With less than half a season remaining, Yellow stone always finds ways to surprise viewers at home – and not just with breathtaking character deaths!

Season 5, Episode 9 Featured an iconic cameo from Billy Klapperepisode 10 surprised viewers with actor and war veteran Jake McLaughlinand episode 11 welcomed another familiar face as a medical examiner: Vinessa Shaw.

Yellow stone Season 5, Episode 11, “Three Fifty-Three,” opened with – yes, you guessed it! — even more flashbacks! This time, the show gave viewers a front row seat to witness the murder of John Dutton. We saw three men attack him while he was sleeping, drug him with a needle to the foot, carry him to the bathroom and force his hand to pull the trigger. His suicide was carefully staged, just as Beth (Kelly Reilly) suspected. And after his compelling argument sowed doubt about the cause of death in Kayce’s (Luke Grimes) mind, he went to the Lewis & Clarke County Coroner’s Office to meet with the medical examiner.

So who was the medical examiner on Yellow stone Season 5, episode 11? And what do we know about Vinessa Shaw, the actor who played her? Here’s everything you need to know Yellow stone‘s latest exciting guest star, including a nostalgic Instagram post from Shaw herself.

Who is the medical examiner on Yellow stone?

After Kayce stormed the coroner’s office, he met with Dr. Everly (Shaw) and asked to see a report on John Dutton as well as his body. When the medical examiner informed her that the Livestock Commissioner did not have these rights, he reminded her that the next of kin did and she gave him the report.

Kayce quickly requested a toxicology report, which was met with more pushback from Everly, who said the detective assigned to her father’s case should order it. In an extremely Dutton move, Kayce called the detective, put him on speakerphone and had him accept the toxicology report and a re-examination for signs of struggle within seconds. The medical examiner agreed and said she would report back with her findings, but that wasn’t enough for Kayce, who asked, “What’s on that desk that’s more important than death?” of the governor?

After invoking the Livestock Commissioner’s right to enter any room without a warrant, the team brought out a naked body (as a reminder, Kevin Costner was not in Season 5, Part 2) and Kayce asked, “If you were investigating this as a homicide, what would you look for?”

The medical examiner assured Kayce that if his father had been murdered, there would have been “quite a struggle,” and Kayce reminded him that he would have been sleeping when his hitmen entered his room. He explained the “bits” he was taught in Afghanistan and even replicated the tactics of one of his medical assistants. After seeing Kayce grab the man’s neck, the medical examiner examined John Dutton’s body and found bruising on both sides of his neck and forehead, which was questionable.

When Kayce encouraged her to look more closely through the lens of a possible homicide ruling, she noticed abrasions on the tops of John’s toes that suggested he had been dragged across the ground, footprints suggesting pressure on his skin and bruising under his calves which suggested he might have been carried from his bed to the bathroom. Kayce even suspected (rightly!) that three men were at work.

Following these new revelations, the medical examiner confirmed that the autopsy showed signs that John had been “forcibly restrained.” Although she was unable to confidently rule the death a homicide, she told Kayce she would update the cause of death as “undetermined,” which would keep the investigation open. She confirmed signs of resistance to the detective and suggested he reopen the case, and they even agreed to make corrections to the death certificate, marking two crucial steps in the fight to recover and preserve the inheritance Tarnished by John Dutton.

Before Kayce left the coroner’s office, the medical examiner apologized for missing the signs and assured her she was supposed to miss them. While it’s likely we won’t see Dr. Everly again this season — given that there are only three episodes left — here’s everything you need to know about the actor who played her.

Yellow stone Season 5, Episode 11: Vinessa Shaw as the Medical Examiner: What you need to know about Hocus Pocus Star

As noted above, Vinessa Shaw played Yellow stoneof the medical examiner in a really exciting place for the guests. If the 48-year-old actor and model looks familiar to you, you’ll probably recognize her from one of the 50+ IMDb credits.

Shaw launched her screen career in 1981 as a child actress and was best known for her roles as Allison Watts in Hocus Pocus and Kimberly Mullen on Ladybugs. Over the years, she has appeared in dozens of popular television series and films, including Eyes wide closed, 40 days and 40 nights, the hills have eyes, 3:10 p.m. for Yuma, House, Swagger, the new Cruel intentionsand more.

Although she Yellow stone The guest role came as a shock to many, with Shaw teasing it on Instagram earlier this month, saying: “I had the pleasure of starring in the final season of Yellow stone! It starts tonight! So, in case I’m left out of the show, here’s proof that I enjoyed the beautiful landscapes of Montana with my sister and a jacket my dad keeps trying to steal! (He’s a big fan of the show.)”