Colby's big twist in Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 12 was a lot more symbolic than many fans think and could set up even more major events in the show's final two episodes of Season 5.
Yellowstone Season 5, Part 2 has already been filled with multiple shocking moments. The first came in the premiere episode of the second half of the season when it was revealed that John Dutton had been killed by hitmen hired by Sarah Atwood.
Another insane moment that many fans did not see coming was Sarah Atwood's death, which occurred in the final moments of Episode 11 when she was brutally killed via multiple gunshots.
In Season 5, Episode 12, another shocking (and heartbreaking) death occurred, leaving many wondering why it happened.
Did Colby Die on Yellowstone?
To the shock of many fans, Denim Richards' Colby Mayfield was killed in Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 12.
Colby was one of the most well-known ranch hands and, alongside Ryan and Lloyd, was probably featured the most of any of the cowboys.
In Episode 12, the cowboys were trying to round up any and all livestock (including horses) that was still at the Yellowstone Ranch in Montana in order to sell it.
One of the horses, which was said to be three years old, was still completely wild despite the cowboys spending time trying to calm it down.
Lloyd told Rip that it should just be put down because of how unpredictable it was, but Rip thought that the ranch needed as much money as it could make.
So, when Carter went into the stables and saw that the horse had knocked over its bucket of water, he went in alone to refill it. The horse then cornered Carter, who could knock safely get out of the stall.
Colby came into the stable to find Carter in the corner and heroically went inside to push the horse back so that Carter could get out.
Tragically, the horse turned around and kicked Colby into the wall before raising its front legs up and coming down on top of Colby's chest.
Horses weigh an extraordinary amount and can bring their hooves down with a lot more force than people think, so Colby did not survive.
Essentially, the horse kicking him in the midsection and then stomping him crushed his body. As Ryan said to Teeter, Jake, and Walker (find out what may happen to Walker at the end of Season 5), though, it was a really quick death, so at least he did not suffer.
Why Did Colby Leave Yellowstone?
Past reports indicated that Yellowstone would be ending with Season 5, but more recent developments hinted that the series could be continued in Season 6.
With that assumption, it seemed unlikely that Yellowstone would kill off a lot of its main characters, and if it did, it seemed as though it could have been Lloyd.
Colby's death may have seemed like a heartbreaking way to get rid of a character, but his death actually holds a lot of symbolism and explains just how dire of a situation the ranch is in.
One of the biggest plot points of Season 5 has been how the ranch is basically falling apart. The Duttons have not profited from the ranch in a long time, do not have the money to pay their taxes, and their "heads are in the guillotine," as Rip pointed out.
After John died, everything only got worse. It seems as though, legally, they will not be able to keep all of the ranch, and if they do, they still have to deal with Market Equities trying to acquire it in any way possible for the airport.
It is also worth pointing out that they have to sell basically everything they own if they don't want to have to start selling land for pennies on the dollar, and half of the cowboys (and nearly all of the herd) are in Texas, halfway across the country.
Colby dying represents just how much the ranch is falling apart. At this point, the Yellowstone can't even protect one of its most-tenured cowboys from the very thing that he was trained to do.
Colby's death also puts into perspective just how dangerous it is to live on a ranch and perform the work cowboys do every single day. It is a taxing job both physically and emotionally, and, as Teeter said in the episode, "suffering's the job."
So, Colby's death wasn't just something done for shock value or to write him out of the script. Instead, it not only served as a catalyst for a lot of character development in the episode but also showed viewers what real people have to deal with on a daily basis.
Yellowstone is streaming on Peacock, and new episodes air every Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.
