Yahoo Lifestyle 'Yellowstone' Kills Off Another Original Character in Heartbreaking Episode
The final run of Yellowstone Season 5 has been one gut-punch after another. The season opened with John Dutton's murder and the shock and sadness has continued.
SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't seen the latest episode of Yellowstone, stop reading and return after you do.
Who died tonight on Yellowstone?
In this week's episode of Yellowstone, everyone was still reeling over the loss of John Dutton (Kevin Costner) when the unthinkable happened in one of the places we least expected a death: The Bunkhouse. After finally telling Teeter (Jen Landon) that he loved her, Colby (Denim Richards) was killed while saving Carter (Finn Little), who was trapped in a stall with a dangerous horse. Carter escaped and shot the the horse but not before it had swiftly kicked and instantly killed Colby.
Related: Who Plays Carter on Yellowstone? Was Actor Finn Little Replaced for Season 5?
Why did Colby's death hurt so much?
While we knew the writers and producers of Yellowstone would likely kill off a few characters over the show's final episodes, and we knew one of the deaths would be John Dutton. Costner had made it clear he would not be returning. We also expected others would get meet their maker, like the currently-still-alive Jamie (Wes Bentley) or his now-dead girlfriend Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri), but we certainly didn't expect it to be one of the Bunkhouse Boys. The lively bunch of ranch hands tended to be the comic relief of the series. That's why Colby's unexpected death probably hit us harder than others on the show so far.
Why did they kill off Colby on Yellowstone?
Colby's death seems to be random. It could certainly have been any one of the Bunkhouse Boys, but like a puppy or kitten you didn't know you needed, Colby crept into our hearts with his charm and constant state of befuddledness when it came to Teeter. Show executives and writers knew this and probably chose his character over another for maximum emotional impact.
What was special about Colby?
The character of Colby also represented a little known group in the ranching industry —the Black cowboy. The oft-overlooked and under-represented subgroup of the American cowboy, Black cowboys reportedly made up almost 25% of the ranching industry in the late 1800s. One of the more famous Black cowboys in history was Bass Reeves, who was also a U.S. Marshal. In fact, Taylor Sheridan created a limited series around the character, Lawmen: Bass Reeves starring David Oyelowo.
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Lawmen: Bass Reeves
Who is Denim Richards?
Richards, who plays Colby Mayfield in Yellowstone, was among the original stars of the series when it premiered with little fanfare on the Paramount Network in 2018. The 36-year-old hails from Anaheim, Calif. and is a classically trained singer who says one of his greatest achievements was performing at Carnegie Hall.
While some actors needed to learn how to ride a horse for the series, Richards' horseback training was likely minimal as he's been riding horses since he was a child.
What else has Denim Richards done?
Though he enjoys his time in front of the camera, Richards has been moving behind the scenes serving as a producer and director on various projects. Prior to starring as Colby Mayfield on Yellowstone, Richards also started his own production company and appeared in shows like Good Trouble and County Line.
Yellowstone stars react to Colby Mayfield's death
In an Instagram post after the episode aired, Richards simply wrote, "Grateful" with the hashtag #Yellowstone. Not long after it posted, his co-star, Jen Landon, replied, "You are beyond loved, my dear friend and actor. So many hearts broke tonight. 💔💔💔"
When will we see Denim Richards again?
Hopefully, we'll get to see Denim Richards in other projects. Taylor Sheridan likes to bring back actors he's worked with on other movies and TV series. For example, James Jordan has appeared in almost all of Sheridan's series and films including Yellowstone, Lioness and Mayor of Kingstown. Dawn Olivieri, who played Sarah Atwood on Yellowstone, also appeared on 1883 and Lioness.
