Yellowstone “Tall Drink Of Water” Episode Recap: John & Rip Flashback, Beth Lands A Deal & Kayce & Monica’s Family Drama
The Yellowstone season 5's "Tall Drink of Water" was packed with flashbacks and modern-day drama that culminated in an arrest for a pivotal character.
- “Tall Drink of Water” features a flashback to young John Dutton facing a wolf attack, igniting ranchers’ anger towards government wildlife policies.
- Beth closes a deal in Salt Lake City, setting up the downfall of her biggest rival, but attracts unsavory characters who seek revenge.
- Monica and Kayce cope with their grief in different ways, while Jamie faces legal complications and is invited to dinner by Sarah Atwood.
The Yellowstone season 5 episode “Tall Drink of Water” was packed with flashback action and present-day drama that all culminated in an arrest for an important character. Premiering in 2018, Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone stars Kevin Costner as John Dutton, the patriarch of the ranching family who deals with familial strife and the trials and tribulations of being a rancher in the 21st century. An immediate smash hit, the series earned a host of spinoffs that continue to explore the history of the Dutton clan with plenty of Wild West action to go around.
Yellowstone‘s fifth and final season premiered in late 2022, and it was intentionally split into two distinct halves, with the second part intended to be released in late 2023. However, Yellowstone season 5, part 2 has been affected by the SAG-AFTRA strike, and its originally intended release date is in jeopardy. Regardless, the first half of the show’s ultimate season went off without a hitch, and many of the episodes were jam-packed with enticing drama that helped to set up for a shocking final half-season. Yellowstone season 5, episode 3, “Tall Drink of Water” was one such example, and has crucial implications for the future of the Duttons.
A Young John & Rip Flashback Has Consequences In The Present Day
“Tall Drink of Water” opens with a trip to the past, as a young John Dutton (played by Josh Lucas) rides out looking for his scattered cattle only to discover his livestock has been attacked by wolves. To rectify the problem, a town meeting is called where many ranchers voice their frustration at the government’s attempts to integrate non-native wolf species near their land. The local Fish & Wildlife representative attempts to advocate for the wolves’ innocence, but a late-arriving John Dutton confirms that it was indeed wolves that were responsible for the cattle mutilation. This infuriates the ranchers who vow to take matters into their own hands.
In the present day, Rip (Cole Hauser) is visited by Fish & Wildlife agents who explain that wolves that they have been tracking were on the ranch for three days before they disappeared. Rip proclaims his ignorance but agrees to accompany the agents as they follow the wolves’ digital signal down a trail. The ride reaches a pass that is too dangerous to cross, and it is also quite near to where the wolves killed in the previous episode, “The Sting of Wisdom”, were buried. The political implications of Governor John Dutton ordering the killing of endangered wolves could spell his political undoing.