With John Dutton's death officially behind us, how does Yellowstone season 5 move forward? At least in Yellowstone season 5 episode 10, much the same as this entire season has: at a slow pace with as much emphasis on the legacy and future of the cowboy as there is on the actual plot of the show.
Taylor Sheridan has had a theme for this season since the very beginning, and he did not let the exit of Kevin Costner impact his plan as we see in this episode, "The Apocalypse of Change." The potential final season of the show will stay a slow burn for now, but with plenty simmering just underneath the surface for Beth (Kelly Reilly), Kayce (Luke Grimes) and Jamie (Wes Bentley).
Read on for our full recap of Yellowstone season 5 episode 10.
Down in Texas
This episode picks up before John's death, as we check in with the Yellowstone crew down in Texas. As the cowboys wake up, Rip (Cole Hauser) notices Teeter (Jen Landon) is not out of bed. When he goes to check on her she is trembling, whispering a rattlesnake is on top of her. Rip grabs the snake and kills it, then chastises Teeter for not keeping her tent closed. When they find more snakes in Teeter's tent, they realize they're camped on a snake den. Rip says they'll have to move camps.
Another surprise arrival is on the way, as Beth speeds down a Texas highway to her husband. A little too fast, as she gets pulled over. She readies to use her feminine charms on the officer, only to find out its a female officer and her tactics are moot. However, when she says she's visiting her husband at the Four Sixes ranch, the officer has a new found respect for Beth and asks that she thank Rip. When Beth asks why, the officer says this is cattle country, they know how important the work cowboys do is to getting food on the table.
When Beth arrives at camp, she tells Rip she has a hotel for them to stay at. Rip says he can't leave the others, but Beth won't take no for an answer. She offers the cowboys the chance to fly whoever they want down the next weekend so she and Rip can have a night away from camp. The cowboys take the deal, assuring Rip they have everything under control.
At the hotel, Beth learns this is Rip's first time out of Montana. She imagines all the places they could go if they weren't shackled to the ranch. But Rip says he's "shackled" there by choice and isn't interested in traveling. But he is up for dancing, as the pair go down to the bar. There Beth takes note that Four Sixes has its own vodka (nice cross promotion there Mr. Sheridan) and how there are no tourists around, just people who are there for the cattle industry. Rip asks what she has cooking in her head? She's not sure yet, but there's definitely something.
Cowboy up
Without warning, we cut back to the present (after John's death). Rip talks with Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith), who is struggling to train their new colt. He asks if they're getting into the fight with whoever killed John? Rip says yes, as soon as they can figure out who they're fighting and how best to do that. Rip asks about Carter (Finn Little), who Lloyd says is in the bunkhouse, taking John's death hard.
Rip talks with him. Carter says everyone in his life has quit him, with John being the latest. Rip insists he shouldn't believe what he heard on the news, but regardless he'll always have a home on the ranch. In the meantime, he needs to cowboy up and get back to work, as sitting around isn't going to make things better. Carter admits he wanted to be like John. Rip says a lot of people did, but no has been able to do it.
Beth takes a harder approach when she realizes Summer (Piper Perabo) is still at the house; "I forgot all about you" (which most fans could say after all that's been going on with this show). Summer still believes she is under house arrest, but Beth points out that was just John's way of making sure she stayed; she's been a free woman since he took her out of prison. Beth doesn't want her there anymore, so she drives her down to the barn, refuses to care about what she has to say and tells her to hitch a ride out of there.
Rip ends up taking her to the airport, a little more willing to hear her opine about her time on the ranch. She notes that in two generations Rip's job won't even exist. He tells her about John Deere, how they originally made wagons but when the engine was invented pivoted to tractors. He and the cowboys will have to do the same, roll with the changes.
Memory or anger?
Kayce arrives at his family's new home, which they fully refurbished. Monica (Kelsey Asbille) consoles him for John's loss and offers to come with him when he says needs to be at the main ranch for a while. Kayce then takes a walk with Tate (Brecken Merrill).
Kayce aks what Tate wants to do when he grows up? Tate hasn't thought about it, always believing that working the ranch was the most likely outcome. Kayce says if Tate wants to continue the legacy that John was protecting, he'll work to see that happen. But Tate isn't sure he wants to run the ranch the way John did, seeing as it got him killed. He's more interested in their smaller land they now call home.
When Kayce asks if there's anything else Tate wants to say about John, he says he doesn't understand why this all happened. Kayce promises to tell him the whole story later, but right now he has to decide if he is going to remember how John lived or how he died; to miss him or be mad at him. Tate chooses to miss him. Kayce agrees.
The stare down
Jamie (Wes Bentley) hopes to use work to push through his complicated feelings about John's death. But those plans immediately go off the rails as Beth is waiting for him in his office. Beth slaps him and demands he look at her. When he doesn't she slaps him again, yet he still doesn't meet her gaze. She knows why he can't look at her, but gives him one more chance. When he doesn't, she tells him the next time he looks at her it will be the last thing that he ever sees.
As Beth leaves she runs into Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) and Ellis (John Emmet Tracy). After Sarah openly taunts her, Beth grabs her by the throat and shoves her against the wall, but Sarah just laughs. As soon as she leaves, Beth calls Kayce and confirms it was Jamie that killed John, with the help of Sarah.
This gets Kayce truly angry, biting his lip and making it bleed as he tries to constrain his rage. He calls an old army buddy now working in the private sector and asks who he might know that would run this kind of operation; he promises to look into it. Monica then talks to Kayce, but her husband tries to assure her he's OK. Monica lets him go for now, but when she's back with Tate she stresses that they have to make sure they don't lose Kayce from everything that is happening.
Back in Jamie's office, he says Beth will fight their efforts to restore Market Equities' lease, likely finding something that will complicate things, but he believes they'll be able to start building again in a year. Ellis is pleased with Jamie's work and promises to back him when he runs for governor in the special election. After Ellis leaves, Jamie tells Sarah Beth knows what they did, but Sarah isn't worried. Jamie won, and now its time for the new king to feast on the spoils of his kingdom; in this moment, Sarah, as he unzips her dress.
New episodes of Yellowstone premiere Sundays on Paramount Network in the US, Mondays on Paramount Plus in the UK.
