Yellowstone Recap: The American Dream

As a longtime Yellowstone fan who’s grown up with this show and its characters like they were my own kin, I gotta say, this week’s episode was a real kick in the teeth. It felt like they took all the elements that once made this series great—the drama, the tension, the wild west vibe—and just left them out in the dust.

I found myself repeating a disbelieving statement while watching this week’s almost-final episode of “Yellowstone”. Typically, I know what I’m getting into with this show, particularly during its final season. However, the episode titled “Give the World Away” was surprisingly less engaging than normal. It seems unusual for an episode so close to the end to be this monotonous, and there’s definitely something amiss about the excessive amount of Taylor Sheridan in it.

Essentially, this installment revolves around a crucial auction that could decide the Dutton family’s control over their ranch. Rip intends to keep Lloyd and Carter on as dayworkers post-auction, but the rest of the cowhands should prepare for new employment opportunities. As we’ve followed this crew through five seasons filled with bunkhouse antics and countless silent herding sequences, it feels nostalgic watching these interactions unfold. However, the overall atmosphere seems lackluster. The scenes featuring Travis stand out as the most emotionally charged, but they primarily evoke annoyance instead of other emotions. In essence, this episode marks a significant shift – possibly the end of an era – yet it fails to deliver the expected impact.

It’s not entirely surprising that Travis shows up one more time in this story; he’s responsible for selling the priciest Yellowstone horses in Texas. Coincidentally or not, Beth decides to check on things down there, as she’s wary of Travis’ actions. Unfortunately, her suspicions prove valid when Travis is late for a meeting. Upon arriving at Bosque Ranch, owned by none other than John Sheridan, Travis is found playing strip poker with a group of young women, including his significantly younger girlfriend Sadie (portrayed by Bella Hadid, who’s recently taken on a Texas accent).

As Travis exhibits the horse to his Brazilian clients, Beth converses with Sadie, questioning why she’s associated with such an overconfident, chauvinistic man. “Have you ever witnessed him ride before?” Sadie retorts, offering a moment of true eyeroll-worthy dialogue only rivaled by Beth’s acknowledgment of understanding after watching him handle a cow for a brief moment. By creating the illusion of a second interested party played by the maintenance crew, he manages to escalate the horse’s price to $3 million. Recognizing his potential value to the ranch, Beth invites him to participate in the auction. Given his tendency to oblige the Duttons for even the smallest favors, it’s a given that he’ll accept. However, before the main event, we are once again subjected to a strip poker scene where he coerces Beth into disrobing (and capturing it on his phone camera) as a form of manipulation. Despite stopping her from stripping further, his image as a creep is firmly cemented in our minds.

Despite Beth frequently criticizing Travis, the show portrays him as more than just a lovable rogue. Rip explains this by sharing an old story where Travis stood up for him against some rough railroad workers, even risking his own safety to retrieve Rip’s hat later on. This act of camaraderie demonstrates Travis’ loyalty, though it may not fully erase his past unsavory behavior. Nevertheless, Beth appears to be won over by this narrative.

In a different phrasing: I’ve never been overly critical of Travis, but this particular episode seems excessively focused on a secondary character who hasn’t really earned such attention… apart from being portrayed by the series creator and writer. The Cool Guy image surrounding Travis is consistently emphasized, with his less appealing trait being his multiple relationships. The self-importance in this episode is particularly grating, especially given the Bella Hadid reference.

Giving the World Away” isn’t entirely unfavorable. At this stage of the show, any scene featuring Jamie is more amusing than other segments, not because he’s a superbly crafted character but due to the delight in observing his impending collapse. Following Dillard obtaining evidence of Sarah Atwood’s office at Market Equities, Jamie reacts with panic while on the couch, making us chuckle: “How did you know that!? What proof do you have!?

In this episode, Beth doesn’t directly confront Jamie, but instead they have a composed phone call during which she subtly communicates her intention to end his life. His other scene involves a visit to Christina, his baby mama and former assistant, who consents to aid him due to their shared child. Her shrewd political counsel essentially boils down to denying any wrongdoing, yet she also proposes examining John’s murder as a symbolic act representing the loss of Montanans’ freedom. He expresses gratitude for her suggestions, implying they were not ideas he would have thought of on his own, but it seems too late for him to escape this predicament.

During the remainder of the episode, the auction dragged on for me, seeming much longer than 30 minutes. Now, the Texas team has returned to their ranch (I’m still puzzled about why we had to follow that side story at the Four Sixes), and Teeter is grappling with Colby’s death. To help her cope, Beth takes her to a popular tourist bar, which she frequents when upset. For Beth, there’s no better remedy than antagonizing wealthy, snobbish newcomers (since being rich from Los Angeles is far more distasteful to her than being rich from Montana).

Previously, such instances (similar to the one depicted in ‘Yellowstone’) were a significant aspect of the series, and I must admit, I haven’t quite found their absence replacement. While Kelly Reilly delivers an outstanding performance, and Beth is consistently intriguing to watch, her actions seldom lead to any repercussions, making it challenging to appreciate her confrontations. Furthermore, the narrative always follows a predictable pattern: Upon encountering a visitor from cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, or New York – often symbolizing our nation’s struggling metropolises – she instantly deduces their personal troubles. In this case, she identifies Aaron as a financier who abandoned his family after sleeping with interns, moved to Miami to pursue relationships with aspiring models, and engaged in oral sex during a summer abroad. She then comments, “Once you suck one cock, you’re a cocksucker for life,” which may be seen as less inclusive or progressive.

Beth and Teeter make an entertaining duo, theoretically speaking, and I wish they had introduced this dynamic earlier in the series. It has its high points, such as when Teeter attempts Beth’s method and swiftly responds with physical aggression after a man offers her a drink. However, it’s only slightly less grating than what’s happening at the ranch.

The auction exceeded our predictions, yet as Beth notes, it’s merely postponing the impending issue. Fortunately, Kayce comes up with an idea that he believes deeply will succeed! It hinges on a property tax loophole — gifting the ranch to save it, potentially with Rainwater and the tribe’s assistance. It would be less troubling to witness his tender moments with Monica if we hadn’t seen him aim a gun at a child’s face last week, but at least there’s optimism for the ranch.

It’s quite likely that there will be plenty to appreciate during the upcoming finale of the series. The anticipated confrontation between Beth and Jamie promises to be engaging. While final episodes can sometimes be challenging, given the emphasis on atmosphere in this show, it shouldn’t be too demanding in terms of plot. Leveraging our deep-rooted emotional connection should be a breeze. However, I must admit that this final half-season has been rather chaotic, not in an exciting or unpredictable way. Following the disappointing episode we just had, I’m genuinely looking forward to wrapping up with Yellowstone.

The Last Roundup

In a nearly identical setting as their previous discussion regarding the pipeline, Thomas Rainwater and Mo find themselves in one significant scene together. This time, however, it appears that Thomas is proposing they rally their community to take action against the project, possibly by orchestrating some form of sabotage.

It sounds like you’re saying we’ll likely attend John’s funeral next week, which is sad news. On a happier note, it’s heartwarming that Lynelle Perry received an invitation from Beth, as I have always admired her.

• Walker reunites with Laramie, so that’s cute. Jimmy and Emily are also still together.

• Any other predictions for the finale? One final Tate “get a room” moment for the road?

Apologies to those who appreciated this episode. To clarify, it’s the first time I’ve ever assigned a one-star rating on Vulture.

2024-12-09 06:54

Yellowstone Recap: The American Dream

The Last Roundup

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