Jamie gets Beth out of jail. She is not the least bit grateful.
Warning: This is an overview of Episode 504 of Yellowstone, so there will be scads of spoilers here. We strongly recommend that you not read this if you have not yet watched the episode. If you do read it before watching the episode, and then complain about spoilers, we will sic Beth Dutton on you. Sorry, but those are the rules.
A brief stint in the pokey hasn’t done much to help Beth acquire some semblance of impulse control. Jamie is pushed close to the edge by one woman, and easily manipulated by another. And John discovers that politics can make for strange but not altogether unpleasant bedfellows. What are we to make of all this? Here are our five takeaways from “Horses in Heaven,” Episode 504 of Yellowstone.
Takeaway No. 1
OK, it’s getting pretty doggone obvious that this is the season when Beth (Kelly Reilly) is either institutionalized or interred. For about a minute or so, it looked like she may have calmed down a tad after her overnight stay in the hoosegow while facing charges for aggravated assault. But as soon as she saw the child seat in Jamie’s car — “God gave you a boy?!?!” — she whipped herself into a frenzy of fury as she was reminded how, long ago, Jamie managed to end her chances for ever having children. After she swore to have Jamie’s child taken away from him — neglecting, in the heat of the moment, to consider that the child’s mom might have some say-so in the matter — she recklessly set herself up to be roadkill. (Should we chalk her survival up to Jamie’s having the impulse control she sorely lacks?) Later, even after John warned her for what, oh, I dunno, the zillionth time to put a leash on herself, she pursued more ways to make like miserable for her adoptive brother — more about that in Takeaway No. 2 — who, of course, she never tires of reminding that he is adopted. And then, after discovering Summer Higgins (Piper Peabro) is back in her father’s life, Beth sought comfort in not just day drinking, but freaking dawn drinking. (Nice plug for Tito’s Handmade Vodka, by the way.) All of which raises the question of what will come first for her, the straight jacket or the toe tag.
Takeaway No. 2
Remember last week when I noted that “it appears Jamie (Wes Bentley) has forgotten all about his baby mama and their child” after accepting a dinner invite from Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri)? Well, baby mama Christina (Katherine Cunningham) remains missing in action, but the conspicuous placement of the child’s car seat suggests that Jamie still has contact with his offspring — and could be pushed into protection mode if Beth doesn’t knock it off with the threats. (Yes, she has incriminating evidence against him. No, that might not be enough.) Once again, we’re asked to weigh some seemingly contradictory things about Jamie’s personality. On one hand, he does have a sharp legal mind: Just look at the way he contrived to make Beth’s accuser vamoose, and actually get thanked by the prosecutor in the case. On the other hand, he doesn’t recognize that it may be a bad career move, and an even worse life decision, to spontaneously knock knees with Sarah in the restroom of a fancy restaurant. Never mind that Beth just happens to be lurking nearby, camera in hand (again). Shouldn’t he realize that, given her status as a rep for Market Equities, she represents, at the very least, a serious conflict of interest? Or maybe, for more than one reason, he doesn’t care?
Takeaway No. 3
Did that whole subplot about government-protected wolves meeting an untimely end on the Dutton Ranch get introduced just so John could spring environmentalist Summer Higgins from prison, scope out her potential as his new environmental advisor, and invite her over to his ranch as a house guest? (Excuse me while I laugh at those last two words. All right, I’m done.) Whatever the reason, it’s nice to see Summer back, if only because it rattles Beth so badly that we start wondering what Sigmund Freud would have to say about it. On the other hand, while it’s likely all for the best that John is starting to take his gubernatorial responsibilities more seriously… well, those dead wolves are still going cause problems, right?
Takeaway No. 4
No, that wasn’t me crying during the memorial service for the unborn child of Kayce (Luke Grimes) and Monica (Kelsey Asbille), and John’s private chat with Monica. No way. We episode recappers are too tough for such… I’m not convincing any of you, am I? Never mind. I will cop to laughing when Mo (Mo Brings Plenty) responded to the inquiry by Rip when the latter came across the gravedigging: “You can ask. But I ain’t gonna answer.” And I smiled slightly when, for all the solemnity of the occasion, John and Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) scheduled a meet-up to discuss mutual interests. Evidently, not even burying children can delay the machinations of these two guys for very long.
Takeaway No. 5
Jamie is 45? Who knew?
