A beloved "Yellowstone" character never made it back home on the range.
The Dec. 11 episode of the Paramount Network western killed off one of John Dutton's (Kevin Costner) right-hand men — which came with a very fitting tribute from John himself.
Things started innocently enough, with John and Emmett Walsh (Buck Taylor) headed off on a cattle round-up. As the two friends prepared to rest for the evening, they reminisced about the beauty of their surroundings and the success of their hard day's work.
"If it wasn't perfect," Emmett said, "it was damn close."
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However, when John awoke the next morning, Emmett did not. Though heartbreaking, John found beauty in his friend's final chapter, saying wistfully to the rest of the group, "He just died on the trail, like every cowboy dreams it."
In another emotional moment, John was forced to break the news to Emmett's widow once back in town.
After Emmett's death was revealed, the show's legions of fans took to social media to commemorate him. "You know a show is good when it can bring a grown man to tears," one fan tweeted. "#RIP EMMETT"
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Another tweeted, "My god, that crushed my soul. watching Emmett's wife lose it when John rode up to her"
Emmett, an old acquaintance of the Dutton family and the chairman of the Stock Growers Association, was played by Buck Taylor. The 84-year-old actor is best known for his work as Newly O'Brian on over 100 episodes of the classic CBS western "Gunsmoke" from 1967 to 1975.
New episodes of "Yellowstone" air Sundays at 8 p.m. on Paramount Network.
