Fans of the show “Yellowstone” are used to the series and its dynamic relationships (Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, anyone?). Since Jennifer Landon joined the show as Teeter, there’s been one relationship that’s been hinted at but not fully explored, even though it’s one that Teeter has pursued aggressively. And ever since Teeter and Colby (played excellently by Denim Richards) survived a near-fatal attack together, fans have been wondering if the two will actually try to make something romantic happen.
Part of the reason for fans’ interest in the twosome are the actors themselves. As Men’s Health noted, Landon’s Teeter is far from being there for only comic relief, as the actress has turned the role into something to behold. Richards, on the other hand, has actual experience in the world of ranching. As his June 2019 interview with Orange Coast Magazine noted, he grew up riding horses and filmed a Western film right before earning his spot on “Yellowstone.” Clearly, the actors know how to shine on screen, so it’s no wonder fans want to see Colby and Teeter make it work.
What a real relationship between Teeter and Colby could be like remains to be seen, but here’s the truth about their relationship on “Yellowstone.”
Teeter always pursued Colby on Yellowstone
From the beginning, the interest level and power in Colby and Teeter’s relationship and friendship has been unbalanced. It’s been clear that Teeter has had a thing for Colby long before there was any real chance of reciprocation. Jennifer Landon, the actress who plays Teeter on “Yellowstone,” told Decider that the unusual dynamic is something she and co-star Denim Richards have discussed at length. As Landon put it, Teeter spends a fair bit of time “sexually harassing” Colby.
It’s definitely fair to say that the energy Colby receives from Teeter is a lot. Luckily for the stars, Richards has been invested in collaborating with Landon about how to play that. After explaining that Richards has been wonderful to work with, especially in terms of this dynamic, Landon added, “He was always game and collaborative. And we talked a lot about what that dynamic was like and what it meant for both of the characters.”
Landon has also admitted that she knew from the beginning that Teeter would zero in on Colby. In a behind-the-scenes video for “Yellowstone,” she explained, “There’s a lot of guys in that bunkhouse, and I knew immediately she was going to be obsessed with Colby. She thinks he’s the most attractive guy she’s ever seen.” Landon added, “She also gets off on the chase, and he has all sorts of rules that she thinks would be pretty fun to chip away at.”
Colby wasn’t interested in Teeter at first
While it’s been clear that Teeter has had a thing for Colby for a minute — and did not hold back when it came to aggressively flirting — what’s been equally clear is that Colby hasn’t necessarily returned those feelings. As fans saw on the show, Colby didn’t even seem to realize that he had feelings for Teeter until the episode in which the pair are nearly killed by Wade and Clint Morrow.
But before the characters finally got that far, a lot of the dynamic between the two consisted of Teeter approaching Colby and Colby politely rebuffing her advances. “You know, Colby does fight against it in the beginning, and then at a certain point, you’re like, okay, clearly everybody in this bunkhouse is gonna make sure that it’s her and I doing all these activities together,” Denim Richards, the actor behind Colby, shared in a behind-the-scenes video. “I might as well try to know a little bit about her.”
Almost dying seemed to bring Teeter and Colby closer together
In the Season 3 episode “I Killed a Man Today,” Teeter and Colby take their budding relationship to the next level by going skinny dipping in a local river together. True to form, Colby has to be convinced by Teeter before he joins her, and just as Colby is about to get into the water to join Teeter, they are attacked by Wade Morrow and his son and are trampled by the Morrows’ horses.
As fans learn during the first episode of Season 4, both Teeter and Colby do make it through the harrowing ordeal, and in a lot of ways, almost dying seems to have helped Colby finally realize he might have feelings for Teeter after all. As Denim Richards told TV Insider, the characters end up bonding over their shared trauma before Colby leans in for a kiss. Richards explained, “That’s what has happened with Colby and Teeter, especially when we’re sharing this kiss when half her face is hanging off and it’s being stapled together. ‘I guess we’re just in this and how intense can it be?'”
In that moment, Colby appeared to think there was something stronger between himself and Teeter. Once he gave in and initiated the pair’s first kiss, he opened himself up to finding out what that might be.
It’s still not clear if Teeter and Colby can make it work
Even with their experience skinny dipping, fighting for their lives, and then sharing a kiss that seemed to seal the deal for fans, it’s still not entirely clear that Teeter and Colby will end up together. In fact, Denim Richards himself has shed doubt on whether or not a relationship is in the future. While discussing the dynamic between their characters, Richards said in a “Stories from the Bunkhouse” video that he “always felt safe” with Jennifer Landon, even when she did things like lick his face while playing Teeter.
However, that safety present on set doesn’t necessarily mean their characters feel the same way in the scenes. While describing what he calls the “pendulum” of their characters’ relationship to PopCulture, Richards admitted that the energy has been a little chaotic. He said, “You’re just going in, you’re working the fence, doing what your job is supposed to be. And then all of a sudden you’re skinny dipping in the river and you’re like, ‘How did we get here?'”
Richards admitted to PopCulture that his understanding of Colby and Teeter’s kiss is that it was more “protective” than anything else, though also still “sweet and caring.”
Denim Richards believes Colby has been right to be cautious about Teeter
On top of their confusing relationship dynamic, Teeter and Colby have a lot more than their own feelings to consider when it comes to whether or not they could work. It’s not as if the characters live in a vacuum or even that they can run off and find their own home together. The pair both work for the ranch and live in a shared space.
In that vein, Richards believes that his character, Colby, has been right to approach any potential relationship with Teeter with an abundance of caution. After expressing his worry that Teeter could “jump ship” if someone else she likes moves in, Richards told PopCulture, “I mean, we see that these things happen and Colby has had multiple seasons to not get too attached to people. So, I think it’s better for him to not do that.”
While their future became less clear when Teeter was asked to leave the bunkhouse in Season 4 (via Parade), one thing is for sure: Fans are still hoping for more.