The Duttons, cloaked in perpetual mourning, seem to inhabit a world where sorrow stretches as far as the Big Sky itself. This week, however, the embodiment of grief takes an unexpected form: a horse, wild and untamed. Season 5, Episode 12, “Counting Coup,” offers a visceral glimpse into the family’s emotional turmoil following John Dutton’s death, but the season’s core conflict feels adrift, lost somewhere in the vast expanse of the Montana wilderness.
The episode opens with the family grappling with their loss, but a new tragedy swiftly emerges: Colby (Denim Richards), a loyal ranch hand, meets a violent end at the hooves of a spooked horse. The scene is undeniably gripping and expertly executed, yet it also highlights the episode’s slightly uneven pacing.
Rip (Cole Hauser), the ranch’s steadfast rock, takes charge, shouldering the arduous burden of selling off livestock to preserve the Dutton legacy. While financially prudent, this storyline feels like a diversion, eclipsing the simmering tension between Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Jamie (Wes Bentley), a confrontation fans have been craving. As for Jamie, despite his lingering presence in the ominous cloud surrounding John’s death, he’s inexplicably afforded the time, and potentially the chance, to tamper with crucial evidence. Is this a display of staggering incompetence from the Montana authorities, or a hint of something more calculated at play?
Kayce’s (Luke Grimes) moral compass continues its unsettling wobble. His quest for vengeance takes a disturbing turn as he threatens a child, a moment that sends a shiver down the spine and prompts questions about the trajectory of his character. Is he succumbing to the darkness he vowed to resist, transforming into the very antagonist he sought to vanquish? Meanwhile, Beth displays a flicker of tenderness, offering comfort to Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith) and Carter (Finn Little), and finally welcoming Carter into the Dutton family. It’s a poignant scene, yet it feels oddly out of sync with the prevailing atmosphere of profound sadness.
A considerable portion of “Counting Coup” is dedicated to the 6666 Ranch, a subplot that increasingly resembles a stray narrative thread, unraveling and drifting further from the central tapestry. Is this a poorly executed attempt at a backdoor pilot, or a meaningful element waiting to be integrated into the larger narrative arc?
While “Counting Coup” offers moments of genuine emotional power, fueled by strong performances, it ultimately lacks the propulsive energy that typically defines Yellowstone. The primary conflict takes a backseat to cattle sales and narrative digressions, leaving viewers with a sense of anticipation unfulfilled. The promised clash between Beth and Jamie, a battle royale of Dutton proportions, remains a distant echo, a threat yet to materialize. When will the simmering tension finally erupt?
Yellowstone airs Sunday nights on Paramount.
