Yellowstone Season 5 Episode 12 Recap: “Counting Coup”

Here are some random thoughts prompted by “Counting Coup,” Season 5, Episode 12 of Yellowstone. Warning: There will be scads of spoilers here so proceed at your own risk.

• • Kevin Costner still gets top billing in the opening credits, even though John Dutton is seriously deceased. Is this producer Taylor Sheridan’s way of teasing us with the possibility that the character will be seen again in a flashback or two? Or did the person in charge of the opening credits simply forget to — well, you know, forget to make the change for this “final cycle” of episodes?

• • Or maybe word travels slowly in the Taylor Sheridan Universe? Sheridan himself, playing veteran horse trainer and rodeo competitor Travis Wheatley, had to break the bad news to Jimmy (Jefferson White) down in Texas that, back in Montana, his mentor John Dutton had died. Travis didn’t know about the death either until Rip phoned to tell him what had happened — and why the surviving Duttons will have to sell most of the Yellowstone cattle and horses that had been sent to the 6666 Ranch for safekeeping. It seemed a little odd that news about a state governor’s “suicide” hadn’t already reached Texas, but never mind. The tardy revelation gave Jefferson White one of his finest moments in the series so far, as Jimmy struggled to hold back tears while remembering the man who gave him a second chance and ripped the nails out of his coffin.

• • And there soon was more reason for tears. Actually, we should have seen this coming, since the episode began with Teeter (Jen Landon) and Colby (Denim Richards) sharing a sweet long-distance phone call, during which they finally admitted their love for each other. Just a few scenes later back at Yellowstone Ranch, however, Colby was trampled to death by an onery horse while trying to protect Carter (Finn Little) from the perturbed animal. Carter felt responsible for the death. (Cue additional tears.) But, no, Rip said it was his fault for not getting rid of the troublesome beast long ago. And back at the 6666, more bad news from Montana was dutifully delivered, leading to another moving moment as Jen Landon eloquently expressed Teeter’s grief.

• • Do you think that, as we approach the finale for this “final cycle,” every supporting player will be given at least one big emotional send-off scene? Come to think of it, just how many other characters will be deep-sixed before they bring the curtain down?

• • Long-term survival chances for Jamie certainly aren’t looking very good. Sure, with Sarah now out of the picture, he doesn’t appear to have any direct connection with her hiring  hit men  to kill John and make it look like suicide. (She promised that he’d have plausible deniability, remember?) But, hey, leave it up to Jamie to find ways to make himself look guilty. When Detective Dillard (Rory Cochrane) showed up at his house to look through Sarah’s belongings — because he’s investigating her murder, and he knows she was living with Jamie — Jamie more or less chased him away, claiming that Dillard will need a search warrant. Which, of course, does nothing but raise Dillard’s suspicions to Level 11. Immediately after the detective left, Jamie began to shred all legal documents in Sarah’s possession that might connect him with, if not the murder of John, then the wheeler-dealing of Market Equities. Something tells us, however, that this won’t be nearly enough for him to cheat his fate.

• •  Beth really doesn’t want Jamie to be arrested because she fears — with good reason — her adoptive brother will spill the beans about all those trips to the train station made by her father, Rip, and other protectors of the Yellowstone legacy. Rather, she wants to kill him, preferably with her bare hands. But Kayce managed to calm her down — temporarily, at least — while he handled the situation.

• • Handle it, he did. We’ve only recently discovered that (a) Kayce has remained in close contact with Special Ops allies from his days as a Navy SEAL, and (b) at least one of those Special Ops buddies has remained au courant about vets who now ply their trade as hit men. Once pointed in the right direction, Kayce barged into the car of the contractor hired by Sarah to kill John, held the guy’s young daughter at gunpoint in the back seat, and promised that if he or any member of the Dutton family were treated as “loose ends” in need of tying up, his Special Ops buddies would know how and where to seek revenge. “Now the start the car and drive,” Kayce said, never drawing his gun away from the frightened little girl as he departed, “or you can clean up the mess.”  Drive, he did.

• • Look who was on hand to serve as Kayce’s getaway driver: Mo Brings Plenty! Now that’s a friend in need, indeed. Makes you wonder if maybe Mo has ever had to provide similar services for Chief Rainwater, doesn’t it?

• • And it also makes you wonder: Will Kayce disregard Beth’s desires, and place Jamie next on his hit list? Or will Beth send Rip after Jamie simply by finally telling her husband about the role Jamie played in her being sterilized years ago? Stay tuned for further developments.