Happy Wednesday, all you Yellowstone fans out there. We’re less than two weeks away from the highly anticipated season five premiere of everyone’s favorite cowboy drama, and Taylor Sheridan’s realm is growing at an incredible rate. From the debut of 1923, happening in December, to the growth and changes on the horizon in the new episodes — there’s a lot to talk about in both an exciting and haunting way.
With the new season just days away, some of the stars of Yellowstone are sharing insight into what’s on the menu for their characters in season five, and it’s not all delicious appetizers and entrees. The characters we love and those we loathe are in for their biggest struggles yet. You know the drill from here, grab your Yellowstone-loving besties and your parka of choice, and let’s ride in!
Wes Bentley talks John Dutton and their troubled relationship
Wes Bentley is Yellowstone’s Jamie Dutton and a powerhouse of a character in the cowboy drama we all know and love. Jamie is also one of the most divisive characters in the series, and he’s got a bad habit of making decisions based on emotion rather than a healthy thought process. That way of life isn’t something only Jamie partakes in, but it’s certainly one he knows well.
At least, he knew it well. In a chat with TVLine, Bentley spoke about his actions in season five and how Jamie is more thoughtful before he acts in season five, but that not everyone is following suit.
“John’s trying to blow it all up. That becomes a clash of state versus corporate power — ironically, with John as the state. There’s definitely some shady business. Jamie tries to convince John and Beth they could use, rather than break or bend, the law to do the things they want to do. But they’re a blunt object.”
In fact, Jamie says that John’s biggest enemy this season is himself.
“You could argue John is his own worst enemy at this point.”
John Dutton has been many things throughout the series so far, and it’ll be interesting to see how he navigates this new role and its ability to turn him against himself.
Cole Hauser on Rip and Beth’s love story
While Bentley’s comments about season five aren’t exactly full of sunshine and rainbows, Cole Hauser did give fans a treat as he spoke about his relationship with Kelly Reilly’s Beth Dutton. The two finally celebrated their marriage in season four, so we’ll be greeting them as (sort of) newlyweds when the series starts up again.
Hauser says he knows what it is that makes fans love them so much.
“They’ve known each other for so long, there’s this kind of almost childish playfulness between the two of them that you just fall in love with.”
As we’ve said before, Rip brings out a vulnerability in Beth that no one else evokes within her, and she provides Rip a place to be taken care of and to feel a life-affirming love. We can’t wait to see more as new episodes return soon.
Gil Birmingham shares Chief Rainwater’s biggest fears
The new season is also bringing changes for Gil Birmingham’s Chief Thomas Rainwater, someone we’ve seen grow in many ways since the debut of the series. Rainwater has seen the highs and lows of what it means to be associated with the Dutton name, and he’s made decisions that others would see as impossible to come to terms with.
Of course, he must put first the safety and well-being of his people, and in several ways, it’s led him to be a friend of the Dutton family instead of foe. However, John’s new job and another new addition to the reservation will lead him to face heartbreaking choices this season.
Birmingham says it’s all new territory for Rainwater.
“This season throws a curveball for Thomas. John’s acquiring leverage and makes decisions with major repercussions for Rainwater. He has a new opponent on the reservation trying to undermine his position. It’s a difficult choice — which path Rainwater follows. He becomes more rattled.”
Of course, Rainwater won’t be going at it alone as Mo Brings Plenty, or Mo on the series has been promoted to a series regular. Standing tall as Rainwater’s right-hand man, Mo is always there to give him somewhere to feel safe enough to explore every option on the table. Here’s hoping his options will give John Dutton the wherewithal to realize how meaningful their relationship is.
Yellowstone rewind: season three, episodes eight and nine
“I Killed A Man Today” and “Meaner Than Evil” are two of the most intense episodes of season three, and rightfully so. Taking place during one of the most tumultuous times in Yellowstone’s history, there’s a lot to unpack within both.
Monica is seen in a state we rarely see her in, fragile and vulnerable, as she experiences something dangerous and frightening as she takes a ride after her car broke down on the side of the road. When the man driving her makes her get out of the car, it’s soon realized that he plans to attack her. Monica is strong and fights him off to the best of her abilities, but she’s soon saved by Mo, shooting the man who has her pinned to the ground. In the moments after that, when she’s home in the safety of her space, we see her sharing in a safe place with Kayce.
Of course, it’s not the only attack of the episode. Fans also see Teeter and Colby get attacked by Wade and his men as they’re together in the river. Narrowly escaping death, the two share their first kiss and bond on a fundamental level. When they return to the ranch, the other cowboys soon realize that it’s time for revenge; but it will come at a cost.
In “Meaner Than Evil,” we see the repercussions of the events in “I Killed A Man Today,” and they’re next level. The ranch hands go after Wade for revenge, and it’s as bloody as you’d expect. Wade wears the Yellowstone brand, and if you are great at putting two and two together, you probably know that John’s not taking kindly to someone who wears the brand and would attack the ranch.
Rip tells the ranch hands that they wanted this, so they’ve got to know the cost of revenge; it’s their time to make the big moves. Wade’s brand is cut off of his chest, and it’s a message to anyone who would mess with the family again.
There’s a lot more to unpack in both episodes, but if you’re looking at the stand-out moments, those are definitely ones that impact not just the third season but the series as a whole in the future. You don’t mess with the Yellowstone and walk away unscathed, but you also aren’t a part of the Yellowstone without shouldering some of that weight.