Sumith Prasad
The second part of the fifth season of Paramount Network’s Western series ‘Yellowstone’ revolves around the hardships the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch faces when Market Equities set out to build a developmental project on the property. The cowboys working at the ranch realize that the turn of events threatens their employment. To add to the misery, one of their own suffers from a tragic fate after putting his life on the line to care for a colleague. In the twelfth episode of the season, Colby Mayfield tries to save Carter from an out-of-control stud that terrorizes the boy, only for his life to get threatened! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Colby Mayfield is Killed by the Stud
In the twelfth episode of the fifth season, Rip Wheeler asks Carter to work in the stable. The young boy cleans the cabins one by one, only to notice that a stud has been out of control for a while. Since the horse kicked its water bucket, it has been suffering from thirst, making him fill it again. Even though entering the stud’s cabin is extremely dangerous, Carter does not have the heart to leave the horse thirsty. However, right after he enters the cabin, the stud confronts him. The boy remains stuck inside, fearful of his life. He is too scared to leave the cabin, fearing the horse will attack him the moment he moves.
Meanwhile, Colby arrives in the stable looking for Carter. He realizes what’s happening and sets out to save the boy. To distract the stud, he enters its cabin, giving enough time for the kid to escape. Unfortunately, the horse does not remain patient as it has been with Carter. The stud starts kicking Colby, injuring him severely. Then, off-screen, Carter fires a gun to put an end to the attack. The episode does not explicitly reveal how Colby dies, but it is evident that the gunshot does not kill him. The young boy fires the gun only once, and by the time Rip arrives in the stable, both the cowboy and the stud have been dead.
Therefore, Colby is killed by the horse rather than Carter’s gunshot, indicating that Rip’s explanation to Ryan is true. The young boy immerses himself in grief because Colby died after entering the cabin to save him. Rather than the guilt of killing the cowboy, Carter is dealing with the survivor’s guilt.
Colby Mayfield’s Death Confirms Denim Richards’ Exit
Neither Paramount Network nor Denim Richards has announced the actor’s exit from ‘Yellowstone.’ However, a formal statement is not really necessary to conclude that we may have seen the last of Colby in the Western drama following his death. Even though the show is known for extensive flashback scenes, they are usually set decades ago. Thus, we may not need to expect Richards to feature in them. With several storylines to conclude in the next two episodes, the series is expected to focus on other characters rather than Colby’s life before his death. Having said that, his death may remain present as a dark cloud over the main characters in the remaining episodes of the Western drama.
Even though ‘Yellowstone’ is renowned for showcasing the glamor of the cowboy culture in all its glory, the show is not a mere glorification of the same. The series also depicts the challenges and threats the culture faces through its main storylines. The potential division of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, the possible unemployment of the cowboys, and the changing landscape of Montana are some of the harsh realities the show presents. Colby’s death is part of the same. Through his demise, the Western drama clarifies how cowboys put their lives on the line day after day. The attack he suffers makes the dangers of the profession, beyond its glamor, evident.
Furthermore, Colby’s death is expected to be the foundation of Carter’s fifth-season storyline. The young boy has cherished an endearing bond with Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler for a long while. After the cowboy’s death, he needs his mother and father figures more than ever. In the twelfth episode, Beth even reminds him that he has gotten a family, indicating that he is, more or less, a Dutton now. In the upcoming episodes, we may see the husband and wife adopting him to save him from misery.
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