SPOILER alert:This post contains spoilers from Season 5, Episode 6, of “Yellowstone,” “Cigarettes, Whiskey, a Meadow and Fog,” which premiered Sunday, Dec. 11 on Paramount Network.
Last week’s “Yellowstone” was memorable for Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Summer (Piper Perabo) getting into a brutal brawl. At the episode’s end, many of the Duttons saddled up and headed to The Gather in order to brand some cattle. This week’s show is a relatively quiet, meditative take on the cowboy lifestyle. On with the recap:
- I can’t tell if Beth’s “I don’t like to share the things I find beautiful” monologue is romantic and profound, or the ramblings of someone who just took a big bong rip.
- Who are these psychotic Secret Service police officers shooting dogs on the Reservation? The president must be protected, sure, but isn’t this a nightmare if the press finds out?
- How is the U.S. president secretly and suddenly dropping by for an event? Aren’t these things planned weeks in advance?
- It’s one thing for Jamie (Wes Bentley) to hook up with Sarah (Dawn Olivieri), but now they’re shacking up together? Why?
- Oh, poor Jamie. So insecure and attracted to Sarah that he is putty in her hands.
- I’m glad you’re being kind of up front with Jamie, Sarah, about wanting him to become governor, but he’s so radioactive around his family that it seems like an impossible task. He’s just not that charismatic anymore!
- This shower scene is pretty wild! Sarah and Jamie definitely are amping up the sex scenes on this show, which can sometimes be a bit chaste.
- Are you telling me that Taylor Sheridan doesn’t think very highly of cities or people from cities or environmentalists or environmentalists from cities? A shocking new development!
- Wow, huge contribution to the potato peeling, Summer.
- For what this episode is lacking in plot it’s more than making up for in beautiful shots of the American West. Maybe cities are bad!
- I’ve been hoping for more political drama between Chief Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) and Martin Kills Many (Christian Wassana) since Episode 3. It’s fun that Angela Blue Thunder (Q’orianka Kilcher) is pulling some presidential strings to tip the scales.
- Kilcher’s performance is pure Disney villain, which works well on a show like “Yellowstone.”
- Now that “Yellowstone” has two historical spinoffs, are tombstones of past generations technically spoilers?
- Everyone is so emo in this episode. Feels like a series finale with all of the folksy wisdom coming out of everybody’s mouth.
- Oh no—John’s old friend Emmett (Buck Taylor) is totally going to die, right?
- Did Beth just spend the night on the ground, naked? Aren’t there damp leaves and bugs…everywhere now?
- As predicted, R.I.P. Emmett. You had a great voice, and flawless facial hair.
- Ignore everything I said about the dialogue in this episode: Costner’s delivery of “He didn’t wake up. He just died on the trail, like every cowboy dreams it,” has this city slicker tearing up.
- Poor John would so much rather be dead on the ground than have to go back and be governor for one more day.
- I really hope this doesn’t happen, but is Jamie going to try to cast doubt on Emmett’s death to attack his father politically?
- Oops, I’m crying again as Emmett’s wife Ella (Anne Cullimore Decker) breaks down after hearing the news.
- Ugh, the only villain worse than city folk, liberals and environmentalists combined: the media. What will they ruin next?!?
- Unrelated to the plot: It’s wild that Costner is 67 and still such a hunk.
- I relate to the kid with BBQ sauce all over his face: The food all looks delicious!
- It’s cute that John and Senator Perry (Wendy Moniz) are making each other jealous. I just want these crazy kids to find love!
- This local news anchor is editorializing a lot…
- “I don’t think we can let him show up to the fight, Jamie.” Does Sarah want to kill John?!?
See you next Sunday night!
