The season concludes in Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 12 titled “Counting Coup.” In this season finale, there is uncertainty about who it is that gets it, Colby or Kayce. In the course of the episode, tension continues to mount, and significant developments are taken in a dark direction which leaves a long-lasting mark on the series. From Colby’s heart-wrenching death to Kayce’s chilling actions, this is an emotional knockout. Here’s a breakdown of some of the key events and what happened to Colby and Kayce.
Colby’s Tragic Death
Colby has been one of the faithful ranch hands of the Yellowstone ranch all along. He is shown in this episode meeting a tragic death in a gruesome scene that left all the characters and viewers shaken to the core. Colby’s doom is sealed when Rip Wheeler, ever the enterprising rancher, tries to sell a vicious horse called “Man Eater.” This horse has been hard to handle, and Rip hasn’t been able to find anyone willing to buy it. When a buyer from Mexico does come along, Colby is dispatched to help load the horses for the sale.
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On this mission, while at this stall, Colby comes face to face with Carter, the young ranch hand, who somehow ends up in the stall with Man Eater. Danger threatens to ensue when the horse is furious. The horse’s fury makes way for Colby to rush into the stall, intending to distract the horse to make a clear path out of the stall for Carter. The horse turns violent, kicking and stamping on Colby’s chest several times. Although Colby was very brave, he did not survive the attack, and his death reminded everyone of the cruel reality of ranch life.
Kayce’s Mysterious Plans
While Colby’s death is shocking and emotional, the actions of Kayce Dutton in this episode are no less impactful, just in a different way. Kayce has always been a man of action, but his choices in this episode leave viewers wondering about his true intentions.
The declaration by Kayce that the ranch is not their home anymore is shocking because it shows a change in the balance of power within the Dutton family. Kayce has no more intention to be in the place that has been the center of his family’s empire. This provides the background for his plans that start to materialize as the episode unfolds.
What Kayce does from here is not known, but he gets readied for something heavy. He packs tactical gear and one can tell there is going to be something heavy which is going to unfold. Then, Kayce asks Monica to be involved in his schemes though her role there isn’t explained. The tension keeps on rising, and Kayce confronts Grant; it is a violent message that leaves him shaken at his core.
Kayce Confronts Grant
The last scenes of the episode reveal the chilling confrontation Kayce has with Grant, a man who has become a thorn in the side of the Duttons. Being ever the strategist, Kayce decides to take matters into his own hands and makes a calculated move to send a very scary message to Grant.
Kayce ambushes Grant as he’s driving home with his daughter in a tense sequence. Kacey sneaks into Grant’s car, holding his daughter at gunpoint, to warn him that he knows how to exact revenge if the Duttons are ever targeted again. Kayce is cold and calculated in his actions; he just whacks Grant on the head and then says that he is “counting a coup.” It is a term coming from Native American custom and refers to a successful act of bravado, but in the case of Kayce, it means an attempt at gaining power and invoking fear.
Kayce’s actions appear to be costing him something. The act of “counting coup” is powerful in the sense that it gets a point across, but it appears to remove something from Kayce himself. He walks away from the situation with finality, and Grant is left there, horror in his eyes as he realizes the weight of Kayce’s threat.
