Before Taylor Sheridan’s Western saga closes out for the final time, let’s revisit some of the best Yellowstone episodes of all time.
Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 is about to ride into town and bring Paramount’s vicious family drama to an end. In five seasons, the Dutton family has been through it all, making it a tough task to pick out the best episodes of the Western show.
There’s been adoption bombshells, child kidnappings, and plenty of bloodshed, which basically makes Yellowstone Dallas-meets-Justified-meets-Succession. And with the series returning on November 10, there’s never been a better time to revisit some of the greatest moments in Dutton history.
To make your rewatch easier, here’s our ranking of the 25 best Yellowstone episodes…until Part 2 rides into town, that is.
25. Season 1, Episode 4, “The Long Black Train”
One of the darkest secrets behind the scenes of the Dutton Ranch is the Train Station, a place John Dutton likes to send anyone who stands in his way. The catch is, there are no return tickets here. In fact, it’s literally just a big cliff so far away from any semblance of society that it allows the ranchers to dump dead bodies without arousing suspicion.
In the first few episodes of Yellowstone, it’s clear the Dutton family tree is full of morally gray characters. By Episode 4, with the introduction of the Train Station, there is no longer any doubt that the protagonists are not good people.
24. Season 4, Episode 2, “Phantom Pain”
After the explosive finale to Season 3, audiences will have been glad for a little respite, and we get just that with Phantom Pain. Sometimes, it’s the simple moments that matter the most.
John, having miraculously survived the attempt on his life, decides no doctor is going to stop him heading out for a horse ride. Realizing resistance is futile, Kayce joins his father and the pair strengthen their bond with discussions on revenge and responsibility — a conversation that determines the destructive path the rest of the season takes.
23. Season 1, Episode 8, “The Unravelling Part 1”
Remember when Rip killed a bear to save himself from certain death? The Fish and Wildlife Service remembers, and Charlotte Sykes, the woman sent to investigate the incident, is hellbent on sending our favorite Yellowstone character to jail for harming an endangered animal.
Luckily for Rip, she gets a huge fencepost stuck in her midriff and he saves the day, allowing the whole incident to be swept under the rug.
22. Blood the Boy (Season 2 Episode 6)
Jamie Dutton is by far the most pathetic of John’s children, so it’s rather fitting that his first kill comes as a result of one of his trademark spoiled brat tantrums.
After openly criticizing John to journalist Sarah Nguyen, Jamie tries to protect the family by silencing her. His cowardly act is covered up with the help of Rip, and Jamie is then forced to immerse himself in ranch life by mingling awkwardly with the cowboys in the bunkhouse.
21. Sins of the Father (Season 2 Episode 10)
The entirety of Season 2 led to this thrilling episode, bringing together the Dutton army to rescue Kayce’s son, Tate, from the clutches of a group of neo-Nazis.
Similar in tone to the Taylor Sheridan movie, Sicario, Sins of the Father left us on the edge of our seats, and provided plenty of gnarly kills, too.
20. The Unravelling Part 2 (Season 1 Episode 9)
Another incredibly tense season finale, and one which saw Kayce take another step towards a darker way of life. Growing closer to the operations of the Dutton Ranch, his father’s ruthless, cold-blooded approach to dealing with an enemy seeps into Kayce’s psyche, and culminates in him hanging Dan Jenkins from a tree.
Sinister stuff, but damn good entertainment.
19. The Beating (Season 3 Episode 7)
Jamie Dutton is sneaky, spineless, and lacks any kind of conviction. We always suspected he was out of place in the Dutton family, and it turns out there’s a very good reason for that deduction: he isn’t a Dutton at all.
Come for the incredible revelation that Jamie is adopted, and stay for John delivering the most callous response to Jamie getting upset. Why don’t you tell us how you really feel, John!?
18. The Dream Is Not Me (Season 5 Episode 7)
Learning more about Rip Wheeler is always a welcome treat, and the penultimate episode of Season 5 Part 1 offers a flashback to his teenage years as part of the Yellowstone Ranch. Naturally, most of Rip’s memories from that period are pretty dark, not least of all the moment he beats a fellow ranch hand to death.
To be fair to Rip, Rowdy was being incredibly disrespectful about Beth Dutton, so he got what he deserved. And credit to Rip, he owns up to what he’s done immediately, earning him the all-important respect of John.
17. I Want to Be Him (Season 4 Episode 6)
This episode is great for two very different reasons. First of all, we see Lloyd start a fight with Walker and smash up his beloved guitar in a fit of rage and jealousy. To this point, Lloyd has always been a calming presence, particularly for Rip, so to see him switch like this is a surprise, to say the least.
It also leads to an uncomfortable yet pivotal scene in which Rip has to punish his former mentor; as much as we hate to see Lloyd taking a hit, this moment truly establishes the pecking order on the ranch.
While all this is going on, Summer Higgins makes herself at home in the Dutton household, which doesn’t sit right with Beth. The tension between the two is hilarious, but seeing Gator, the Duttons’ personal chef, trying to figure out how to put together a vegan and gluten-free menu is perhaps the funniest moment in the whole show.
16. Grass on the Streets and Weeds on the Rooftops (Season 4 Episode 10)
The Season 4 finale goes against the grain, rejecting the idea of an explosive conclusion in favor of a more pragmatic approach to revenge. Beth heavily implies she is going to use the ruse of a conjugal visit to gain access to Riggins, the man who attacked her family, and kill him in prison.
Instead, Beth walks away satisfied that her father’s enemy will rot in jail, and she also gleans vital information implicating Jamie in the crime, setting him up as a key villain in the final season. Beth Dutton wins again, shocker!
15. No Good Horses (Season 1 Episode 3)
Yellowstone is not afraid to go to some dark places at times, and few storylines have been quite as distressing as Kayce inadvertently coming to the rescue of a young girl who had been abducted by a couple of rather despicable men.
After a tense chase, Kayce kills the men, disposing of the bodies with the help of the girl’s very grateful father. Suffice it to say, Yellowstone wastes no time in showing us horrors are waiting for us in every corner of Montana.
14. Tall Drink of Water (Season 5 Episode 3)
Everything is going pretty well for the Dutton family and the members of the ranch. John Dutton is the governor of Montana, the whole crew is getting along, and Beth and Rip are madly in love.
The only problem is Beth can be quite protective, so when a random woman approaches Rip in a bar, his wife storms over and unleashes a furious attack that leaves her spending the night in a jail cell. We can’t lie, we love the drama.
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13. Daybreak (Season 1 Episode 1)
Most of the first episode of Yellowstone is, naturally, focused on worldbuilding and introducing the various characters we need to know. Unfortunately, one member of the Dutton family doesn’t even make it out alive, with Lee Dutton one of the casualties in the climactic shootout between the Broken Rock Police Department and the Dutton clan.
Kayce’s brother-in-law, Robert, fatally shoots Lee, which leads Kayce to gun down Robert, creating a messy scenario for all involved. Now that’s some way to wrap up a pilot.
12. Enemies by Monday (Season 2 Episode 9)
Even those who have yet to experience Yellowstone will probably have seen a clip from this episode doing the rounds on social media. When Monica, Kayce’s wife, is framed for shoplifting by the malicious owner of a local boutique store, Beth comes to the rescue.
Not only does she put the police in their place, but Beth also makes sure this will never happen again by smashing up the shop and threatening the owner. If you didn’t think Beth Dutton was a badass before, you do now.
11. New Beginnings (Season 2 Episode 2)
To this day, Dan Jenkins remains the best Yellowstone villain. He wasn’t the most powerful or formidable, but he was certainly the most fully-formed character and, there’s no denying Danny Huston brought an indelible gravitas to the role.
Sadly, Huston bowed out of the Yellowstone cast early on in Season 2, but at least he went out in style: with a bullet between the eyes and a trail of chaos behind him.
10. I Killed a Man Today (Season 3 Episode 8)
Monica rarely gets a chance to shine, especially not when the Duttons are around, so it figures her strongest moment has her stepping away from the family and embarking on a clandestine quest for justice.
Teaming up with Thomas Rainwater and the Broken Rock Police, Monica uses herself as bait to catch a mass murderer targeting Native American women, in what is one of the most heart-racing, suspenseful sequences in the entire show. We simply do not know if she will make it out alive, and it’s genuinely terrifying.
9. Resurrection Day (Season 2 Episode 7)
Speaking of scary moments, this episode sees the Beck Brothers really turn the screw on the Duttons by sending a couple of thugs to attack Beth at her office.
It’s a visceral and violent sequence that becomes all the more harrowing with the realization that this is the first time we’ve ever truly seen Beth afraid.
8. Watch ‘em Ride Away (Season 5 Episode 5)
The intensity of Yellowstone’s first four seasons largely makes way for a more meditative and introspective fifth season, with less action and more character development. If any episode were to be accused of treading water, it’s this one, but that doesn’t have to be a criticism.
There’s something endearing about watching a bunch of cowboys simply herding cattle and laughing and joking together before they ride off into the sunset for a trip into the mountains.
7. Going Back to Cali (Season 3 Episode 4)
Did you know, Taylor Sheridan had a fairly sizable role in Sons of Anarchy before he was killed off by a motorbike gang? It was a pretty ruthless move, but Sheridan got his revenge when the Yellowstone ranchers settled a clash with a bunch of bikers by smashing up their beloved vehicles.
This episode also sees John Dutton pull the ultimate power play: forcing the rogue bikers to dig their graves and telling them they’ll be occupying them if he ever sees them again.
6. Season 4, Episode 7, “Keep the Wolves Close”
We love a story that comes full circle and, after going on a rampage in the previous episode, it’s brilliant to see Lloyd begin his redemption arc this time around. Who would’ve thought an old cowboy buying his worst enemy a new guitar would be so moving?
It may seem simple, but this deconstruction of toxic masculinity is a shrewd move by Taylor Sheridan and helps to reinforce the endearing bond between those in the bunkhouse.
5. Season 4, Episode 1, “Half the Money”
Honestly, the main selling point of this episode is the fact Rip kills a guy by throwing a snake at them.
Sure, there’s the fallout of the big attack from the Season 3 finale, and we get to see the great James Dutton in a stirring flashback, too, but nothing will beat Roarke being taken out by a rattlesnake. Best. Death. Ever. And it’s not even close.
4. Season 3, Episode 9, “Meaner Than Evil”
Any good finale is only as strong as the episodes preceding it, and Season 3’s stunning climax is so successful thanks to the way the show raises the stakes in the penultimate episode.
If you’re looking for tense, brutal moments, you can take your pick with this one. Seeing Teeter and Colby savagely attacked when at their most vulnerable is particularly distressing, but at least Wade Morrow pays the ultimate price, with the ranchers leaving him quite literally hanging.
3. Season 5, Episode 4, “Horses in Heaven”
You probably wouldn’t expect this cowboy soap opera to leave you in tears, but you’d have to have a heart of stone not to crumble when witnessing Kayce and Monica carrying out the funeral for their baby. The situation is tragic enough, but the overwhelming emotional impact is compounded when John — in an uncharacteristic display of tenderness — delivers his “perfect life” speech to Monica, helping her deal with the grief of losing her child.
2. Season 3, Episode 10, “The World is Purple”
When you think Westerns, you think guns, action, and death, and the Season 3 finale delivers on that front. Every episode in Season 3 ramped up the tension, with the Duttons making their enemies more and more angry every step of the way. With their backs against the wall, it’s no surprise those enemies go gung-ho and attack the Duttons from all sides.
The way the attacks are coordinated imbues the episode with a real sense of urgency and dread; from John being gunned down, to Kayce and the ranch being infiltrated, and of course, Beth receiving an explosive package. It’s pure chaos, but it’s so much fun!
1. Season 5, Episode 6, “Cigarettes, Whiskey, a Meadow and You”
While the high-octane episodes of Yellowstone are undoubtedly entertaining, we had to give the ultimate crown to an episode that simply offers nothing but great vibes. John, Rip, Beth, and the ranchers traverse the wilderness with nothing but their horses and each other, and it’s the most charming, quaint, compassionate hour of television you’re likely to see from Taylor Sheridan.
Throughout Yellowstone, the stunning backdrop of the Montana landscape is regularly put to good use, but never more so than in this episode, with some of the most cinematic and sumptuous visuals you can find on the small screen. It’s fitting then, that such beautiful surroundings become the setting for the very poignant, yet peaceful death of Emmett Walsh, John Dutton’s oldest friend.
Yellowstone returns on November 10 on the Paramount Network.
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