John Dutton gets grisly 'Yellowstone' re-examination, and this major character is killed
Spoiler alert: We're discussing details of Sunday's explosive "Yellowstone" episode.
Hollywood star Kevin Costner should've never bitten the hand that writes his beloved "Yellowstone" character, and that point is made graphically clear in Sunday's episode.
Fans of America's No. 1 show are well aware of the testy battles between Costner, who has played the lead character John Dutton on the neo-Western series since its 2018 premiere, and creator and executive producer Taylor Sheridan. The sometimes public skirmish seemingly ended when Costner formally announced in June that he would not return for the apparent final "Yellowstone" episodes.
Sheridan summarily killed off Dutton in the opening moments of the back half of Season 5, which premiered Nov. 10 with an inglorious, bloody bathroom gunshot death made to look like a suicide. Costner's stunt double played the dead Dutton, but viewers were spared from really gory images. The send-off could have been worse. Still, Dutton's death and Costner's response to it went viral, even if the star insisted he hadn't seen the episode. It seemed like we could ride on with "Yellowstone."
Well, until Sunday's episode, in which Dutton's stiffened and blue body is thoroughly examined by the coroner, flipped over and examined some more, almost like a Showtime version of "CSI: Montana."
The sideshow isn't just another shot at Costner, who has no control over his character's end. The morgue scene demonstrates the heat being turned up around Governor Dutton's death investigation. Here's what happened in a rocking episode:
How did John Dutton die? Episode 11 shows flashbacks of the takedown
"Yellowstone" transforms into a whole new show in this episode, as the Duttons become players in a part crime mystery, part Tom Clancy thriller. Initially (and improbably), only loyal Dutton offspring Kayce (Luke Grimes) and Beth (Kelly Reilly) suspect that the controversial governor and ranch owner could have been murdered. The siblings also know this because both had visions at the moment of death, although Beth's might have been pharmaceutically enhanced by popping Adderalls during an all-night drive home.
Governor Dutton's death is revealed fully in flashback. Three balaclava-wearing pros grab the sleeping governor, who doesn't stand a chance. He's dragged, carried, and drugged in the bathroom; a gun is forced into his hand and held to his head. It's a taut scene. Dutton doesn't even say a word, conveniently, since Costner was not available to film the death scene.
Livestock commissioner Kayce Dutton rides herd in the investigation
Sheridan continues sensationalizing Kayce's role as the commissioner of the Montana Livestock Association. The faithful son flashes his MLA badge and clout at the coroner's office. But he mostly relies on his OG contacts and clear-eyed persistence to urge reconsideration of the initial ruling of suicide. Dr. Everly (Vinessa Shaw), the coroner, agrees to have another look at the governor. Kayce insists on going along to watch.
In the morgue, Afghanistan war veteran Kayce explains his theory of how the killing went down. He wins the day. It is now quite likely murder! Case re-opened. Give the smoking-hot commissioner and Dr. Everly their own CBS "Yellowstone" medical examiner spinoff, pronto!
The police announce a homicide investigation involving the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Kayce throws Jamie Dutton clear across the Attorney General's desk
Kayce and Beth know the whole score: Their adopted brother, Attorney General Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley), somehow worked with his lawyer girlfriend, Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri), to kill the governor after he'd blocked a multibillion-dollar land deal.
Jamie had mentioned something about "going on offense" to Sarah in bed, and she ran with it. Sarah hired the mysterious assassins so Jamie's hands are clean. Dutton's death puts the major development deal back on track, sure to spoil Yellowstone Ranch and Paradise Valley. Jamie is primed to benefit mightily but keeps losing his cool with setbacks like the murder investigation. If there is an acting award for persistent ugly crying, Bentley has this locked.
Beth knocked Jamie around last week. In Sunday's episode, it's Kayce's turn. He busts into the attorney general's office, grabs his brother by the lapels and throws him across his desk, knocking the phone off as Jamie slams into his leather chair and hits the floor. The punishment stops there. Beth has made it clear that she wants to do any Jamie-killing in revenge. So Jamie's inevitable death will have to wait.
Sarah Atwood pays the ultimate price for messing with the Duttons
Sarah is a smooth operator. But she, too, is understandably rattled in the face of sudden investigations, the Dutton family's persistence, and the unwillingness of the secret assassination corporation to take her calls. Sarah even buys a burner phone at a strip mall store and hilariously storms off before showing the required ID. So Sarah.
But she prevents Jamie from having a total freakout during a phone call while she's stopped at a light (one of the few traffic signals she obeys). "Trust me," she tells him.
The light is still red as a seemingly chirpy, clueless couple pulls alongside her in a beat-up minivan, seeking directions. (By the way, no one really asks for directions anymore.) Sarah just manages to snarl that she has no idea when the fake-husband passenger pulls out a gun and shoots her dead. They're killers from the corporation, cleaning up their one loose end.
Poor Jamie is still on the phone. There is no playbook for this reality — assassin-hiring girlfriend killed by assassins as the AG is speaking to her! He calls 911 and turns on the bawling fireworks.
We'll have to find out next week how Jamie tries to talk his way out of this one.