Dawn Olivieri always knew her time on Yellowstone was going to be impactful, but even she wasn’t prepared for how her character, Sarah Atwood, would meet her end. In a jaw-dropping turn of events during Season 5B, Episode 3, Sarah’s arc concluded with a barrage of bullets to the head and chest—one that left audiences gasping and the show’s legacy forever changed. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Olivieri reflected on her time as one of the series’ most hissable villains, noting that she knew where the road was heading. “I always sort of know it’s coming,” Olivieri said of her characters’ fates, referencing her previous role as Claire Dutton in 1883. “And to read it [in the script] is like, ‘OK, here we go.’ We got what we all wanted. I think everyone is happy that the train station came.”
For those unfamiliar, “the train station” in Yellowstone parlance is a euphemism for the brutal end met by characters deemed expendable to the Dutton family. The bodies are taken to a very specific parcel of land that has no jurisdiction, and dumped unceremoniously. In Sarah’s case, her assassination was orchestrated by panicked associates following the revelation that she and Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) had conspired in John Dutton’s murder. For her part, Olivieri embraced her role and demise, adding she wanted to see such a vile human get their just desserts.
Dawn Olivieri Wanted Sarah Atwood to Meet Her Maker
“My aim with every character is that maybe I do strong-willed, dastardly things with a lot of zeal, but at the end, I want to see her unraveled and broken apart. Because that’s the moment before death that I hope everyone touches, including the characters that I created. They are human too, and that is the human piece.
The episode also provided a rare glimpse into Sarah’s vulnerability, particularly in her interactions with Jamie. “For the first time, we saw her true emotions come out,” Olivieri said, noting the dynamic between the two. “She completed him in a way that he needed her to. He was weak… She showed up and was like, ‘I’ll give it to you.’ That’s a power couple.”
Although Sarah has now departed, it’s fair to say she’s left an indelible mark on the series, and her character’s death is one we all cheered, but maybe not quite in the manner it happened. Nonetheless, her legacy will live on in the remaining episodes.
“Sarah’s dead, but the damage is done. You can’t undo that. To leave that mark on this story and that family is certainly the darkest of the dark.”
The next episode of Yellowstone‘s final season will air at 8 PM on Sunday evening on Paramount Network, and on Monday night at 10 PM on CBS. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on the future of the Western saga.
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