Paramount Network’s Yellowstone season four episode six finds enemies squaring off in the pen and Jamie solidifying the fact he’s the worst Dutton sibling. Episode six – “I Want to Be Him” – opens with Jimmy (Jefferson White) lost deep in thought in his tiny room at the 6666 Ranch. He’s called up to the big house for breakfast but doesn’t have time to finish it before the workday starts.
Meanwhile, Beth (Kelly Reilly) confesses she’s worried about her dad because he hasn’t called her back. Rip (Cole Hauser) assures her John’s fine but she’s not sure that’s true. She asks Rip to take her out for a ride (on a horse) but refuses to explain why. When Rip asks what she’s up to, Beth won’t explain; she wants him to spend the day thinking about her.
“I do that already,” chuckles Rip. (I’m still waiting for the announcement of a Beth & Rip spinoff!)
Beth heads out to check on her dad and discovers Summer (Piper Perabo) in the kitchen. Neither woman will introduce themselves and Beth grabs a knife, prepared to stab this intruder. Summer mistakenly believes Beth is John’s wife. As things are about to escalate (Summer’s armed herself with a milk carton), John (Kevin Costner) walks in and quips, “Here’s a situation I couldn’t have dreamed up in a month of Sundays.”
John introduces Beth but hasn’t yet introduced Summer when Beth calls her out as a hooker – and not even a good one. Both continue to clutch their weapons and exchange snide comments on each other’s breasts.
Frustrated that his morning’s ruined, John demands Beth put down the knife and says Summer is a guest. Beth squashes Summer’s plan to call an Uber so instead she asks John to drive her to town. He agrees, and Summer grabs him up in a one-sided kiss before taking off to get dressed.
Once she’s gone, John claims he’s too old for all of this. He gives Beth a brief rundown on how they met, and Beth’s convinced her dad’s lost his mind. However, she refuses to skip breakfast because she could use a little entertainment.
And the breakfast is definitely worth sticking around for as Summer’s completely out of her element and Beth relishes the opportunity to get under her skin. John finally asks Gator to make Summer something without meat or eggs. Beth adds no milk or butter to the list, and Summer adds gluten. The conversation further deteriorates, and Beth suggests Summer get treated for chlamydia.
Summer shares her hope that Beth finds a good therapist. Beth, always one to escalate uncomfortable situations, replies, “I hope you die of ass cancer.”
Kayce (Luke Grimes) and Monica (Kelsey Asbille) go house hunting and Kayce’s sold on one without even stepping inside. He watches Tate play with a stray dog and decides this is their new home and that’s their new dog.
Jamie (Wes Bentley) appears conflicted about what to do but doesn’t back down and instead confronts his birth dad, Garrett (Will Patton). Gordon’s eating breakfast when Jamie whips out his gun and demands information on his association with Terrell Riggins. Garrett doesn’t deny he’s behind the hit on John, Beth, and Kayce and instead claims he did it for Jamie. If they had died, Jamie would have had everything he wants.
Jamie insists he’d miss his brother, despite the fact they’re not related by blood. Garrett thinks Jamie barely knows Kayce and only imagines he’d miss him.
Garrett appears to be getting to Jamie, shooting down any argument against his actions and stating there isn’t any real right or wrong. “Those are words men invented to scare and shame other men from taking back what they’ve stolen,” says Garrett.
Garrett believes John has stolen everything from his children, including Jamie. He only wants to give Jamie back the family he never had and return what John robbed from them. Garrett confesses he did try to kill the Duttons and he’ll keep trying until he succeeds.
Jamie begins sobbing and Garrett takes his gun. They hug as Jamie cries. (Jamie’s attempt at redeeming himself has failed miserably.)
Kayce’s peaceful day of house hunting comes to an abrupt end when Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) calls him out to the reservation to investigate the theft of 18 racehorses. Kayce reminds him he doesn’t have authority there, but Thomas indicates the direction the thieves went means they fairly quickly crossed into land controlled by the Forest Service.
Kayce speaks with the family who owned the horses and recognizes the pretty daughter as a former wrangler at the Yellowstone. Monica watches their interaction and notes the woman’s attractive and fits Kayce’s “type.” Tate doesn’t help by agreeing the woman’s “one hot tamale.”
John’s driving Summer back to town when he spots a calf on the wrong side of the fence. Rip and the guys are close by moving the herd and with Rip’s help, he reunites the calf with her mom. Summer realizes both John and Rip love this work and that confuses her. She decides to walk the rest of the way into town, and it’s apparent she wants time to herself to sort out her feelings.
John thinks she might get tired on the long walk and Summer reveals she’s learned she can flag down one of his cowboys and get help. “I understand that much about you guys,” says Summer.
“Well then you understand enough,” replies John.
Jimmy’s day ends with the backhanded compliment that he doesn’t ride well but also doesn’t complain. He’s told to learn to rope as that’s a cowboy’s only tool. After his boss walks away, Jimmy grimaces in obvious pain. He makes it back to his little room to find dinner waiting for him. He chows down and then grabs a rope and heads outside as the sun’s setting to practice.
Back at the Yellowstone, Carter (Finn Little) is also learning to rope courtesy of lessons from Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith). Lloyd admits that he’s an outcast (at least at the moment) and that’s why he’s out in the barn instead of in the bunkhouse.
And speaking of the bunkhouse… Walker (Ryan Bingham), Ryan (Ian Bohen), Colby (Denim Richards), and the rest of the guys – plus Teeter (Jen Landon) – relax playing cards and giving each other a hard time. It doesn’t take much to convince Walker to sing, and Mia listens as she packs up her stuff away from the group.
Lloyd enters the bunkhouse and no one acknowledges his presence. Walker’s still singing and Laramie’s still delivering kisses as Lloyd grabs Walker’s guitar and destroys it. Lloyd’s pissed when Ryan takes Walker’s side over his, but Walker’s perfectly capable of standing up for himself. He calls Lloyd out, saying he recognizes his type from prison. Walker believes Lloyd’s only a bully until a bigger bully comes along.
Lloyd loses it and stabs Walker in the chest right above his heart. The bunkhouse erupts in chaos with some cowboys grabbing Lloyd and others tending to Walker. A call’s put into the vet, but Walker wants a real doctor. Ryan says no to a doctor as Mia leaves. Her parting words: “F**k this place.”
Elsewhere on the ranch, Rip and Beth are in bed when Beth asks again about going for a ride. Rip admits she’s making him nervous and really wants to know what she’s up to. He believes she’s looking for something and wants to know what it is.
“The place where you make me your wife,” replies Beth. She wants somewhere fresh and doesn’t want to get married in a barn or at a swimming hole.
“I want a place with no memories – a place where nothing happened until we happened,” confesses Beth.
Rip strokes her hair, gives her a sweet kiss, and says he knows that place. He promises to take her there the next day.
Their quiet time’s interrupted by a truck pulling up out front. Rip heads out with a rifle and discovers it’s Ryan and he’s got Lloyd with him. Rip asks what Lloyd did as the scene switches to show an X-ray of the knife an inch from Walker’s heart just below the clavicle.
Walker’s still conscious as the vet confirms the knife didn’t penetrate any arteries. The vet informs Walker there will be a lot of pain when he removes the knife because the tissue’s already adhered to its blade. Walker demands Banamine for the pain, but it’s not a drug normally given to humans. Walker doesn’t care and the vet gives in since his patient’s about to experience excoriating pain and is lucky to be alive.
The vet attempts to pull the knife out, but it appears to be stuck in a bone. Walker squirms from the pain and screams for someone to pull it out. Laramie can’t take it anymore and before anyone can stop her, she grabs the handle and yanks it out.
Blood pours from the wound – which was expected – and the vet quickly stitches Walker up.
Meanwhile, Lloyd’s on his knees 10 or so feet from where John is meeting with Rip. John asks what Rip would do if it was Walker who stabbed someone, aware Rip wouldn’t hesitate to kill him.
However, Lloyd’s 30 years of employment have earned him a reprieve. John warns this is his last chance.
John instructs Rip to get rid of the girls in the bunkhouse, including Teeter. Rip reminds him Teeter’s a good ranch hand, but John’s mind is made up. He also instructs Rip to get Lloyd and Walker in the pen and make an example out of whoever is the last man standing.
A new day dawns and Rip gathers everyone – including Lloyd and Walker – in the bunkhouse. He hands Laramie envelopes for her and Mia. Rip also gives one to Teeter and then tells the women to pack up. Teeter doesn’t understand since she hasn’t done anything wrong, but Rip’s hands are tied.
Everyone else follows Rip to the pen where Lloyd and Walker will fight. Now that Laramie’s gone, Walker declares he doesn’t have a reason to fight. Rip doesn’t let him off the hook.
The fight begins with Walker deliberately turning his back on Lloyd. Lloyd misses with his first swing and receives a blow to the gut for his effort. For a while, Lloyd and Walker seem pretty evenly matched since Walker is, after all, recovering from a knife to the chest.
Two minutes in both men are exhausted and on the ground when Rip demands they get up. If they refuse, he’ll climb in the pen with them.
Beth’s also engaging in a little fight but hers involves brains rather than brawn. Jamie’s shocked to see his 9:00am appointment with the head of Market Equities is with Beth, unaware of her new position. Beth agrees when Jamie asks if she’s planning on ruining everything. “Everything…you miserable mother**ker,” says Beth, not raising her voice and calmly lighting up a smoke.
Kayce and Monica take a break from moving in to relax and unwind. Tate plays with the dog he hasn’t yet named and Monica confirms she loves their new home.
Back in the pen, Walker and Lloyd are bloody and worn out when John arrives to take in the action. Lloyd and Walker are exchanging punches while lying down, neither having the energy to get up. Lloyd finally manages to sit on Walker and delivers a series of blows to his face as John states the obvious, telling Rip these two men really don’t like each other. Rip says Walker’s been done for an hour but Lloyd doesn’t have any quit in him.
John enters the pen and removes his jacket and hat, whispering to Rip that he’ll finish it since Lloyd is Rip’s friend. “Sir, they’ll hate you for doing it,” says Rip before John makes a move. Rip doesn’t allow John to do what needs to be done and enters the pen, taking John’s place.
Lloyd and Rip hug and Rip tells his friend he loves him. He then steps back and slugs him repeatedly in the face. He adds a punch to the gut and finishes by stomping on his hand, telling Lloyd it’s for his own protection.
After Rip leaves the pen Lloyd helps Walker to his feet. Both men stand in front of John and confirm they understand it’s finished.
Alone, Rip briefly reveals the emotional toll of humiliating his friend.
Carter’s been forced to watch everything and it’s had quite an impact. He points to John’s retreating back and says he wants to be him when he grows up. (You can only hope to be half the man, Carter.)
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