Sumith Prasad
The eleventh episode of the fifth season of Paramount Network’s Western series ‘Yellowstone,’ titled ‘Three Fifty-Three,’ reveals what happened on the fateful night John Dutton was murdered. Kayce Dutton sets out to find out how his beloved father died. His investigation leads to consequential developments that affect the lives of Sarah Atwood and Jamie Dutton. The Dutton children confront the possibility of losing their land as their father’s successor moves ahead with the developmental project proposed by Market Equities. Atwood’s calculations turn around when the truth behind her enemy’s murder begins to resurface, threatening Jamie’s personal and professional existence! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Kayce Dutton Proves That John Dutton Didn’t Kill Himself
‘Three Fifty-Three’ begins with flashback sequences that reveal how John Dutton was killed by three hired murderers who broke into the governor’s mansion. The three men restrained the Dutton patriarch, injected a drug to eliminate retaliation, and planted pieces of evidence to stage the death as a suicide. The moment he was killed, Beth and Kayce Dutton suffered from inexplicable physiological symptoms that left them unsettled. In the present day, the livestock commissioner uses his authority to barge into the medical examiner’s office, demanding to see the body of his father and the medical report. After reviewing the coroner’s observations, he clarifies that he wants a comprehensive autopsy.
As the autopsy begins, Kayce asks the medical examiner, Janice Everly, to treat the case as a homicide, even though she is convinced that John killed himself. He explains that he learned about a particular sort of chokehold that would leave a person unconscious for a crime to be committed. When he demonstrates the same with a staff member, Janice becomes suspicious about the governor’s death. She starts to look for signs on John’s body to find out whether the cause of death is homicide. It does not take long to find signs of restraint and bruises that change her convictions about the demise.
Janice informs the detective in charge that John’s COD is undetermined, which makes the case an open homicide investigation. Meanwhile, Kayce learns that the gun found at the crime scene was taken from his office, which is a starting point in the new investigation. He then rushes to confront Jamie Dutton, his adoptive brother, despite Beth’s wish to handle the attorney general herself. The livestock commissioner throws Jamie across his table but stops himself from harming the latter when he tries to convince the former that he has nothing to do with their father’s death. Kayce leaves the office believing his brother is telling the truth.
Governor Steven Rawlings Put the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch in Eminent Domain
Kayce investigates John Dutton’s death when Steven Rawlings succeeds the late Dutton patriarch as the new governor of Montana. He discusses the fate of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch with Jamie Dutton and Senator Lynelle Perry after appointing Clara Brewer, John’s personal assistant, as his chief of staff. Steven agrees with Jamie that the lease signed between Market Equities and the Dutton Ranch must be reinstated for the multibillion-dollar company’s developmental project to happen. However, he wonders whether the state can lease the land instead of the firm to control the overall proposal. While the attorney general raises suggestions with the best interests of Market Equities in mind, the governor proposes ideas that benefit the state.
Unfortunately, Steven and Jamie’s suggestions will harm the Dutton Ranch one way or another, which infuriates Senator Perry and Clara. The former warns the two men that their plans will expose Montana to tourism and real estate, which will kill the sanctity of the state. The latter resigns from her position as the governor’s chief of staff since she cannot tolerate the men in charge selfishly choosing to destroy the place that has been her “home” for a while. After walking away from her new job, Clara joins the Montana office of the senator, who tells her that she can disclose confidential information now that she is unemployed. Clearly, Perry wants Clara to reveal Steven and Jamie’s plans to the Dutton children.
After the discussion, Steven reinstates the lease of the Dutton Ranch and puts it in eminent domain, aligning with Jamie’s wishes. However, he orders the attorney general to recuse himself from the project since he is obviously involved in the homicide investigation of John’s death. The new governor cleans his hands by diverting the attention to the adoptive Dutton child. Meanwhile, Kayce and Beth accept that they may need to sell a part of the Dutton Ranch to protect the other portion. While they discuss the matter, Chief Thomas Rainwater arrives at their home with his condolences. He also offers to help Beth however he can since he does not want the outsiders to destroy the land on which his ancestors walked freely.
Sarah Atwood Reaps What She Sows
When the Helena Police Department reopens the investigation into John Dutton’s death, Sarah Atwood’s fate gets rewritten. The announcement of the governor’s death as a homicide infuriates Grant Horton, who killed the Dutton patriarch for the businesswoman. The turn of events exposes his clandestine company to the authorities, forcing him to clean up the mess one way or another. Sarah learns about the investigation while discussing the restart of her company’s developmental project. The state of affairs leaves her distraught. To add fire to the fuel, Jamie shows up and blames her for potentially destroying his career.
Jamie asks Sarah why she went ahead and killed John without discussing it with him first. She replies that she only did things he wanted to do himself. The businesswoman adds that she risked her life and career to eliminate the obstacle in his path toward political success and growth. The arguments result in Jamie slapping her, only for her to retaliate in the same way. She then storms out of the house and drives away, only for him to call her and apologize. While they settle their differences, a couple stops by her car, shoots at her multiple times, and kills her. While the identities of Sarah’s killers are unrevealed, it is evident that Horton sends them not to let the authorities trace John’s murder back to his company.
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