Yellowstone season 5, episode 12 is entitled “Counting Coup,” demonstrating how important this concept is to the story. Throughout “Counting Coup,” Kayce (Luke Grimes) focuses on finding out more details about who had killed John and getting vengeance. While Beth (Kelly Reilly) is sidetracked by Yellowstone season 5, episode 12’s unnecessary death from her mission of confronting Jamie (Wes Bentley) about his role, Kayce talks with a contact and learns the name of the man who was behind the assassination.
After learning this, Kayce again needs to leave his family in the dark to carry out his plans, promising Monica only that he would be careful and would return home safely. Kayce’s actions continue the investigation arc that had begun with Yellowstone’s medical examiner in season 5, episode 11, though at this point, he knows what happened to John and is beginning to confront the people responsible in order to get vengeance.
Kayce Threatens Grant Horton — The Person Who Set Up John’s Assassination
He Warns Him He Is “Counting Coup”
Once Kayce learns that Grant Horton is responsible for John’s death, he tracks him down and slips into his car while Horton is taking his young daughter home from soccer practice. Kayce’s decision to hold the little girl at gunpoint and scream at her that she’d “better be scared” seems out of character for him. However, it is the best way for him to put Grant on notice that he knows what he did and is prepared to take revenge.
Although Kayce threatens Horton, he does not kill him, though he makes it clear he could take him and his whole family out if he wanted to. Instead, toward the end of the confrontation, Kayce hits Horton and tells him: “Where I come from, we call that counting coup. That means I took a piece of your soul, and I’m gonna keep it.” This idea is clearly important to both Kayce and Mo (Mo Brings Plenty), as the latter makes a point of asking the Dutton if he counted coup when he picks him up after his encounter with Grant.
Counting Coup Fully Explained & How It Connects To Mo Brings Plenty
It Is An Indigenous Warrior Custom Meant To Humiliate The Person Being Attacked
Counting coup is an Indigenous custom (via Buffalo Bill Center Of The West). Many tribes use it to humiliate their enemies rather than killing them outright. Instead of fighting to the death, they touch their adversary with the coup stick, often hitting them over and over with it. Warriors who successfully count coup are considered especially brave. Thus, the fact that Mo wants Kayce to engage in this custom demonstrates his belief that John’s killer is so unworthy that he doesn’t even want to bother with killing him. Instead, he would rather Kayce count coup than waste energy on eliminating Grant.
Mo’s willingness to work with him demonstrates that he fully accepts Kayce as an honorary member of his tribe.
Mo’s interest in this revenge scheme in Yellowstone is a testimony to his respect for John, whom he worked with often despite the friction between the Indigenous population and the ranchers. Now that Yellowstone’s John Dutton is dead, Mo wants to fight for vengeance, showing that John was important to him. Additionally, Kayce has struggled with his identity as a white man married to an Indigenous woman throughout the series. Thus, Mo’s willingness to work with him demonstrates that he fully accepts Kayce as an honorary member of his tribe.