Happy Wednesday, Yellowstone fans; we’re halfway through the first work week of the new year and still examining every piece of the midseason finale of everyone’s favorite cowboy drama in our downtime. While pain and struggle were plentiful where we last left the Dutton family, many situations in the episode also allowed viewers to learn more about some of our favorite characters. We saw the critical moment that a specific character was branded and felt the weight of what that meant, and states away, we saw the blossoming new life for one of our beloved ranch hands. The bunkhouse boys are examining both of those circumstances in a new YouTube video, and you know what that means: it’s time to grab your Yellowstone-loving bestie because we’re riding in.
Jefferson White explains that domestic life for Jimmy is a blessing
Jefferson White says that domestic life is something Jimmy is really enjoying, and as fans were able to see in a few stolen moments between himself and his wife (yes, a wedding happened in Waco that fans weren’t made privy to) being a husband and family man looks good on Jimmy.
“Jimmy’s lifestyle down there is very different than his lifestyle up in Montana. You know, he’s a — he’s a family man. Now for Jimmy, THAT’S the first time in his life he’s ever had the opportunity to settle into a rhythm and a domestic lifestyle. And I think he loves it.”
Jimmy loving his new way of life almost feels like an understatement. As Jimmy and Emily sat on a bench beside their home, they cuddled together, and Jimmy began rubbing her feet after a long day. It was something that felt as comfortable to them as anything like this was a peek into how they end all of their days together, slow and with love for one another.
Emily can match Jimmy’s quick wit and humor; she can sit with him in moments of triumph and heartache and encourage him to be the best version of himself, not just the shiny version of who she thinks he should be.
We’ve still got a lot to learn about these two as a couple and about living that domestic life Jimmy, but we love the peek into it that we’ve received so far.
The bunkhouse boys examine this character’s brand and what it means for the ranch hands
Of course, one of the most epic moments in the midseason finale is when audiences were invited into the conversation that happened just before Rip Wheeler received his brand. John, Lloyd, and Rip sat down together in a flashback when Rip was still an eager teenager; he’d just taken the life of another hand who was talking inappropriately about Beth. He didn’t set out to kill him, and John Dutton knew that, but he still made Rip face the music.
John also knew, at that moment, that Rip would protect the family with everything he had, so it was time for a decision to be made. Would Rip take on the brand? Would he wear the hooked Y and pledge his loyalty?
“You find out real fast whose willing to ride for the brand when they learn they got to wear it.”
Rip, willing and eager to ride for the brand, soon walked back to the bunkhouse with Lloyd, a branded man, and Ian Bohen said it’s one of the show’s most crucial origin stories.
“Incredibly important origin story of Yellowstone is the branding of Rip. You’re committing yourself to this ranch. Pretty standard. Something really awful happened if you want us to take care of you pledge allegiance, and it is.”
Richards says that taking on the brand as a character means you’ve ended up in a moral grey area, to say the least. It’s not something that happens to the ranch hand who can break a horse the fastest or wakes up the earliest for chores; it’s reserved for those who are taking a blood oath to the Duttons.
As an actor, it’s also a significant moment in the Yellowstone universe. If you’re a branded member of the bunch, you have a moment to stop and take a breath; it’s solidifying in a way.
“You clearly have done something terrible, right? But like at a moral level — it’s not great, but as an actor, you feel like you can like settle in a little bit.”
Having White, Bohen, and Richards settle in at the ranch is a gift fans don’t take for granted. They breathe life into some of our favorite characters across the entertainment industry as a whole, and their bond on screen is only made better by their friendship behind the scenes.
Jefferson White calls working at the 6666 Ranch in Texas the best experience
Jimmy may be a ranch hand at the Yellowstone and wear the brand for the Dutton family, but fans know his current setup is at the 6666 Ranch in Texas. Everything is different in Texas, and not just for Jimmy; it’s a different experience for the man who plays him too.
“It’s a very exciting new opportunity for Jimmy and for me to get to go to Texas to get to spend time at the four sixes. It’s a historical — like real life, one of the largest cattle ranches in the world. These guys who really work and live down there have committed their lot to this ranch; keeping up with these guys is very, very difficult.”
As fans saw, the change in location for Jimmy has helped him in every sense of the word. He’s more confident now than when we saw him in Montana. That is likely from the real-life experience he’s getting working alongside the incredibly talented hands down in Texas. Taylor Sheridan, the showrunner, is one owner of the 6666 Ranch in Texas now, and the cowboys you see alongside Jimmy in the scenes are authentic.
“When we’re up in Montana, the ratio of actors to cowboys, you know — there are a lot of scenes where there are seven actors and four cowboys. When I’m working at the 6666 Ranch, sometimes there are two actors, and a lot of times, if we’re doing cowboy work, there’s one actor and 30 cowboys. It’s like the best learning opportunity I could possibly imagine.”
It’s a beautiful sentiment to know that the actors are not just providing us with an incredible television series but crafting a hell of a personal experience along the way.