Yet Another ‘Yellowstone’ Character Is Dead – Are They Killing Off Everyone?

The last episodes of the fifth and final season of the hit television show Yellowstone are currently airing on Sundays on Paramount. Last night, fans of Yellowstone were shocked and devastated when the show killed off yet another beloved character.

Is Yellowstone turning into another Game of Thrones?

If you don’t want to see spoilers, please DO NOT read any further!

Beloved Yellowstone Character Meets His End

The fan-favorite Yellowstone character Colby Mayfield, who was played by Denim Richards, was killed off the show last night. The popular Dutton family ranch hand tragically died accidentally in a horse stall. Colby was fatally struck by a horse after rescuing the young ranch hand Carter (Finn Little).

Richards, who had played Colby ever since Yellowstone premiered back in 2018, mourned his character’s death on Instagram. He posted a photo of his on-set chair with his name on it along with Colby’s signature attire, which included his white cowboy hat and black boots.

“Grateful🙏🏾✊🏾🙏🏾 #yellowstone,” Richards wrote in the caption.

Richards also took to his Instagram Story to share various tributes to Colby.

“RIP Colby you’ll be missed,” read one tribute from a Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) fan account.

“You are so loved,” wrote Richards’ co-star Jennifer Landon, who plays Colby’s girlfriend Teeter.

Richards also shared a post from a fan, who wrote, “freaking BAWLING right now. I’m so [expletive] pissed.”

Colby was only a recurring character in the first two seasons of Yellowstone. Richards was then upgraded to a main cast member for Season 3 and on.

Colby is far from the first main Yellowstone character to be killed off in the show’s fifth and final season. Indeed, this comes after the deaths of John Dutton (Kevin Costner) and Sarah (Dawn Olivieri), who orchestrated John’s killing.

Related: Kevin Costner Responds To Fan Outrage Over His ‘Yellowstone’ Character’s Death

Yellowstone Executive Producer Weighs In

Yellowstone executive producer Christina Voros has opened up about just how difficult it was to kill off Colby.

“The thing that I think is such a gut-punch about Colby’s death is that in a season where there are all these twists and turns and dark forces and giant narrative swings, Colby’s death is so powerful because it’s so simple,” Voros told The Hollywood Reporter.

“For anyone who really understands the lifestyle of cowboys and working with animals and the risks of the jobs — and Rip says it about himself — it’s a dangerous job, and this kind of thing happens and it happens in a split-second,” she continued. “In a world of very high-stakes drama, this death comes as a shock because it’s so simple and it’s so grounded in the world in which all these characters work that it’s profoundly tragic because there’s no enemy here.”

“It’s the risk of the job,” Voros added. “And especially because of the way that Colby and Teeter’s relationship has been playing out — absence makes the heart grow fonder; and their relationship had really just begun to take root in a different way — the timing of it is just gut-wrenching.”

Related: ‘Yellowstone’ May Not Be Ending After All? Exec Talks Of ‘Things To Come’

Is Yellowstone Really Ending?

The final episode of season five of Yellowstone is set to air on December 15. When asked if this will really mark the end of the series, however, Voros played it coy.

“I don’t think I can answer that any differently than when we talked about it before. It’s tricky,” she said. “The deeper you get into the season, the more chess moves have already happened and so it becomes harder to talk about what’s coming.”

“So much care and attention went into this narrative, that the desire to not tip our hats to what is coming is very real,” Voros concluded.

There are still two more episodes of season five of Yellowstone that have yet to air. Be sure to tune in on Sunday at 8pm to see who is killed off next!