No character from “Yellowstone” was ever safe from the chopping block, which has resulted in some very shocking deaths. Taylor Sheridan’s hit Western series maintained a high level of stakes and suspense, because — main character or not — viewers never really knew who would face their demise next. While the show certainly had plotlines and conflicts that were never fully explored, “Yellowstone” still delivered a consistently-thrilling story because there was always death around the corner.
However, some of the series’ deaths were hard to stomach because of how brutal they were. They weren’t always curveballs or shocking; in fact, many could be seen from a mile away. Nonetheless, what makes these deaths startling is the sadistic nature in which the characters were killed. “Yellowstone” understands that more blood does not equal more brutality, as some of the series’ most disturbing deaths were relatively clean. But they utilized circumstances that made each scene more memorable and unsettling.
Sarah Atwood’s execution was jarring
While not nearly as gruesome or macabre as other deaths in the series, what really makes this particular demise brutal is the timing. In Season 5, Episode 11, “Three Fifty-Three,” Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) drives off after an argument with her lover, Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley). When Jamie calls her and the two start talking, a car with a man and a woman pulls up to Sarah’s window, and they ask her if she is Sarah. She confirms her identity, and the man pulls out a pistol and executes her point-blank, hitting her head and chest. It was swift, and she got off easy compared to other “Yellowstone” deaths because it wasn’t prolonged or traumatic — for her, at least.
What really makes the scene emotionally jarring, besides how ruthless and swift the execution was, is Wes Bentley’s powerful portrayal of a breakdown. Jamie heard everything that was happening, and the traumatic incident manifested in immediate anguish. It is also quite ironic that Sarah was killed by hitmen after she orchestrated the assassination of John Dutton (Kevin Costner). While the reason for her death is unknown at the time of writing, the fact is that her attempt to stage John’s murder as a suicide failed, and trying to contact the assassins she hired possibly made her a liability.
Monica’s attacker received a deserving end
Season 3, Episode 8, “I Killed a Man Today,” saw the satisfying death of an unnamed predator who was targeting Indigenous women. Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille) acts as bait in a sting operation to catch the man. She pretends that her car broke down, and after this attracts his attention, Monica accepts his help. He, however, takes her to an isolated area and attacks her. When Mo (Mo Brings Plenty) sees her being overpowered, he snipes the predator and kills him in one shot before Monica is seriously injured.
The man definitely got what he deserved, but the scene remains brutal despite how satisfying the death was. The sexual assault imagery added a layer of uneasiness, but the headshot (which was captured from two angles) is exceptionally messy, making this death one of the bloodier ones in the series. The discovery of the man’s victims afterward sealed the deal, making for a harrowing reminder of the real-life tragedies that have been inflicted on Native American women.
Roarke’s death was unusually sadistic
Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) had one of his best yet most sadistic moments when he took out Roarke Morris (Josh Holloway) in Season 4, Episode 1, “Half the Money.” When Roarke is fishing, Rip approaches him carrying a cooler. Describing it as a present from Yellowstone, Rip opens the cooler and a rattlesnake jumps out and bites Roarke in the face. The venom makes easy work of him, and he collapses while Rip watches the painful death unfold. While it makes Roarke’s death look accidental, it was also a surprisingly cruel method to kill him.
What did Roarke do to deserve such a death? He was working with Market Equities to obtain the ranch and had been colluding with Wade and Clint Morrow to undermine the Duttons. After coordinated assassination attempts on John, Beth, and Kayce Dutton, Rip takes matters into his own hands and decides to clean house. Rip considers Roarke one of the suspects behind the attacks, and he eliminates him. It later turns out that Garrett Randall was behind the attacks, and the catalyst for Roarke’s death was purely based on an unfounded hunch.
Teal Beck died a humiliating death
The Beck brothers, Teal (Terry Serpico) and Malcolm (Neal McDonough), escalated their feud with the Duttons after kidnapping one of them — leading to one of the series’ most humiliating deaths. In Season 2, Episode 10, “Sins of the Father,” Kayce Dutton enters Teal’s residence, equipped with a silenced pistol. He opens an upstairs room and finds Teal on the toilet, reading a newspaper. A quick shot to the abdomen and the interrogation kicks off. Kayce demands to know where Tate Dutton (Brecken Merrill), Monica’s son and John Dutton’s grandson, is being held. Although Teal gives up the location without much fuss, Kayce kills him anyway.
Getting caught on the toilet is embarrassing enough, but pleading and crying before easily spilling the beans and being killed makes Teal Beck’s death almost a humiliation ritual. It was personal for Kayce, as he had promised the shocked Monica that he would bring Tate back to her. His brother Malcolm, on the other hand, met a much better demise in the same episode. After a shootout with John Dutton leads to Malcolm getting shot, he refuses to cooperate with John’s demands but capitulates after John offers to arrange treatment. Realizing that he wouldn’t make it, Malcolm declines John’s offer to stay with him until he dies.
Wade Morrow’s betrayal was met with a harsh reprisal
Season 3, Episode 9’s title, “Meaner Than Evil,” perfectly encapsulates the nature of the pain inflicted on Wade Morrow. After Wade and his son Clint (Brent Walker) attack Colby and Teeter while swimming, John Dutton authorizes a brutal retaliation. Wade, a former Yellowstone ranch hand, betrayed the Duttons and was working for Roarke and Market Equities. Rip Wheeler, Walker (Ryan Bingham), and Lloyd Pierce (Forrie J. Smith) hunt the father-son duo down. Clint dies in the process, and Wade is captured alive. After Walker cuts off the Yellowstone brand from Wade’s chest, the group lynches him and disposes of his body.
This was a calculated act of revenge, and the reason it was so brutal is that Wade was a trusted member of the ranch who betrayed them in turbulent times. As cruel as it was, the removal of the brand makes perfect sense; the family and their aides relied on complete loyalty in order to endure the storm of modern times and impending enemies. Wade’s betrayal shook the foundation of the ranch, and the severe nature of his death showed that there would be no mercy for traitors.
