The Yellowstone season 5, part 2 premiere finally reveals the real villain of the Neo-Western’s final season, and it isn’t Jamie (Wes Bentley). The second half of season 5 wastes no time presenting the mystery of John Dutton’s fate in Yellowstone after Kevin Costner’s exit, with Beth (Kelly Reilly) arriving at a hectic crime scene at the Governor’s Mansion. John Dutton’s death was staged as a suicide, and while Beth doesn’t believe it, Kayce (Luke Grimes) and his sister begin to mourn the death of their father regardless. We learn Beth is right, and someone is behind John’s death.

One of the most prominent suspects in John Dutton’s death is Jamie, his adopted son, who moved to impeach John in the Yellowstone season 5, part 1 finale. Still, when the Attorney General of Montana makes the official announcement that the governor is dead, as is his duty, he can hardly get the words out because he’s so upset by the news. The moment shows that Jamie grieves the loss of his father and that the news comes as a surprise. Thus, Jamie isn’t the real villain of Yellowstone season 5, but his hands aren’t clean of John’s death, either.

Sarah Is The Real Villain Of Yellowstone Season 5

1883 Actor Dawn Olivieri Plays The Market Equities Lawyer

Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) is the real villain of Yellowstone season 5’s cast. The second half of season 5 reveals that Sarah has a discreet meeting with a company that plans assassinations, discussing the details to end John Dutton’s life. Before the meeting, Sarah has to remove her shoes and jewelry and leave all the accessories in a bin, suggesting the severity of the meeting and the precision with which the company operates. The scene suggests that Sarah was serious about taking out John Dutton, with the show flashing back six weeks to depict what led to the event.

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Sarah’s decision to take out the governor was no stretch of the imagination. Sarah is a highly skilled litigator and a Trojan horse for Market Equities, called in to manipulate the situation to the company’s advantage after John is elected as Montana’s governor and cuts funding to the airport. Market Equities has billions of dollars riding on their developments in Montana, and Sarah is brought in to protect that. She begins a romantic relationship with Jamie to convince him that his father needs to go covertly. Sarah tells him she can help him become governor, and they can succeed together.

Jamie Is Also Somewhat Of A Victim, But He Is Not Without Fault

Jamie Is A Victim In Many Of His Relationships

Jamie is in an unfortunate position in season 5, and while he finally gets what he wants, it would be a stretch to say that the character is feeling happy. What Jamie wants more than anything is his father’s approval. It’s why he is so defensive of his career as a lawyer. He believes his father hates him for it, but he did it to please him. Jamie is frustrated throughout Yellowstone, wanting to advance and create his own life outside his father’s shadow, but desperately needing his father’s guidance and validation. Thus, Jamie uses others to fight John.

Jamie desires to be Montana’s governor outside his father’s shadow and agrees to Sarah’s plan, hence the title of the premiere: “Desire Is All You Need.”

Sarah took advantage of Jamie’s weakness. Sarah notices Jamie’s crestfallen appearance when John wins the Montana governorship, and she says that compromising Jamie is where she will start dismantling John Dutton’s power. Sarah successfully infiltrates Jamie’s trust, becoming his romantic partner. Sarah is just another person using Jamie, making him the victim in some ways, but it’s a dynamic that Jamie leans into in all his relationships. Jamie desires to be Montana’s governor outside his father’s shadow and agrees to Sarah’s plan, hence the title of the Yellowstone season 5, part 2 premiere: “Desire Is All You Need.”

Can Jamie Still Be Redeemed Before Yellowstone Ends?

Anything Is Possible In Yellowstone, Especially Redemption

Custom Image by Yailin Chacon

Jamie is a complex character, torn between his desire to live outside his father’s shadow and a deep-seated need for his father’s approval throughout that process. As such, Jamie’s holdup was always that he defined progress in terms of his father’s needs rather than his own, so Jamie couldn’t act for himself or commit to which side he was on. Now that John is out of the picture, Jamie can clear his mind about what he wanted all along and what he is fighting for. Jamie’s allegiance has been murky throughout Yellowstone, so there’s still room for redemption.

Redemption would come at a high cost. Jamie clarified that he was working against their family when he impeached his father from office with Sarah’s help. Beth would not forgive Jamie easily, and he would have to sacrifice everything he has for his family and the ranch to regain his siblings’ favor. As Montana’s next governor, Jamie is in a position to help Beth and Kayce more than anyone. He has one more chance to prove his allegiance in Yellowstone. Still, while redemption is possible, there’s also a chance that Beth will succeed in killing Jamie.