Why did Colby leave Yellowstone? This is the question on the minds of fans of the series following Season 5 Episode 2. The episode, ‘Counting Coup,’ witnessed Colby confronting a man-eater in an attempt to rescue Charter.

With only two episodes left in season 5 of Yellowstone (and possibly/probably the series overall), it seems like the wrong time to randomly kill off an otherwise uninvolved side character and spend the bulk of the episode informing people of his untimely death and mourning him.

We’ve recapped the key moments each character faced in episode 12. Catch up before episode 13 airs on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount Network.

Spoiler alert! 'Yellowstone' shocks fans with another surprising death in season 5's final episodes, which air on Paramount Network. In episode 12, 'Counting Coup,' Denim Richards' cowboy character, Colby Mayfield,