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“Yellowstone” fans are halfway through the final episodes, and Sunday night’s was a doozy.

*WARNING: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS BELOW. CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED.*

Episode 11 of season five – “Three Fifty-Three” – marks the halfway point of season 5B, and we now just have three more episodes to wrap up the legendary neo-Western from Taylor Sheridan.

After the chaos and carnage of the latest episode, it’s clear the ending is going to be carnage.

“Yellowstone” aired episode 11 of season five – “Three Fifty-Three” – for fans Sunday night. (Credit: Paramount Network)

“Yellowstone” shocks fans with latest episode.

Okay, now that we have the spoiler warning above, I think we’re in the clear to just jump right into it.

WHAT. THE. HELL. HAPPENED. AT. THE. END?

Let’s discuss the biggest part of the episode right from the jump. Sarah Atwood is dead. The woman Market Equities used to get close to Jamie and orchestrate John Dutton’s death got blown away while stopped at an intersection by two people who appeared to be lost tourists.

What motivated it?

The medical examiner and police determined John Dutton’s death wasn’t a suicide. It was a homicide. All the signs were there once they knew what to look for.

Kayce was adamant that there was no way his father shot himself, and after applying pressure to the medical examiner and police, they quickly realized the youngest Dutton son was correct.

It wasn’t a suicide. It was a suspicious death at minimum and most likely a murder.

The latest “Yellowstone” episode shocked viewers with an unexpected death. (Credit: Paramount Network)

That sent Market Equities and everyone scrambling. The bad guys thought they’d screamed up a perfect plan and executed it.

Viewers got to see how it happened. Three men killed the power to John’s Governor’s residence, overpowered him in his sleep, drugged him and then killed him with the two-tone pistol fans have seen multiple times.

On the surface, it was a genius plan. They just didn’t plan for Kayce – a former Navy SEAL with brutal combat experience – to recognize it.

Once he raised the red flag, all hell broke loose. The new Governor of Montana announced Jamie would have to recuse himself from the investigation. The attempted Dutton son panicked and Sarah went to his home to convince him everything would be fine.

After an intense and violent exchange, Jamie appears to accept that Market Equities’ plan will work. Well, apparently not!

Sarah was sitting at an intersection when two seemingly innocent people asked for directions. The man then dumped about six shots right into her chest once confirming her identity.

Who killed her? The people she hired to kill John Dutton with Market Equities? The interesting man Kayce reached out to previously? My guess is it’s ME, but we simply do not know right now.

Luke Grimes shined in the new episode of “Yellowstone.” (Credit: Paramount Network)

What is clear is that all bets are off. The death and violence we’ve been promised has finally arrived. John Dutton is dead, Sarah Atwood was gunned down, Jamie is scrambling for his life and Kayce is on the hunt. Don’t forget that Kayce is hands down the most dangerous person the show by far. People think it’s Rip. It’s not. Kayce has been a stone cold killer since his introduction in the show, and that’s obviously not changing. He just doesn’t kill anyone other than the absolute worst, and Market Equities absolutely meets that standard.

This was one of the best episodes of “Yellowstone” in the history of the show. An absolute clinic on what it means to make great TV. Captivating and exhilarating start to finish.

Some other notes:

  • The eminent domain should be very interesting throughout the final three episodes. It’s a great wrench in the storyline.
  • Rainwater returns! How cool was it to see Rainwater and Moe come to talk to Beth and Kayce? It was awesome. Rainwater still wants the land, but as he made clear, he’s a realist. At this point, it’s about figuring out how to make it out with as much as possible to save the land, and that might make him an unexpected ally of Beth and Kayce.
  • Not much Rip and the cowboys this episode, but that’s okay. I liked a pivot to Kayce.
  • The scenes of Kayce and Monica building a home with Tate were awesome.
  • Kayce confronting Jamie was a great scene and a powerful reminder the two brothers are close…..even if Beth doesn’t want to admit it.

It was great to see an episode that focused heavily on Kayce and his role in tying a bow on the “Yellowstone” story. Luke Grimes is an incredibly talented actor, and this was his masterclass for the country to enjoy. Where does “Yellowstone” go in its final three episodes? I don’t know, but death is here, and it’s awesome. Nobody saw Sarah Atwood being killed that way, and anyone who says they did is lying. Easily one of the best “Yellowstone” episodes ever. I can’t wait to see what happens next. Let’s prepare for what comes next, and make sure to hit me with your theories at David.Hookstead@outkick.com!