Fans heard the phrase "COD" in the Season 5, Part 2 premiere of Yellowstone and are confused about what it could mean.
Yellowstone's long-awaited return featured one of the most shocking revelations of the entire series - John Dutton died off-screen between Season 5, Part 1 and Part 2.
John's death didn't surprise some fans, as there was a publicly reported dispute between John's actor, Kevin Costner, and the show's creator, Taylor Sheridan. While there may have still been a sliver of hope that the top-billed actor could return, the Season 5, Part 2 premiere seemingly slammed that door for good.
What Does 'COD' Mean in Yellowstone Season 5?
In the Yellowstone Season 5, Part 2 premiere, after it was confirmed John Dutton died, the show cut to Jamie, who was sitting in an office when he got a phone call.
The person on the other end was likely someone from the police department, but they muttered a somewhat confusing code in police lingo that said, "We have a time: 3:53 a.m. We have a confirmed COD: 10-56. Do you copy? 10-56."
Many fans seemingly wonder what Jamie was told and how it related to John's death.
The time is relatively self-explanatory, as it was the exact time they were reporting John died. COD, on the other hand, stands for "Cause of Death," and 10-56 is the police code for suicide.
So, when the person on the phone said, "We have a confirmed COD: 10-56," what they were saying was that John Dutton's confirmed cause of death was suicide.
Later on in the episode, the COD phrase was used again when Kayce called the state police to ask about his father's death. When he got on the line with someone at the department, Kayce asked, "Is the COD official?"
Once again, Kayce was asking if they were positive John's cause of death was suicide because he and Beth (who was doing community service in the latest episode for a specific reason) did not believe that their father could ever do something like that to himself (and they were right).
Will John's COD Change in Yellowstone Season 5, Part 2?
As mentioned, the medical examiner confirmed that John Dutton's cause of death was suicide, but that doesn't mean that it won't change.
Medical examiner reports can change if new evidence is brought to light, and it seems as though that could happen if Kayce and Beth can prove that John was murdered and did not commit suicide.
Having John's death officially listed as a suicide almost seems like a disgrace to the character from the perspective of Kayce, Beth, and the rest of John's family and friends because it seems impossible and entirely out of character for him.
So, they will likely work hard to prove that he didn't commit suicide and was instead murdered by a hitman hired by Sarah Atwood (find out how much Jamie was involved with John's death).
If John's file can be reopened and his COD can be changed, that would at least provide closure to the Dutton family and protect their father's public image.
It is also worth noting that Beth would likely love nothing more than to prove Jamie was involved in it since Beth hates him for something he did to her in the past.
Yellowstone is streaming on Peacock, and new episodes air every Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount Network.
