Top 10 Yellowstone Scenes That Went Too Far
The Top 10 Most Important Moments in 'Yellowstone,' Ranked
A not-so-leisurely walk down memory lane.
To be a Yellowstone fan is to agonize over the Dutton family’s latest feud, suffer endless cliffhanger endings and white-knuckle your way through seriously high-stakes political gamesmanship. One moment, you’re rooting for Beth and Rip’s happy ending; the next, you’re wondering whether Jamie is the real victim here, after all. A lot has gone down in the Dutton family over the course of the show’s five seasons, so we’re running back the greatest hits. Below, we mark the biggest, most important moments in Yellowstone history, and rank them according to how well they define this world we now call the Dutton-verse.
These scenes spotlight the Dutton dynasty in all their dysfunctional glory. There are fights, reconciliations, deaths and a lifetime’s worth of come-to-Jesus moments. They’ll make you laugh, cry and question everything you thought John Dutton stood for. But, hey, if you don’t love the Duttons at their worst, you certainly don’t deserve them at their best.
#10: Beth Sticks Up For Monica
It may seem like small fry compared to that time Monica (Kelsey Asbille) volunteered as bait to catch a serial killer, but her and Beth‘s (Kelly Reilly) surprising bonding moment in Season 2, Episode 9 is crucial. When a saleswoman at a boutique racially profiles Monica, leading the cops to come and strip-search her for stolen goods, Beth goes off in defense of her sister-in-law. Despite her tough exterior, Beth makes a habit of protecting the innocent. And the moment serves as a poignant reminder of the vast chasm between Monica’s experience and that of all other Dutton women.
#9: Kayce Opens Up About His War Guilt
In Season 2, Episode 5, we get some insight into how Kayce‘s (Luke Grimes) time as a decorated Navy SEAL changed him. He tells John (Kevin Costner) a heartbreaking story about a warlord in Pakistan who used his wife and child as human shields, spraying Kayce’s soldiers with bullets. Rather than risk more of his own men’s lives, Kayce made the call to fire on the entire family. “Soldiers don’t tell war stories anymore, dad,” he says with tears in his eyes. “‘Cause wars these days… it’s just about trying to live through them.”
#8: Beth Nearly Shoots Herself in the Car
That Season 1, Episode 5 car ride from hell may just be the sweetest moment sworn enemies Beth and Jamie (Wes Bentley) have ever shared. Beth tells Jamie that he’s never suffered loss, and she threatens to shoot herself. He thinks she’s bluffing, but she pulls the trigger. She misses and starts crying. In a weird heart-to-heart, Jamie tells her almost tenderly, “If hating me keeps you from hating yourself, I’ll be that for you.” Their mutual hatred sustains them.
#7: John Expels Jamie From the Ranch
In the first part of Yellowstone‘s Season 1 finale, “The Unravelling,” John’s disappointment in Jamie comes to a head. When Jamie refuses to drop out of the Attorney General race, John socks him in the face and bans him from the Yellowstone until he starts putting the family above his own interests. Jamie will eventually withdraw his bid, but the seeds of his dangerous discontent are sown in this scene.
#6: Rip Saves Beth
Malcolm Beck’s henchmen storm Beth’s office in Season 2, Episode 7, killing her assistant and beating her badly. Rip
#5: Jamie Kills His Biological Father
When Beth learns in the Season 4 finale that Jamie’s birth father Garrett Randall put the hits out on the Duttons, she gives her brother three choices: She turns him in for attempted murder, she lets Rip tear him to pieces or he kills Randall himself. Jamie chooses patricide and Beth snaps a photo of him dumping Randall’s body at the train station. It’s the ultimate leverage. “You should’ve picked options one or two,” she says. “‘Cause you’re f*****n’ mine now.”
