Yellowstone has always been an exciting story about family, power and getting even—but in Season 5, Part 1, the stakes are even higher. The Dutton family, which used to be one, is now split up by fights within the family, dangerous secrets and an impending political crisis. Governor John Dutton’s job is in danger and his son Jamie is a key player in a situation that could destroy everything the Duttons have worked for. The question still stands: Will John’s rule as governor last? And can the Dutton family keep their ranch together when there are enemies all around?
Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 1: One Hundred Years Is Nothing
John Dutton (Kevin Costner) won the hard-fought Montana governor’s race at the start of Season 5. He never wanted the job, but he took it to protect the Yellowstone Ranch. But now that John is in office, everyone is watching everything he does. This is especially true for the powerful Market Equities, who see the Duttons as the biggest problem in their plan to make Montana a tourist destination.
Market Equities wants to break up the Dutton family from the inside, and Jamie is the weakest link in the chain, so they go after him. At the same time, the Dutton family goes through a personal tragedy when Monica, who is now pregnant with John’s name-bearer, is in a car accident. The baby dies in the crash, which also includes a buffalo. The family is still in grief over the terrible loss, which adds to the emotional weight of the episode.
Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 2: The Sting of Wisdom
John’s political plans change when he starts to stop Market Equities’ plans with his newfound power. John’s children, Beth and Jamie, work together to get the state to stop funding the company’s development project. This is a smart move. At the same time, Monica and Kayce are dealing with the death of their son. Monica is planning the funeral and asking that the baby be buried on the ranch.
Rip (Cole Hauser) and Beth (Kelly Reilly) are taking care of a young orphan named Carter at Yellowstone Ranch. Carter has his own problems to deal with. He goes on a cattle run with the ranch hands, but things go badly when one of the horses breaks its leg and the cowboys have to put it down. At the episode’s end, Ryan and Colbie kill government-tagged wolves by accident while on a hunt, which could hurt John’s new reputation as governor.
Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 3: Tall Drink of Water
While Sarah and Ellis, two lawyers for Market Equities—plan to hurt the Duttons, they have their sights set on Jamie. But Jamie’s personal life falls apart when he starts dating Sarah. At the same time, Kayce quits his job as livestock commissioner to spend more time with his family after the loss of his child. This means that John has to find a new place to bury their son, which is not easy.
Beth’s war against Market Equities doesn’t end yet. She sold her share in Schwartz & Meyer and put the ranch’s land in a conservation easement, which stops the company from building on it. But things get worse when Beth’s rash actions start a fight in a bar, which she is arrested for and Jamie has to break up.
Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 4: Horses in Heaven
When Beth finds out about Jamie’s secret son— she loses control of her behavior and has a violent outburst that makes their already troubled relationship even worse. While Fish & Wildlife looks into the dead wolves, John is under political pressure, which could hurt his credibility as governor. He asks former Governor Lynelle for help when he is feeling weak, and she tells him to hire an environmental advisor.
When Beth finds out that Jamie is seeing Sarah, the lawyer for Market Equities, she becomes even more angry at him. In the meantime, Jamie’s relationship with Sarah continues, and Sarah tells him that her ultimate goal is to make Jamie governor— which would remove John from office and bring back Market Equities’ plans.
Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 5: Watch ‘Em Ride Away
John and his family are going horseback riding for a few days to herd cattle while Yellowstone gets ready for its annual branding trip. They get to know each other better and Beth has a chance to face her past and the many problems she still hasn’t solved. It all comes to a head on this trip: her broken relationship with her father, her grief over her losses and the complicated way she gets along with her family. Beth and Summer, John’s secret lover, have a huge fight at the end of the ride, which leads to a confrontation.
In the meantime, Market Equities is still giving the Duttons trouble. Sarah is trying to get Jamie to become more involved with the company, and Jamie is once again caught in the middle. But Jamie starts to fight back, which shows that he knows what she really wants.
Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 6: Cigarettes, Whiskey, a Meadow, and You
During their cattle drive, Rip and Beth have a rare moment of peace when he tells Beth about a quiet place he found that is free of painful memories of their past. But their brief respite doesn’t last long. When they get back to the ranch— John has to deal with the death of an old friend named Emmett. Emmett’s death serves as a reminder of how short life is.
As Jamie and Sarah’s relationship grows, the political unrest gets worse and Sarah tells everyone her ultimate plan: to remove John from office and make Jamie governor. Jamie isn’t sure at first, but the allure of power is too strong, and he agrees to her plan. At the same time, the president’s sudden arrival in Montana causes problems, especially with Rainwater, but John doesn’t seem to care.
Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 7: “The Dream Is Not Me.”
While the Dutton family is still ranching, tragedy strikes again when the bodies of stillborn buffalo calves are found. This makes John think that there may be an outbreak of brucellosis. It costs the Dutton family a lot of money because John rents land from the Four Sixes Ranch to keep his cattle safe. At the same time, Jamie keeps working to get John removed from office, even though political tensions are at their highest level.
At the end of the episode, John and Summer go to a country fair, where they might let people know about their —secret relationship. Today is a tense time because the Duttons feel like everything they’ve worked for is about to fall apart.
Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 8: “A Knife and No Coin.”
There is a dramatic turn at the end of the mid-season finale. When Jamie follows through with his plan to remove his father from office, the Montana legislature votes to do so. When Beth finds out that Jamie is using blackmail to get money from the family, her anger goes through the roof. This causes an explosive fight between her siblings. They reach a breaking point in their anger when they both think about killing the other, which is a scary thought for the whole family.
At the same time, Rip, Walker and other ranch hands leave for a year-long job at the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas. John then asks Kayce to take over his duties at Yellowstone. Kayce reluctantly agrees, which makes things even worse between the Dutton family members as they try to figure out what the future holds.
As Season 5, Part 1 comes to a close, Yellowstone has a lot of shocking turns that leave fans with more questions than answers. Will John Dutton be removed from office? Will Jamie lie to his family even more? And how will the Duttons get through all the personal and political problems that come up? The Duttons’ ability to keep their power and land is put to the ultimate test as the drama heats up. For sure, the second half of the season will be exciting, and we can’t wait to see how it all plays out.
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Yellowstone Season 5 (Part B) Returns: Episode 9 Premiere Date and What to Expect
