It had been a long 441 days since Yellowstone ended on the mother of all cliffhangers, with an all-out assault on the Duttons. With a litany of unanswered questions about the fate of John, Beth and Kayce among others, fans of the Paramount series had been speculating and mulling over different theories as to who was behind the attacks and who would survive. With the first two episodes of the new season airing back-to-back this past Sunday, at least part of that question was answered, and the focus of this season, and more, began to take shape.
Before the title sequence of the episode “Half the Money,” our patience is rewarded with roughly 13 minutes of heart-pounding action that picks up directly where things last left off. Rip (Cole Hauser, 2 Fast 2 Furious) finds John (Kevin Costner, Man of Steel) clinging to life on the side of the road, having used his own blood to give a description of the van used in the shooting. Rip relays that information to Kayce (Luke Grimes, American Sniper) who has just narrowly survived an assault of his own. From there, it’s a race against time to save John’s life, and intercept the van, all while the Yellowstone itself is under siege.
Like a phoenix from the ashes, the unkillable Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly, Pride & Prejudice), emerges from the office explosion burned and bloody, but after she bums a cigarette and stares into the soul of the camera you know she is going to be alright; meanwhile, her enemies won’t be able to say the same for long. Once the barrage of bullets ends, and the fire and smoke begin to clear from the assaults, you are still left holding your breath as the theme begins to play, because while it would seem that the Dutton’s and the ranch have been victorious, they are far from unscathed.
In between that carnage, and what comes next, there is a bit of a teaser for the upcoming prequel series, Y:1883 in which Red Bear (Gregory Zaragoza, The Last of the Mohicans) asks James Dutton (Tim McGraw, Tomorrowland) for permission to bury his father on the land which was previously theirs. It may seem oddly placed, especially for the amount of tension that still existed to that point, but it likely connects to the remains and artifacts later found by Market Equities during construction, and it’s also brilliant to have a cross-over before the new show debuts on December 19.
Picking things up from the hospital two months later, John awakes from his coma and stubbornly has made his way into the hallway, surprising nurses and Beth. The writer, Taylor Sheridan continues to ramp up the anxiety regarding the fate of Kayce and Jimmy (Jefferson White, How to Get Away with Murder), with John asking Beth who they lost and her vaguely answering “define ‘lose.’” In truth, Jimmy is later seen rehabilitating at the same hospital from his riding accident, and Kayce manifests on the ranch in a full ghillie suit to greet his father once he is allowed to return home. So ultimately, for all the theatrics and uncertainty, the family lost no one.
On one hand, the cast of the series, and especially those that were in danger, are so good, it would have been a shame to lose any piece of it, but on the other, it does feel a little cheap and convenient for them not to suffer any losses. Perhaps the shocking death of Lee (Dave Annable, What/If) in the first season is still buying them that luxury, and there is still a long way to go in this story, but it is a legitimate grievance as well, considering the buildup. Instead, Roarke (Josh Holloway, Lost) gets the first taste of Dutton revenge in the form of Rip tossing a poisonous snake at him. As far as making the death look like an accident, that’s pretty genius, but there are some serious Hollywood liberties being taken with how quickly he seems to succumb to the bite.
The real damage caused to the Duttons may still be largely unexplored, because while they were left physically scarred, and Rip’s cabin was burned, Monica (Kelsey Asbille, Fargo) and Tate (Brecken Merrill) were put into a horrible position during the assault, with Tate having to take a life in order to save his mother. They were not shown again after the opening sequence, so it will be interesting to see how they handle that development. Additionally, there is looming suspicion, especially by Beth, that Jamie (Wes Bentley, Interstellar) was responsible. Though this is unlikely, that assumption has her more vindictive than ever. While she may seem unhinged at times, she’s still full of amazing quips and metaphors for herself, and without a doubt, she remains the most essential character for the continued success of the show.
Sheridan does make some interesting choices early on this season, like adding another child actor to the show with Carter (Finn Little, Those Who Wish Me Dead), who Rip reluctantly takes under his wing after Beth bonds with him at the hospital. Giving the couple the son that they could never have together, especially one that comes from a troubled past much like Rip’s, fits well in the overall story, but the timing is highly suspect. No matter how bad off his circumstances are, bringing him on to the ranch that was recently overrun with hired killers and still has a looming threat seems ill-advised at best.
Sheridan also appears again in the second episode, “Phantom Pain,” as Travis, whom John wants to have ride for them on the circuit to help establish the Yellowstone brand as one synonymous with horses. It makes sense to extend the ranch’s reach beyond the state, and ward off future combatants, but investing millions in this particular venture, again with everything happening at the moment, seems like a storyline that only serves to keep an element of cowboying involved in the show that’s clearly backed itself into an action-forward corner.
The series would still stand up, even if it lived more consistently in that element, mixed with legal and family drama, but especially beginning with Season 2, the action and violence began to factor heavily into the story. That element is going to have to play all the way out before they can move things in another direction, if they choose to do so. Right now, there are still a ton of unanswered questions and potential enemies to uncover.
Did Jamie or his biological father Garrett (Will Patton, The Postman) play a role in all of this as part of their desire to branch out on their own? Had Willa Hayes (Karen Pittman, Luke Cage) given Roarke the green light to hire the militia? The Reservation has mutual interest with the Duttons for now, but could Angela Blue Thunder (Q’orianka Kilcher, The Alienist) have made a move without Rainwater’s (Gil Birmingham, Twilight) consent? As of now, Rainwater and Mo (Mo Brings Plenty, The Good Lord Bird), are the only ones with any leads, and anytime they are on screen together is fantastic, so we will hopefully get to see them continue to explore that. For all we know now, it could be something unrelated that brought the militia to their door, and that’s why each minute of screentime over these next eight episodes is essential.
When you have a cliffhanger and gap in release dates as large as Yellowstone had, it’s a lot to live up to when you finally return. With the chaos and action from the opening, and the feeling of suspense and dread that lingered for so long afterward, before ultimately settling back into its roots, the show delivered a suitable premiere to its fans and added the bonus episode and promise of further expansion of the Yellowstone universe as well. Sheridan and his team of writers had some difficult decisions to make, but clearly felt that the show is stronger with their core cast still together, and they are probably right about that as it remains one of the best on television.
