Yellowstone Star Explains Why He Didn't Watch His Tragic Death Scene, And I'm Touched By How All The Fan Reactions Surprised Him
R.I.P. to a real one.
Spoilers below for the latest episode of Yellowstone, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched.
While Taylor Sheridan & Co. have never been shy about bringing bloodlust to each season of Yellowstone, the back half of Season 5 has been particularly brutal with character deaths. From the contract killing of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton in the midseason premiere to Dawn Olivieri’s Sarah getting assassinated in the street, and now to the horse-clomping demise of Denim Richards’ beloved ranchhand Colby. It’s rough out here for a cowboy, and for heavy-hitting attorneys.
Following the shocking twists and turns of “Counting Coup,” Richards took to social media with a mournful photo of Colby’s cowboy duds, and opened up about his character’s untimely fate playing out amidst the high levels of secrecy in Season 5B. Speaking with Variety, the actor was asked if he sat down and enjoyed the episode like so many other millions of fans, and he explained why that was not his experience, saying:
No doubt much truth is embedded in those words, considering it's been six months or so of radio silence on Denim Richards' part as far as what he could talk about from the show. The promotional build-up to Yellowstone's return was pretty massive, with so much attention and speculation surrounding these (possibly) final episodes. He likely had to keep Colby's death at the forefront of his mind specifically to avoid slipping up and mentioning something.
Richards continued, and addressed how he felt watching the clip from the episode showcasing his selfless death-via-horse while trying to keep Carter safe. As he put it:
As the actor put it, it doesn't do much good for performers to get too worked up about their characters' deaths, since it's not so rare a fate, especially for episodic TV dramas. To treat each one as a major tragedy would get debilitating over time.
How Fan Responses To Colby's Death Surprised Denim Richards
As Richards put it, part of the reason why he was less invested in sharing that viewing experience with the show's fanbase stemmed from all the positivity and goodwill that viewers voiced for his character's romantic foibles with Jennifer Landon's Teeter. In his words:
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No doubt, quite a few fans out there were indeed angered by Colby's death, specifically in terms of how it shattered his and Teeter's relationship, and spoke mournfully about the couple's final conversation, as well as the way Ryan told her the news on horseback. I can understand why the thought of seeing such fraught-filled comments would keep him away from social media.
Thankfully, though, Denim Richards did venture online to see how fans were reacting, and was apparently taken aback by all the kindness and goodwill that viewers offered up. That had to be a weirdly awesome and encouraging way to follow up on the experience, knowing that his years portraying this character meant so much to so many. The bunkhouse will never be the same without him.
With just two episodes left to go in Season 5, Yellowstone airs Sunday nights on Paramount Network at 8:00 p.m. ET. Of course, even if Season 6 does happen the way fans are hoping, it sucks to think that Colby won’t be around for any of it.
Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper. Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.