails a warrior performing an act of bravery that intimidates an enemy with out killing them. Kayce discovered Grant in his hometown as he and his younger daughter have been leaving a soccer sport. Kayce obtained into the backseat of their automobile subsequent to the lady and held a gun to her head to threaten the daddy. Kayce warned that he knew all the main points of his life and that he wouldn’t hesitate to kill all of them if Grant and his firm tried to harm his household once more. Terrifying a toddler on this means was clearly meant to point out Kayce’s harmful psychological state, but it surely was nonetheless a bit a lot.
Jamie (Wes Bentley) was barely within the episode in any respect, despite the fact that his girlfriend was murdered within the episode prior. The detective main the investigation into John’s now-suspected murder got here to Jamie’s home to look into Sarah’s demise. Jamie’s defensive response has now made him a suspect the place he wasn’t one earlier than. He shredded paperwork in a panic, ones that will presumably reveal the brand new plans for the airport lease and his connection to Sarah and Market Equities. However that’s all we obtained of Jamie on this installment.
This episode additional deepened the divide between Kayce, Beth, and Jamie, however now there are solely two episodes left to deliver their sibling civil warfare to its conclusion. Hopefully, “Counting Coup” was the final time we’ll hear from the hitman company in order that there are not any additional obstacles stopping what’s certain to be a lethal closing combat between the Dutton siblings from happening.
One other noteworthy second: Taylor Sheridan himself returned as horse-trainer Travis, who Jimmy (Jefferson White) now works for. Rip known as Travis to interrupt the information of John’s demise and recruit his assist in promoting their horses. He additionally asks Travis to inform Jimmy the unhealthy information. It was ironic to see Sheridan, whose reported feud with Costner is claimed to have triggered the actor’s departure from the sequence, react to John Dutton’s demise onscreen.
Yellowstone, Sundays, 8/7c, Paramount Community