Yellowstone Recap: [Spoiler]'s Not Horsing Around With His Power Play
Saddle up, Yellowstone fans, because we are in for one hell of a bumpy ride. In Sunday’s episode, Garrett buttered up Christina to help Jamie run for governor… just as Lynelle was informing John that, what with her upcoming Senate bid and all, she’d be endorsing his adopted son for her old job. She was keenly aware that the two of them had issues, but if he wanted any hope of preserving their Montana, “he’s the devil we know” — that is, unless John himself wanted to run.
Ugh. John didn’t wanna do it, but dagnabbit, if that was what it would take to keep Jamie out of the governor’s office, fine, he’d run. He knew he’d have a lot to answer for, but he didn’t give a s—t. “‘Damn right I did it,’” he cracked, “is gonna be my campaign slogan.” And that was but one of the major twists of plot in “Keep the Wolves Close.” Read on, and we’ll go over all of the others.
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‘I JUST JACKED OFF A HORSE’
| Early on in the hour, over at the Four Sixes, an unwitting Jimmy was recruited by cute vet tech Emily (Nashville alum Kathryn Kelly) to… erm… well, the header for this section kinda says it all, doesn’t it? (Pictured is his priceless reaction.) Afterwards, she asked to buy him dinner, but he couldn’t let her do that. Because he had a girlfriend? Eh, he wasn’t sure about that. But he could buy Emily dinner, anyway. And as one of the few single-ish guys under 30 in the county, he was in high demand, apparently. Go, Jimmy!
At the Yellowstone, John advised Carter to make things right with Beth — or else. So he brought her flowers by way of apology. She was, as you’d expect, not impressed. Fellas who said they were sorry with flowers didn’t have the balls to say the actual words, she reckoned. But if he could promise to do what she told him the way that she told him to, and never lie to her, they were cool. An agreement reached, the youngster asked when he could give her flowers if not when he was sorry. “You give ’em for no reason, buddy,” she told him. “No reason at all.” Aw, Beth, ya secret softy, you!
‘FINE, I’LL JUST WORK CASES FOR UGLY WOMEN FROM HERE ON OUT’ | At Kayce’s new place, Monica remained touchy as hell about “Miss Pouty Lips” Avery. With good reason, it turned out. After Kayce and Mo tracked the stolen horses to the Bureau of Land Management, where they’d been picked up as mustangs, Avery confessed to Tate’s dad that she’d fallen for him the minute she’d seen him. Well, uh, he was married. “My f—king luck,” she sighed. Anyway, she couldn’t love him, Kayce figured. “God wouldn’t let you love something that can’t love you back.” Avery just laughed at that. “Yeah,” she scoffed, “He would.”
When Beth arrived at her office at Market Equities, her first order of business was to fire her right-hand man, who she rightly deduced was boinking the secretary. “I need my assistants to put all their efforts into not being p—sies,” she said. “I do not need them chasing it.” After beginning to redecorate her office so that it looked less gynecological, Beth attended a meeting during which she learned just how badly ME’s plans would decimate the Yellowstone. What? asked Ellis. “You said you’d turn [this place] into Park City. This is Park City.” Off that shocker, Beth, upon spotting Summer protesting a fur store, revealed what ME was up to. If Summer wanted to protest something that would really impact the environment, Beth said, the airport was it. Clever.
‘WHATEVER YOU SAY, BABY, JUST TAKE YOUR PANTS OFF’
| Back at the ranch, Teeter pleaded her case to John. The beef between Lloyd and Walker had nothing to do with her. Hell, even Laramie was just an excuse for it. Could he really can her after she’d been branded and told she had a forever home? “F—king scarred for life, it don’t mean nothing?” Turned out Rip had neglected to mention that Teeter had been branded. So John let her stay — Laramie, too. After Teeter gave Rip an awesomely awkward hug, he tapped the brand beneath his own shirt and reassured her that “hey, this means something.”
Meanwhile, Lloyd paid a visit to a pawn shop where he traded a one-of-a-kind belt buckle for… oh dear. It looked like he was gonna get a gun to finish the job his knife had started. But it turned out he was buying a guitar to replace the one of Walker’s that he’d busted. Did Lloyd have a request? Walker asked upon receiving the gift. “Just play me one,” said Lloyd. And the one that Walker sang pretty much brought everyone to tears. Fences mended.
‘IF IT’S PROGRESS YOU SEEK, DO NOT VOTE FOR ME’
| Called away from an evening with Rip — being sweeter than we’d ever seen him with Carter — Beth learned from John that he wanted the lot of them to move into the lodge. OK by her, but she wanted her dad to ask her fiancé. Yup, “I’m afraid you’re gonna take an emotional risk with another man,” she told John — by asking Rip what he’d like and then respecting the answer that he received. While still shaking in his boots, John revealed that he’d agreed to run for governor — but wanted Beth to get him out of it. Uh-uh, she said. He had to do it. This was the way to save the ranch without selling it. As governor, he could shut down the airport project and pass a law so Market Equities could never darken their doorstep again!
The next day, John told Rip that he was moving into the lodge, then realized, “That didn’t sound like a question, did it?” But the lodge, John said, was where family belonged. He was even fine with the stray kid — just no stray dogs. (Oh, speaking of which, off a suggestion from Mo, Kayce decided to name Tate’s four-legged friend Sunka — Lakota for “dog.”) As the episode drew to a close, Jamie excitedly headed for Lynelle’s press room, where he expected her to announce that she was endorsing him for governor. He didn’t even catch on when he saw John and Beth there. “We wouldn’t miss this for the world,” said John, in that moment as bitchy as ever Beth was. Poor Jamie thought they were there to support him… until Lynelle announced her choice for Montana’s next governor, and it was John who strode to the podium.
C’mon, Jamie’s a weasel, but you had to feel for him in that moment, right? Will he run against his adoptive dad? Will Kayce be tempted by Avery? Will Mia find herself s—t outta luck with Jimmy? Hit the comments with your thoughts/predictions/worries.
Launch Gallery: <i>Yellowstone</i> Season 4 Photos
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