Yellowstone Trivia

article and illustration by Lou Davenport

When I first started thinking about what I’d write for my January column, I had ideas.  I thought about writing about Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, but, while my holidays were very nice, I just wanted to write something different, something, unexpected.

One of my favorite shows, Yellowstone, recently returned for its fourth season. Since I have a head full of trivia, I thought I’d write about some of the interesting facts about the show, the writer, the director, and the actors.

First, I’ll just list the cast:

Kevin Costner plays “John Dutton,” the family patriarch. Known for many wonderful movies, “Bull Durham,” “Tin Cup,” “Dances with Wolves,” and “The Bodygaurd.”  He’s also won 2 Academy awards, 2 Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards. 

Luke Grimes, plays “Kasey,” John Dutton’s youngest son, ex Navy seal and now Livestock Commissioner.

Kelly Reilly, plays “Beth,” Dutton’s only daughter, financier, manipulator and schemer.

Wes Bentley, plays “Jamie.” Attorney General for Montana, adopted son of John Dutton whose real father is an ex-con named “Garrett Randall,” played by actor, Will Patton.

Cole Hauser, plays “Rip Wheeler,” John Dutton’s right hand man and boss of the ranch hands. He was taken in as a runaway by the Dutton’s. Wheeler has a on again/off again romance with Beth.

Denim Richards, “Cody,” ranch hand, also a classically trained opera singer. Forrie J. Smith, “Lloyd,” oldest ranch hand at Yellowstone, retired from the rodeo in real life and is now an actor. Gil Birmingham , “Thomas Rainwater,” the Chairman of the Sioux tribe. Also a talented musician as well as an actor. Mo Brings Plenty, Thomas Rainwater’s driver and assistant.  “Mo” brings the evidence to John about the man who ordered the hit on his family. Kelsey Asbille, “Monica,” married to Kasey Dutton and mother of “Tate,” John Dutton’s only grandson, played by Breken Merrill.  Kasey’s wife was once a teacher on the reservation. They have now rented a house near the Dutton Ranch. Ian Bohen, “Ryan,” ranch hand. Jennifer Landon, “Teeter,” lst female ranch hand and daughter of Michael Landon. Eden Brolin, “Mia,” one of the two “buckle bunnies.”  Eden is the daughter of Josh Brolin. Hassie Harrison, “Laramie,” buckle bunny. Ryan Bingham, “Walker,” ex-con, hired by Rip Wheeler when he was getting out of prison. Former rodeo rider, turned singer/songwriter. Was nominated for an Academy award for his song, “The Weary Kind,” starring Jeff Bridges, a story about a down and out bar singer. Taylor Sheridan, director, executive producer, screenwriter and an award winning rodeo rider and actor, “Travis Wheatley.” “Montana,” star of the show with its sprawling land, mountains and beautiful scenery that they use to actually film Yellowstone

The drama is set on an actual ranch, Chief Darby Ranch, near Darby, Montana where you can actually stay. The show follows the conflicts along the borders of a large cattle ranch, Yellowstone and a native reservation and people who want to develop the land for a ski resort or a golf course, just about anything the Dutton’s or the Native Americans  DO NOT want. The Native Americans and the Dutton’s seem to get along together since neither group want to see the land be the loser to the land developers.

Yellowstone first debuted on the Paramount Network on June, 20, 2018 and got a bit of a slow start but by the third episode, fans began to “get into it” and now, having a fifth season, it is one of those shows that just keeps you on the edge of your seat!  

They also love cliffhangers! At the end of Season 3, fans were “wowed!”  There were explosions, gunfire, murders, plots and intrigue  that left us all wondering, “who died, who lived, what’s going to happen to this  character or that character, and who in the world set it all up?!  Then we had to wait…..and wait….until finally on November 7th of this year, we finally got to see what happened!

Luckily, everybody survived! Beth, John Dutton’s daughter, was severely burned.  John, was shot by some unknown assassins and was left clinging to life for about a month, but, finally survived. Kasey, John’s youngest son and Livestock Commissioner, was attacked by some unknown assailants but came out with guns blazing and threw a grenade and chased down some of John’s assassins.

Rip, John’s right hand man and foreman of the ranch’s crew threw a rattlesnake on Rourke, one of the land developers that were trying their best to take Yellowstone, so, ol Rourke floated down the river, dead, and into oblivion.  Meanwhile, Jamey, who had just found out he was adopted, worried that his ex-con father may have been the one behind the attacks.

Monica and Tate ran outside the Dutton house only to see Rip ride up and tell them to go to the bunkhouse.  While running through the house, Monica is attacked by an unknown assailant and Tate has to shoot the man.  Action packed right?

Now to those “buckle bunnies,” “Mia” and “Laramie.” In season four, “Jimmie” had fallen “head over heels” over “Mia.” And, “Laramie” had started sleeping with “Lloyd.”  The “buckle bunnies” caused all kinds of bad feelings among the rest of the ranch hands, but, the worst was when “Walker,” stole “Laramie,” from “Lloyd.”  “Lloyd” just didn’t understand how “Laramie” could drop him and start “shacking up” with “Walker.”  Of course, a fight started with both, “Lloyd” and “Walker” nearly killing each other.  “Rip” walked in as the fight was going on, grabbed “Lloyd” off “Walker” and yelled “there’s no fighting in bunkhouse!”  He also made “Lloyd” sleep out in one of the stalls.  Rip further humiliated “Lloyd” by not letting him help the other ranch hands break some of the horses or ride with them when they went to move some cattle.

“Lloyd” didn’t take that very well and slipped back into the bunkhouse after a couple of days of being mistreated and grabbed “Walker’s” guitar and smashed it into one of the bunks.  Then, the fight was really on with both men beating the “stew” out of each other and “Lloyd” finally stabs “Walker.”  

Rip comes in again and throws the “buckle bunnies” out and once again, scolded “Lloyd,” telling him, “why are you making me do this!  You know the rules!”  At that point, “Rip” makes the two men go out into the corral and “fight it out,” telling them, “This ends today!”  Even though “Lloyd” is much older than “Walker,” he gives it to him with every bit of strength he had and finally knocks “Walker” out!  It was almost like watching “Cool Hand Luke” the way “Lloyd” just wouldn’t give up.  “Rip” finally gave poor “Lloyd” a hard punch and brought him down.  Now, we’re left wondering is “Lloyd” really finished at Yellowstone?  Will he get taken to “the train station?” (many that have disagreed with John Dutton have met their demise by being thrown off a steep cliff, “where nobody ever finds the bones!”)

And, there are more questions.  Will “Rip” and “Beth” be married?  She certainly wants to but when “Rip” was taken in by her father, he never found out who “Rip’s” parents were and “Rip” feels he has no real name.

Beth took in an orphaned teenager, named, “Carter,” played by “Finn Little, when her father was in the hospital and “Carter’s” father died of a heroin overdose.  Beth felt sorry for him since he didn’t have any place to go.  But, right now, things aren’t looking good for him.  When Beth tried to buy him some new clothes, he threw a fit and acted like a spoiled brat so she brought him home and told “Rip,” “you can have him!”  Right now, “Carter” is out in the barn cleaning out the stalls and trying to learn how to be a ranch hand and learn some manners!

And…..who did order the hits on John’s family?  After Jamie finds out who his real father was, he visits him and they seem to make amends.  But, later, John finds out that Jamie’s father, being a former inmate, had hired a guy, “Riggins,” he knew in prison to “take the kingdom” for Jamie. Jamie goes to interview the former cell mate and he confirms Will Burnett did order the hit, we just don’t find out who could had enough money to cause such a huge amount of damage, so, there’s that!  WHO put up the money?

And when Jamie came home, he held his father at gun point! But, as all good con men do, he talked him out of it. The two of them walk outside and who walks out but Jamie’s ex girlfriend, Christina, who gave Jamie an ultimatum, his family or her.  Also, she was pregnant and Jamie didn’t want children.. In shock and totally unprepared, Jamie found himself face to face with his son!  So, what’s going to happen now?

Well, I guess you can tell I really like this show! I’ll be the first to say, “it’s not for everybody,” but, at least give it a chance if you haven’t!  I only have basic cable right now, so I just rent the season on Amazon and have to watch it on Monday.   But, that’s all right with me!  Nothing like a good cup of coffee, watching an action packed drama with lots of good lookin’ men! Happy New Year ya’ll!