Yellowstone season 3 episode 2 recap: the Duttons long for a simple life
In a surprising turn of events, every member of the Dutton family has found peace in Yellowstone season 3 episode 2, "Freight Trains and Monsters."
John (Kevin Costner) and Tate (Brecken Merrill) are out at the summer camp with the cattle, while Kayce (Luke Grimes) is keeping them safe from a wolf. Jamie (Wes Bentley) is the new livestock commissioner and Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) have never been closer.
But as is always the case with Yellowstone, there's trouble on the horizon. While the Dutton family are quite relaxed right now, we're given a proper introduction to the people and issues that are set to plague them over the rest of the season. Here's what happens in Yellowstone season 3 episode 2.
A simple life
Down at the camp, John greets Tate with a huge smile, delighted that his grandson has had his first full night of sleep since his kidnapping. As the pair head off to fish, Tate asks John why they can't live at the camp all the time. Overjoyed by the peace and serenity of nature, John admits he asks himself that very same question every day.
After receiving one too many business phone-calls, John tells the ranchers to move the camp slightly up the hill. This isn't so he gets better service, it's the opposite. John wants no phone signal so he doesn't have to deal with the outside world.
Monica and Rip come to camp
After waking up alone in the house and on the ranch, Monica (Kelsey Asbille) joins Rip and Jake (Jake Ream) on a trek to the summer camp so she can see Tate. She has to borrow Jake's horse, though, because the ones left behind are just a bunch of "freight trains and monsters." When she arrives she's greeted by a jubilant Tate.
Meanwhile Rip thanks John for giving him the cabin and calling him son in the adjoining letter. John tells Rip that Kayce wants him to run the bunkhouse, before quickly adding they need more wranglers. John asks what happened to Avery (Tanaya Beatty). Rip says she was always going to leave because she's a drifter, but agrees they should hire another female wringer, as Avery kept the bunkhouse honest.
Later, Rip holds a job fair and hires Teeter (Jen Landon), a Texan wrangler with expert roping and riding skills, but an unintelligible accent.
Kayce & the Wolf
Monica hunts down Kayce, who himself is on the prowl for the wolf that's unsettling the cattle. After setting his eye on Monica and her admitting she's been bored, the pair start having sex in the woods. Of course, the wolf picks this time to reveal itself. Kayce and Monica stare at the animal. Unperturbed, Monica and Kayce have sex in front of the wolf who just watches.
At night, while watching Tate sleep peacefully, Monica tells Kayce she too wishes their lives could be so serene like this everyday. Kayce promises he'll make it happen, adding she'll have to give up a lot. Monica reminds Kayce she's already given up everything to be with him.
Later, Kayce's sleep is interrupted by the sound of the cows mooing. He goes outside to see the wolf staring at the herd. Rather than shooting it, Kayce talks to it, insisting they're enemies but the wolf can have the forest, the valley is for the cows. Kayce promises to kill the wolf if it ever comes back to attack the cows.
When the wolf leaves, Kayce turns around and sees John standing there. Kayce is a little embarrassed, but John tells him his father used to speak to the animals and they'd listen. As John goes back to being completely isolated from work, Kayce tells his dad he loves him, which causes both of them to stop dead in their tracks.
The next night, after sharing a story about his last words to his wife and Kayce's mom, an emotional John tells his son he's struggling to see the point in life, as all he seems to do is find someone he loves, then lose them. He wonders aloud if there's a plan, because he can't see one at the moment. Kayce reminds him he can't see it because they're not just currently inside the plan, they're standing on it too.
Bad neighbor
Beth learns through a meeting with Bob Schwartz (Michael Nouri) that the man helping Market Equities buy up the land surrounding Yellowstone is none other than Roarke Morris (Josh Holloway), who she innocuously ran into in the last episode.
Having realized Market Equities doesn't just want to build a golf course or casino, but construct an airport and then an entire city, Beth goes to see Roarke. During their talk, Roarke says he knows all about the Duttons killing off their competition, adding that they're the reason the old west is still running wild. He promises to bring that to an end.
When Beth asks what he thinks will happen to all the ranchers when Market Equities are finished, Roarke says they won't have to be ranchers anymore because they will be so rich.
Jamie's luck
Jamie, now the livestock commissioner, arrives at the office to a phone call from district attorney Randy Harper (KC Clyde). Two people sexually assaulted a young rancher before robbing her of her horses, truck, trailer and everything she owns. Jamie says he'll sort it, only for Randy to add that Jamie will make a lot of friends if he does it the right way and sends a message.
Livestock Agent Steve Hendon (James Jordan) finds the perpetrators. He handcuffs them, puts them in the back of a trailer and drives it around viciously, sharply braking so that they fling all over the place.
When Hendon opens up the trailer in front of several other officers, they immediately see that the duo have died from their injuries. The episode ends with Hendon calling Jamie from prison, telling his new boss that they have a big problem.
Yellowstone season 3 episodes air on CBS on Sundays in January. They are available at all times on Peacock in the US and Paramount Plus in the UK.
