Unraveling the Tragedy - Colby's Death in Yellowstone
Simple yet Devastating: The Nature of Colby's Death
The death of Colby was a gut-punch that struck fans hard. As Christina Voros, the director of the episode, pointed out, in a season filled with twists and turns, Colby's death stands out for its simplicity. It was a freak accident where he was trampled by a horse while helping an inexperienced cowboy, Carter. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the real-life risks involved in being a cowboy. It's a dangerous job where things can happen in a split-second, and Colby's death is profoundly tragic precisely because of its grounded nature in the world of the characters.Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) took Colby's death particularly hard. His ominous comments about the job being dangerous and one day claiming his life show the depth of his grief. And it's natural for viewers to wonder if every word spoken by the characters could be foreshadowing. Whether it's Kayce saying goodbye to Monica or Beth saying goodbye to Rip, the shock of Colby's sudden loss makes one's mind wander in that direction.
Denim Richards, who has played Colby since season 1, also emphasized the simplicity of his character's death and how it added to the shock. "I think this death was something where you realize life is very tenuous," he said. "Going forward, it brings a little bit more of a grounding to what's already going on. Sometimes the show's stakes are so high that you can get lost in how high they are."
The Backstory: Richards' Experience with the Script
In a separate interview, Richards revealed that he found out about his character's death about a day before receiving the scripts. "I was actually flying back from Texas and I got the call that this was what was going to be happening. So this had to have been back in May," he explained. He also noted that creator Taylor Sheridan is really emphasizing the realities of cowboy life this season. "We have this saying that everyone's going to fall off a horse at some point in their life. It's not if, it's just when and how bad. These things do happen, and that's what makes this death so significant."Richards shared a photo of his chair from set on Instagram after the episode aired, writing "Grateful" in the caption. Fans filled the comments section with love for his performance, and several of his costars, like Jen Landon who played his love interest Teeter for three seasons, also expressed their support.
Following in the Footsteps: Past Incidents and Retribution
Colby's death follows two other major deaths in season 5B. The long-awaited final episodes began with the reveal of John Dutton's death, which was a shock to fans but somewhat expected given Kevin Costner's departure. His death was somewhat avenged in episode 3 when Sarah Atwood was killed after being confirmed as the plotter of John's death.It's interesting to note that in season 3, Colby got trampled by a horse multiple times in the river. Maybe those horses' ancestors came back for retribution. But more than anything, Colby's death was as clean as one could possibly imagine in such a situation.
New episodes of Yellowstone premiere Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Paramount Network.