There was enough drama in last week's episode of Yellowstone to fill a ten-gallon hat, as the fifth season finally left those musty government boardrooms and shifted into high gear. Literally! After Beth discovered that Jamie had a secret son, the Dutton outcast almost ran over his sister with his car. What's worse? He's now sleeping with the enemy: Market Equities's dangerous consultant, Sarah Atwood. (If that's even her real name!) Plus, if that wasn't enough trouble, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Park officers are going after Rip and his cowboys for accidentally killing endangered wolves. How will that bite Governor John Dutton™ in the ass? We'll just have to wait and find out.
"Me being Governor is throwing a wrench in about everything it could," Dutton tells Rip at the beginning of the episode, but says it's worth it just to get all that airport land back. It's cattle-branding season, people, and Rip must hire extra part-time workers to get the job done. John tells him they'll have to sleep outside, but that he'll be on the ranch to oversee it. This also means foregoing all Governor duties... which he's kind of already doing. "Cancel all the meetings that are scheduled, and don't schedule any more," Dutton tells his assistant. He plans to invite a news crew to "show the world who we are and what we do" in one fell swoop.
Dutton is also a bit confused about all the laws and restrictions about the wolf drama from U.S. Wildlife. So he tells Beth that Summer may be able to help him, since she tends to run with those circles in her work as a political activist. Beth, however, chides him for thinking with his you-know-what instead of his head. "They're no different than Dan Jenkins wanting a private club, or Market Equities wanting their f*cking airport," Beth says. "They want the land, Dad. That is all you need to understand."
Later on in the episode, Beth tells Rip to stay out in the tents with the hired help. During some playful banter, she jokes about flying off to Las Vegas for a night at the Wynn if he doesn't want her to stay. Just this past week, Paramount announced that it'll host the red carpet premiere of 1923—the Yellowstone spinoff series set to debut on December 18—at that exact same hotel. It's a Yellowstone easter egg for the smallest audience possible, sure. But as part of said small audience, I burst out laughing.
Back at Kayce and Monica's home, the couple is still grieving the loss of their unborn child. Monica urges Kayce not to quit his job and to get back to work—even though he worries that his day-to-day operations get in the way of being there for his family. Monica tells Kayce that she loves him. He responds, "Never doubt it." Kayce arrives back on the Dutton ranch and John calls him "his only son."
From there, we immediately cut to Jamie's new dilemma. Sarah Atwood says that their sexual relationship would force him to excuse himself from representing the state in cases against Market Equities. "Is that why you did it?" Jamie asks her. She doesn't deny it. Jamie adds that the state would hire outside council for that kind of litigation anyway. So if that's why she slept with him? It was all for nothing. Atwood proceeds to strip in his office, teasing him about being unprofessional. Yellowstone! I can't tell if she's winning this psychosexual political battle, but knowing Jamie? He's probably losing.
At night, the Dutton family has the big dinner we were anticipating for Thanksgiving last week—and it's one of the best dinner scenes in the show's entire run. (Which is saying a lot.) Their private chef, whose name is Gator by the way, brings out a big feast of game. Summer is disgusted! She calls venison a poor deer who was minding its own business and calls doves "the bird of peace." Kayce says the "doves taste good" and Monica laughs at how awkward the whole situation is. Is there no one else in Montana for John to fall in love with? Beth invites Summer to take a walk and John urges the "girls" to calm down. "Girls?!" they reply in unison, quickly leaving the table.
Outside, Beth socks Summer two good ones in the face. Knocked to the ground, Beth clobbers her even more until her face is red with blood. Making his way outside, Rip gives them some moral lesson about choosing words instead of violence. Sure, this is the same guy who brands people and makes them fight, gladiator-style, for dominance in the bunkhouse, but whatever! He tells Summer to "shut the f*ck up and say thank you" that they would even offer her food, when there are people in the world who are starving. Then he suggests that they figure out how to get along. "Just stand here and trade [punches] until one of you has had enough," he says. There's our Rip. Battered and bloody, they return to the dinner table, ruining the night. If the Duttons were ever going to learn about what Summer preaches versus what they preach (and vice versa), it seems only one of those things is going to happen this episode—and it's Yellowstone versus the world.
John and Rip share a little after-dinner whiskey, and John talks about how "cowards rule the world" with their "coward rules and coward customs." He thought Beth would calm down as she got older, but she seems to only get more wild with each passing year. "You know, I've got one child I miss, one child I pity, and one I regret," John says. "But that girl, that child I envy." Before dawn breaks in the morning, the Dutton family heads out to brand the cattle. Beth tells Summer to take a walk around the ranch while they're gone. "Tell me if there is a forest in America in better shape or more loved. Then tell me I'm the enemy," Beth says. Well, far in the background, we see that the dry season has created a big wildfire. Can someone check on that?
