robert long yellowstone

Flavor 1, Episode 2:

Impale The Messenger

It has been several days since Lee'south funeral, and John takes the wild stallion Kayce gifted to him later the anniversary and attempts to tame information technology, to no avail. John and Rip come upwards with a plan to break in the horse — by strapping Jimmy to the saddle with duct tape and forcing him to stay on information technology until it becomes tame. Jimmy manages to practice and then, but at not bad pain to himself, forcing him to prevarication down — and face the wrath of a ranch-hand named Fred, who mocks him for being unable to take a shower. Senior ranch-hand Lloyd intervenes afterward Jimmy is revealed to have received the make — which neither of the ranch-hands present, including Fred, Ryan or Colby have had nevertheless — and Lloyd stands up for him to get the other men off his back, endearing himself to Jimmy in the procedure.

At the Montana Capitol Building, Jamie is chosen in to a private meeting with Governor Perry and her Commune Attorney, Stewart, and informed of a potential powder keg situation — the coroner's reports for both Lee Dutton and Robert Long indicate that a third shooter was involved in the atmospherics, with the implication that it could cause a territorial state of war with the Duttons and the Broken Rock tribe if it becomes public. Jamie immediately realizes Kayce was the third individual, and informs Perry and Dutton that he will bury the trouble for them. Jamie then goes to John and tells him well-nigh what happened, leading John to realize that they volition take to sway the examiners involved with the case or Destroy the Evidence. During a visit to Kayce's firm at the reservation, John presses him to admit the truth of what happened the nighttime of Lee'south death, leading Kayce to explain (in and so many words) that Robert got what was coming to him. Elsewhere, Rainwater and the chief of Broken Rock's tribal law, Ben Waters, examine a concrete copy of the same report, and hypothesize that Kayce might have been involved in the altercation, though they have no business firm testify.

Dorsum at the ranch, Rip apologizes to Beth over his ill-timed mood killer during their erotic rendezvous, and pledges to brand information technology upward to her. To that end, they decide to proceed a "first engagement" (that is, the first date since their starting time "kickoff engagement") in a field watching wolves eat the corpse of an elk, later he throws out the idea in jest. That evening, as they sit down drinking Southern Comfort whiskey and watching the wolves, they discuss the result of death and mortality, and how she hasn't anile a day. After a comment from Rip near "cheating expiry", Beth drunkenly runs out of the automobile they were parked in and chases the wolves away from the corpse, then tells Rip that she's trying to "cheat death", as he suggested. The exasperated Rip calls her the "craziest person" he's ever met.

The next twenty-four hour period, after a cursory conversation with Beth about making a decision a "father shouldn't have to make", John puts his programme to cover upwards the autopsies into activity. He goes to Father Bob, the parishoner who presided over Lee'southward funeral, and convinces him to sway one of his church building'southward members, Aaron McCreary, who was one of the medical examiners who presided over Lee and Robert'due south autopsies. Bob convinces McCreary, who knows the Duttons, to retract his findings on the case later convincing him that his actions could damage "the flock" in Yellowstone, via a sermon that talks almost the same outcome. John and Jamie later take Lee's body exhumed and cremated, to prevent anyone learning nigh Lee'south inability to evangelize the fatal wounds to Robert, and have Lee'southward ashes placed next to Evelyn Dutton - John'due south deceased wife. Rip confronts the other examiner, Dr. Monteith, who is revealed to be a Death Seeker who smokes cigars dipped in embalming fluid in order to mask his signs of low and fatalism. Afterward convincing him to fire himself forth with the bear witness, Rip knocks him out and destroys the examiner's role (where the original files for the dissection report are) by setting upward a fire that will ignite in a nearby microwave.

At the Broken Rock reservation, Kayce is still broken up over what happened with Lee and his own feelings of inadequacy, and decides to render to active duty, despite Monica's objections. He'tells her that he's just good at 2 things — horse-breaking and war — and that because the former isn't paying what he wants, he has to do something to support the family. Despite that, he doesn't go a run a risk to enact his plan earlier a trip with the family is interrupted by an explosion at a business firm that doubled every bit a drug lab, which Kayce and Monica both witness. Kayce puts a man who was injured and burned badly in the explosion out of his misery, and Rainwater and Ben Waters (who arrive after to survey the damage) mask what happened by making information technology look as though Ben put the homo out of his misery, not Kayce. Rainwater tells Ben in individual that while he has suspicions that Kayce was behind Robert's death, he won't act on it for the time beingness. Afterwards, Kayce pledges to stay in the reservation and support Monica and Tate through other means instead of returning to active duty. Later, Rainwater invites Kayce to a sweat ceremony, where he contends that they're not that different, and that if Kayce wants to change his "path", Rainwater can help him do but that...

Tropes:

Addled Addict: Dr. Monteith is a Decease Seeker who was fired from his final medical job due to smoking cigars dipped in embalming fluid, which is suggested to mask his feelings of low. Rip comments on this fact before he convinces Monteith to fire downwards the part to prevent the autopsy reports from coming out.
Agony of the Feet: The victim Kayce finds in the aftermath of the drug lab explosion has lost one of his feet beneath the dogie (forth with being burned unrecognizably), leading Kayce — with Monica'southward back up — to perform a Mercy Kill on him.
Ambiguously Gay: Beth accuses Jamie of being this, due to the latter non having found a married woman in his 30s. Jamie counters that he'southward being chaste, considering he believes that bringing a kid into the world, particularly that of the Duttons, is a very bad idea.
Anguished Declaration of Beloved: Monica tearfully tells Kayce that she wants their relationship to work (upward to and excusing the "lie by omission" over what really happened to Robert the night of Lee'due south death) considering, despite the fact that he Cannot Spit It Out, she tells him she wants to make their relationship work, "for better or worse".
As the Practiced Book Says...: Father Bob tailors one of his speeches to have direct relevance to one of his parishoners (i.due east. 1 of the examiners who did the Robert Long dissection), via focusing on protecting the "flock" from an uncomfortable truth that could threaten to separate their ranks.
Beingness Good Sucks: Information technology's made clear that covering upwardly the true circumstances of Lee and Robert'due south deaths are not something John wants to do, peculiarly as he goes to Begetter Bob in an attempt to absolve himself of guilt. However, he is forced to do it (complete with exhuming Lee'south body and cremating it and burning an examiner and all the evidence of the autopsy report) due to it having the potential to invoke a territorial war if he doesn't act.
Blackness-and-Gray Morality: If it wasn't already abundantly clear in the pilot, the Duttons are trivial amend than the enemies they're fighting against, despite their attempts to moralize and believe themselves to be better than everyone else. John and Jamie are forced to enact a plan to protect Kayce and get rid of the show nigh Robert Long's suspicious death, via cremating Lee`s remains, convincing 1 medical examiner to forget his story and burning the other (albeit a Expiry Seeker) in his office, along with the show of the autopsy on Robert.
Bully Hunter: As part of his Establishing Character Moment, Lloyd makes it clear that he won't represent other wranglers picking on the "lower" members of the ranch, and makes a clear show of bravado to Fred to get him to back off from Jimmy. Later episodes make information technology abundantly clear that he often does this to protect the newer branded men at the ranch.
Butt-Monkey: Jimmy is very clearly at the depression-end of the totem pole at the ranch (even referred to as the "low-man" of the wranglers, who takes the virtually menial jobs). He is shown shovelling the cattle pens, is forced by Rip to ride a wild stallion for several hours (which tires him out so much that he would have fallen off — had he non been duct-taped to the saddle) and gets flak from Fred on account of existence as well tired to take a shower. Were information technology non for Lloyd'due south intervention and the reveal of his make (which neither Fred, Ryan nor Colby accept), he may have faced an even worse punishment.
Chekhov's Gunman:
- The wild stallion that Kayce gifted to John at the end of the previous episode fuels a major plotline here, as John and Rip (and eventually Jimmy) have to work to tame it by any ways necessary.
- Father Bob, the priest who presided over Lee's funeral in the pilot, is approached past John again to request a favor — in this case, convincing 1 of the examiners overseeing Lee and Robert's autopsies to change his story to protect the family unit.
Cool Old Guy: Lloyd is one of the most senior wranglers at the ranch, and makes his credentials (and respect among the other wranglers) very clear when he sees that Jimmy got the brand — he immediately takes off his shirt to display his make to Fred, who was harassing Jimmy to have a shower, tells Jimmy he tin can take his place in the shower queue in the morn, and all simply stuns the rest of the wranglers by throwing his support behind the new guy — which he'southward hinted to have washed to protect others in the past.
Corrupt Politician: It's heavily implied that Governor Perry is in league with the Duttons in some way, as she and her D.A., Stewart, specifically call in Jamie, not just to "talk nigh his time to come", but also give him the heads-up on the Robert Long autopsy report — and come upwards with a manner to bury the issue, and so every bit to protect both the state and the Duttons from getting embroiled in a territorial war with the Broken Rock tribe. The following episode then reveals that Governor Perry is in a relationship with John, confirming this trope.
Every Scar Has a Story: During the sweat ceremony with the members of the tribe, Rainwater looks at Kayce's make from the ranch, and in an endeavour to bear witness how they aren't and then different, shows off a similar set of scars on his chest (implied to be from an initiation anniversary held past the tribe).
Fiery Cover Upwards: As part of the program to coverup the autopsy report, John has Rip knock out a medical examiner — 1 who'due south been accused of smoking embalming fluid, which got him fired from his last job, and one who's become a Death Seeker — and has both him and the bear witness in the coroner'due south function burned to forbid the Cleaved Stone tribe from using it as leverage over the family.
The Fixer: If it wasn't already clear by this bespeak, Rip is the Dutton family'southward "enforcer", who is called in to handle delicate tasks others can't be seen doing (as witnessed by Jimmy in the preceding episode). To that end, Rip functionally knocks out a medical examiner and has both him and the evidence of the Robert Long autopsy burned to forbid the report from coming out and destabilizing the family unit'south interests.
Foreshadowing:
- It's unsaid that both Rainwater (who saw the hard copy of the examiner's report on Robert — itself an example of this) and Monica (who suspects information technology) are aware that Kayce had something to do with Robert's death, but neither are able (or willing) to bring upwardly the thing to his confront. The former is due to Rainwater "courting" Kayce to be a more proactive member of the tribe, while Monica drops the issue after realizing she could lose Kayce if he returns to active duty.
- Beth is shown having turned downwardly a specific framed photograph of a group of people (implied to exist the deceased Evelyn Dutton and the four children), even smashing information technology on the floor when Jamie goes to the attempt to put it back on the wall. The reason why Beth hates the picture will become articulate in the following episode.
I Cannot Cocky-Terminate: The survivor of the drug lab explosion that Kayce and Monica observe is too weak to move, and begs Kayce to stop his suffering. After getting approving from Monica, Kayce regretfully puts a bullet into the man's head.
A Lighter Shade of Blackness: It'southward abundantly clear that the Kayce/Robert autopsy reports are a political hot-button consequence that threaten to destabilize both their respective families, and so John makes the hard decision to telephone call in "old favors" and take the matter squashed — but what that means is that he tacitly approves the murder of a medical examiner (albeit one who's a Death Seeker) to comprehend up the autopsy and make sure it doesn't fall into the hands of the public.
The Lost Lenore: Besides the obvious indication that Evelyn Dutton (John's wife) is no longer around, it's implied that something happened in the past that caused her expiry (coupled with Beth angrily looking on at a film of her from when the kids were much younger).
Never My Fault: Played with; when Father Bob tells John that the Lord has forgiven all his sins, John counters that he's comfy with every activeness he'southward e'er taken, regardless of what he thought about it. He then says information technology's the action he's about to take (namely, covering up Robert Long's cause of death) that he'southward going to regret.
Noodle Incident:
Beth Dutton: I've done some morbid shit on a starting time date, but this takes the cake.
"Not So Different" Remark:
- Lloyd stops Fred'due south hazing of Jimmy (having torn open his shirt, displaying his make) by displaying his ain, indicating that both are willing to pledge Undying Loyalty to the ranch.
- Rainwater hints that both he and Kayce take done things (referring obliquely to Robert'southward death) that neither of them are proud of, prior to them undertaking a sweat anniversary:
Pretty Piddling Headshots: Robert Long's fatal bullet wound, every bit seen briefly in the coroner'due south study Jamie looks through in Governor Perry'south part.
Rule of Symbolism: Kayce comes across a lone coyote while driving dorsum to the reservation one evening, who sits on the road watching him intently, fifty-fifty ignoring an oncoming freight truck (which subsequently runs over and kills it as he watches in shock). It'south implied that this coyote represents part of Kayce's past, though zero is confirmed either manner. As the next episode indicates, coyotes staring at people are considered to be a sign that something bad volition happen.
Spotting the Thread: Jamie more-or-less instantly figures out that Kayce was the i who executed Robert, as he realizes the tight circle of bullet holes in Robert'southward chest (as seen in the dissection report) couldn't have been made by whatsoever other livestock officer, while Lee couldn't accept fired the shots due to the bullet that injured him functionally causing complete paralysis — and says equally much to his father.
Surprisingly Realistic Event:
- Kayce shooting Robert in the head is pretty much figured out by Jamie and Rainwater from the become-go, who both know that the bullet wounds were a articulate indication of Robert being executed. The only reason why Kayce escapes justice is due to the residue of the Duttons having to run signal interference for him, up to and including coercion and murder in gild to bury the study.
- Rip may accept burned the digital evidence of Robert's autopsy... merely the physical copies still exist, as evidenced by both the Governor's office and Rainwater getting access to copies. The Governor'south function declines to pursue the matter because it could crusade a territorial state of war, while Rainwater is aware of it, but tells the tribal police primary that he'southward not set up to make a move yet, instead preferring to sit on the information and see if an opportunity presents itself. As seen later in the season, having a physical copy of the evidence comes in extremely handy if you want to put leverage over someone.
Training from Hell: Not only is Jimmy strapped to a wild stallion for several hours in an endeavour to break it in (leading him to become near-comatose from the wild shaking and causing him to vomit afterwards), but he very well-nigh gets hazed by Fred before Lloyd intervenes.
Vomit Indiscretion Shot: Afterwards being forced past Rip to break in the wild stallion for several hours, Jimmy vomits in one case he'due south leading the horse back to the stables to clean him.
Wham Shot: To evidence only how far the family is willing to go to protect one of their own, John has Rip knock out a medical examiner (admitting ane who is a clear Death Seeker) and go out him to burn in his part, expunging the written report on Robert Long's death and destroying all the evidence in the process.