These days, Yellowstone is less about the Duttons than I’d like, but on Yellowstone Season 4 Episode 4, we got a couple of touching familial moments.
Despite John’s focus on discovering why the hit was put on his family, that avenue seems to have dried up entirely, leaving a gaping hole in the narrative that won’t be filled. It’s as if we’ve already moved on. It’s unlikely we’ll ever go back.
Don’t forget that you can get a full recap by clicking the link above because we’re about to get tangential for the review.
There was a lot of action in the bunkhouse as petty antics are forcing Rip to do things he doesn’t enjoy.
It’s awful when you’re always proven right in your less-than-savory opinions, but people let Rip down too easily. Whether it’s Lloyd, Walker, or Carter, the man tries to drive men to do the right thing, and it doesn’t always work.
Rip’s super disappointed in Carter. While he saw Beth as a ray of light in his youth, Carter is missing that connection, and he will suffer if he doesn’t change course.
But he’s a kid who is struggling to understand what’s right and good in the world, so for now, he gets a pass as he weathers that storm. Lloyd doesn’t get such a pass, though.
Walker was a pain in the ass when he arrived, but he earned his stripes eventually. But women in the bunkhouse put a strain on everyone. It’s ridiculous and petty, especially since Laramie isn’t exactly the catch of the century.
Recently, it’s seemed that Walker is hoping to put the animosity between him and Lloyd on the back burner. He even went so far as to take Teeter’s kitchen sink dinner over to Lloyd.
Maybe I missed something, but that seemed like a gesture of kindness on Walker’s part. Sure, he felt rebuffed when Lloyd didn’t accept it graciously, but it didn’t seem like the tipping point it turned out to be.
Rip looks to Lloyd to keep that bunkhouse operating smoothly. Hell, he’s the oldest man on the job and knows how the Yellowstone works. Unfortunately for him, Rip treated him accordingly.
What’s the rule about fighting, Lloyd? Huh? God damn you for making me do this.
Rip
I’m ready for that dynamic to change. For a second, I thought Rip would order the women out of the bunkhouse, but for now, they’re staying put. Except for Mia, who has promised to ride out and get back to rodeoing. She’s adrift without Jimmy, who is adrift in Texas.
As much as I don’t need to follow Jimmy to Texas until he’s got a spinoff, at least Travis had a few distractions.
His comment about Road House cracked me up. Can we please see someone on the show with a mullet? Does it have to make a comeback in culture to make a comeback through Taylor Sheridan?
And the nod to Sam Elliott sure felt, ah, Meta since he’s already part of the family with 1883.
But the best advice he gave Jimmy and why Jimmy probably hasn’t had success so far with wrangling was about a cowboy’s relationship to his horse.
Anyone who grew up in the beginning of the 20th Century knew that relationship was special. Shows about men and their horses were all over the place. You cannot survive in the west without a symbiotic relationship between man and horse.
Given that discussion and the sheer size of the 6666, that appears to be what will drive Jimmy’s arc. That said, I don’t need to check in with Jimmy throughout the short season.
How many times do we have to say goodbye?
The attack has done nothing to smooth Beth’s rough edges. She’s angrier and easier to set off than ever. Caroline takes a similar approach to Roarke’s by wooing her with compliments about her business acumen while simultaneously making threats.
Caroline: Stubbornness is not a business strategy, Beth. It’s how you lose the ranch all together. You’re smart enough to know that.
Beth: Oh, I know it, and if we still own it by the time my father dies, you’re my first call. But in the meantime, his dream is my Alamo, and I will die on the fuckin’ wall defending it.
It’s Market Equities’ connection to Schwartz & Meyer that keeps Beth from tossing the woman off the edge of the cliff, and it doesn’t take a soothsayer to see that Caroline will accept Beth’s offer.
Letting go of Schwartz & Meyer is easy when it means you’ll have Beth’s angry dog with a bone style securing her Montana’s Aspen or Breckenridge.
It was heartbreaking when Beth realized she wasn’t a peaceful person. The look on her face was tragic.
How that spurred her to realize she has to get her dad laid is beyond me, but John’s reaction to her suggestion was worth it. He’s having some trouble with their man-to-man talks.
Beth is a man’s woman, though, and she’s more comfortable with their ilk than any other. John should be proud of her strength, even if it can get a little embarrassing when she’s very comfortable.
Rip knows what he’s got with her, that’s for sure. He’s laying it down with Carter to get on her good side, which is a very comfortable place for him to be, so he knows what he’s talking about.
What a fuckin’ mess you’ve made of your last second chance. Life is a lesson, boy, one long lesson, but you’ve got to look to learn them, and you ain’t fuckin’ lookin’!
Rip
Nobody celebrated Rip’s life, so Beth procured him a birthday — September 28. She wants to celebrate the man she loves. She doesn’t need a day for that, but it’s super sweet that she was so adamant.
Kayce’s still got his hands full with Monica and Tate. I’ve stood up for her in the past, but I’m ready for her to start divorce proceedings. She sours the mood every time we see her.
She’s never been as giddy as she was when she got the OK to go home. And that’s cool. She deserves to be happy. But so do we and Kayce, and that just seems like it won’t happen if they remain married.
We need to talk about Kayce and Jamie, who turned my heart to mush.
Kayce hasn’t lost faith in his brother, and it’s keeping John from losing faith, too. Jamie was overjoyed at the idea John trusted him enough to handle their affairs personally.
Kayce: He doesn’t want some state’s attorney, Jamie. He wants you.
Jamie: He wants me to do it?
Kayce: Yeah. The only people you can trust is family. Will you do it?
Jamie: Of course, I’ll do it.
Kayce: Thank you. I love you, brother.
Jamie: I love you.
If you ever thought that Garrett was taking John’s place in Jamie’s mind, that exchange should set your mind at ease.
That doesn’t mean that it will be easy for him now that he knows, as we all have known, that his father is responsible for the attack on his family.
The love that Kayce and Jamie share shows that Jamie still wants to be a part of that family no matter what. But the early promos for Yellowstone Season 4 indicate that Jamie will take the brunt of the fallout over Garrett’s actions.
Does that mean that Jamie will hold back vital information from the family he loves to protect the man who sired him? It seems likely, but I’d like to think he’ll have poor timing rather than seriously considering to sweep what he knows under the rug.
We don’t think there’s a snowball’s chance in hell that Garrett’s name on the roommates’ list won’t bear fruit, do we?
I sure don’t. Garrett is guilty. How it all plays out remains to be seen.
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Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.