'Yellowstone' Season 5 did the show's most promising character really dirty
Contains spoilers for 'Yellowstone'
Even though 'Yellowstone' concluded with its mixed bag of a finale, the chatter surrounding the downfall of the Western drama series is not going to stop anytime soon. Prior to the premiere of 'Yellowstone,' Season 5, the show was surrounded by controversies, mainly between creator Taylor Sheridan and Kevin Costner, who plays the central character, John Dutton.
The offline feud also had ripple effects on 'Yellowstone' Season 5 as the series moved ahead at a snail's speed and got the flak of fans for the lack of major action in the episodes. Not only that, but a shocking death of a promising character also worked majorly against 'Yellowstone.'
'Yellowstone' Season 5 massively underused Sarah Atwood
One of the most calculative and shrewd characters in 'Yellowstone' has to be Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri), who can easily be termed as one of the most promising characters whose potential was ruined by her sudden death. While I give to the makers for the sensational twist of Atwood's killing, as it was not expected and blew me away. However, that was momentary, as the sequence teased a major action in the following episodes, but unfortunately, it never happens.
Introduced in 'Yellowstone' Season 5 Part 1, Atwood can be characterized as one of the most influential and cunning characters who had Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) wrapped around her fingers, and using her seduction tactics, the woman effectively manipulated the adoptive son to make things difficult for the Dutton clan.
Sarah Atwood deserved more screen time in 'Yellowstone' Season 5
Besides her steamy scenes with Jamie, as a character, Atwood always brimmed with potential that could have made for a more impactful villain for 'Yellowstone' Season 5. I mean, with her menacing looks and cunning smile, Atwood pissed off the Duttons, even when she mostly worked behind the curtains. I was pumped up when Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Atwood had a confrontation, raising my hopes that we may see a major confrontation between the two. However, Atwood's demise came at a very crucial point, which not only ruined the storyline but also thwarted any anticipation of her confrontation with Beth, which makes me strongly believe that Atwood's death could have been avoided.
I mean, the deaths in 'Yellowstone' Season 5 can be termed as jinxed, as the series features four major deaths, but with each death, the storyline kept declining. In Atwood's case, following her death, Jamie became directionless and also lost his plot. I mean, at the start of the season, Jamie was brimming with confidence, but once Atwood is killed, the man is reduced to nothing but a clueless man who struggles with his next step. That said, with so much potential, Atwood's character had every ingredient to make the 'Yellowstone' finale spicier, but makers failed to capitalize on it.
