Massive, and I mean massive, spoilers for Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 12 are ahead! If you aren’t caught up, you can watch the series as it airs on the 2024 TV schedule every Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on the Paramount Network.
We are no strangers to death on Yellowstone, and the final episodes specifically have featured a lot of it. Between learning about John Dutton’s assassination and seeing Sarah Atwood shot in the head, the loss this season has been immense. However, in Episode 12, a beloved supporting character died, and I think it’s the saddest death the show has seen so far this season.
How Colby Died On Yellowstone
Denim Richards has played the branded ranchhand Colby since day one on Yellowstone, and over the seasons, the bunkhouse boy and his pals have become beloved characters on the show. So, seeing one of them die is incredibly hard.
In the case of Colby, it’s extra tragic though.
The character died helping Carter out of a stall in the barn where a horse was bucking and acting wild. Colby stepped in to distract the horse while the younger ranchhand crawled out. Before Finn Little’s character could return, the horse kicked Richards' character, killing him almost immediately.
In the episode, we also saw all the ranchhands' reactions to the news – including Colby’s girlfriend Teeter and his best friend Ryan.
Honestly, to me, it was the saddest death on Yellowstone yet, despite being the least violent or dramatic one. So, let’s chat about why.
Why Colby’s Death Is The Saddest One From Season 5 So Far
John Dutton’s death was arguably the show’s biggest one. However, I found it predictable seeing as Kevin Costner had left the show and it seemed like a natural step for his patriarch to pass so his kids could figure out what to do with the land. Meanwhile, Sarah’s death was just shocking, because she was terrible. Also, both these deaths were connected to the big violent plot this season surrounding Market Equities and the fight over the airport.
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Colby’s death was arguably more tragic than both of those, because it was unexpected, accidental and totally unrelated to the big dangerous plot.
One thing Taylor Sheridan is obviously doing with Yellowstone is highlighting the naturally dangerous nature of ranching. It’s totally possible to die accidentally, and it’s deaths like that that are extra hard to handle. Truly, one moment they’re there, and the next they’re gone.
As someone who grew up on a farm, I know the dangers of the job firsthand, and I have seen many get injured easily because of it. So, seeing Colby die over the course of a scene that was only a couple minutes at most and wasn’t even close to action-packed beforehand was deeply heartbreaking. Add on the fact that Carter, who is a kid, witnessed it and believed it to be his fault, and you have a truly painful scene.
Plus, the bunkhouse boys are greatly beloved members of the Yellowstone cast. All they do is work for the ranch and prove their loyalty to it over and over again. To see one taken because they were just trying to help hurts.
On top of all that, we had to watch Teeter and Ryan’s reactions to the news. Yes, Beth breaking down in Rip’s arms over John was tearjerking. However, witnessing Colby’s girlfriend and best friend learn that he was gone without getting to say goodbye was just as heartbreaking.
Overall, this death adds to an already lethal season of Yellowstone and proves that the dangers don’t just lie with the ranch’s enemies, the job itself is just as scary. So, I’m nervous to see how the characters continue to be impacted by both things as these last few episodes air.
