In the eleventh episode of Paramount Network’s Western series ‘Yellowstone’ season 5, the truth behind the murder of John Dutton begins to surface, putting Sarah Atwood in a precarious position. Not even her partner, Jamie Dutton, tries to comfort her when the official investigation into the Montana governor’s death restarts as a homicide case. The businesswoman accepts that the trace of evidence will lead the authorities to her in one way or another, which makes her expect severe repercussions. However, before the detective in charge can unravel her involvement in the murder, Sarah’s fate gets rewritten brutally by her allies!
Sarah Atwood is Killed by the Assassins Sent by Grant Horton
After John Dutton’s death, Sarah Atwood immerses herself in the preparations ahead of the restart of Market Equities’ developmental project in Montana, specifically in a portion of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Her excitement takes her away from the developments concerning the case of the governor’s death, which is why she learns about its announcement as a homicide along with the rest of the world. The statements made by the Helena Police Department unsettle not only the businesswoman but also Grant Horton, who sent three men to kill John for Market Equities’ star executive. Since Horton assassinated the governor after accepting the assignment proposed by Sarah, the only link he and his company have with the crime is her.
That’s seemingly why Horton sends two more assassins to Montana, this time to kill Sarah. The couple pretends to be tourists and forces the businesswoman to stop and talk to them before they shoot at her multiple times. Since the killers fire the gun at point-blank range, the chances of her surviving the attack are none, specifically since they use several bullets to ensure that the job is done and dusted without a shadow of a doubt. Horton accepted the assignment after informing Sarah that he wouldn’t tolerate any developments that expose his or his company’s involvement in the crime.
As someone who runs a completely clandestine organization dealing with million-dollar assignments, Horton cannot expose his company to the authorities. Therefore, he chooses to eliminate Sarah, who is, more or less, the only major bridge between the firm and the officials. Horton’s company is a main player in the crime scene of the country, which explains why he could kill the head of a state this easily. For such a person and firm, murdering Sarah is nothing but a minor assignment with major rewards.
Sarah Atwood’s Death Confirms Dawn Olivieri’s Exit From Yellowstone
As of now, neither Paramount Network nor Dawn Olivieri has announced the actress’ exit from ‘Yellowstone.’ However, considering Sarah Atwood’s death, an official announcement is nothing but a formality at this point. The character’s murder concludes her character arc, leaving no scope for Olivieri to return to the Western drama. Sarah’s death and Olivieri’s subsequent exit make sense in different ways. First of all, the storyline of the fifth and final season of the show is progressing towards an ultimate showdown between Jamie Dutton and the duo of Beth and Kayce Dutton. The series is expected to conclude with the war between the siblings that will determine the fate of their “home,” the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.
Since Sarah is not part of the Dutton family in any way, her inclusion in this showdown won’t be fitting. By killing the character off, the show can now focus on the “family matter,” which is highly significant as far as the principal narrative of the Western drama is concerned. Furthermore, Sarah’s murder may also turn out to be a key part of this potential showdown. Her unexpected death may confirm Kayce’s doubts concerning the involvement of a clandestine company of killers in John Dutton’s murder. He is wise enough to understand that the businesswoman’s fate is collateral damage, which exposes her part in the assassination.
One does not need to be a sleuth to understand that Jamie is involved in anything Sarah is involved in. Therefore, Kayce may confirm his doubts concerning his adoptive brother sooner than later, paving the way for the aforementioned showdown. In the remaining episodes of the Western drama, we may see how Sarah’s demise will affect the attorney general, as he rightly fears.
