‘Yellowstone’ Season 2 Episode 6 Recap: “Blood the Boy”

By
Rebecca Murray
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Yellowstone Season 2 Episode 6
Luke Grimes and Kevin Costner in Paramount Network’s ‘Yellowstone’ season 2 episode 6

Paramount Network’s Yellowstone season two episode six begins with a flashback to a teenage Jamie. John (played by Josh Lucas) wonders what his son wants to be when he grows up and then shocks Jamie by presenting him with a letter of acceptance to Harvard. Jamie’s understandably surprised given that he never applied. It appears John’s pulled some strings.

“You want to be me some day? Then become something that can help me protect this place,” says John to a very confused Jamie. “Lawyers are the swords of the century. Words are weapons now. I need you to learn how to use them.”

Spring forward to current events and Jamie (Wes Bentley) is staring in the mirror, trying to convince himself he doesn’t deserve what he’s brought on by granting an interview and exposing his father’s secrets.

He steels himself and then meets with his father. John (Kevin Costner) informs his son he’s actually hurting his siblings with his stupid decision. John wants Jamie to get with the reporter and find out exactly what it is she wants. If she wants to ruin the ranch, then Jamie will need to sue her.

Meanwhile, Malcolm (Neal McDonough) and Teal Beck (Terry Serpico) meet with Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) at the tribe’s Painted House Casino. Thomas warns them to skip the small talk and head straight to the point of this meeting. The Becks believe Thomas’ partnership with Dan Jenkins is no longer necessary now that the tribe has procured his land. Instead, they suggest Thomas should partner with them because they can provide slot machines unavailable elsewhere.

Malcolm assures Thomas that they know how to negotiate their way through any deal, including ones involving Dan Jenkins and John Dutton. The conversation takes a dark turn as Malcolm warns Thomas he’ll screw with his planned casino at every turn unless Thomas brings them on board.

As they leave it’s clear Thomas isn’t worried. He realizes the Becks are scared of his game-changing casino plans.

Back at the ranch, Jimmy (Jefferson White) is still worried about making money to pay off his debt. Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith) tells him about a bucking horse event that could earn him money if he stays on for eight seconds. Lloyd thinks Jimmy might actually be able to win a few grand. He even offers to spot him the entrance fee.

Lloyd puts Jimmy on a bucking horse and times him, and he hangs on for eight seconds. Rip (Cole Hauser) walks up as Jimmy’s with the horse and asks Lloyd to watch over the kid and not get him killed.

Sheriff Donnie Haskell (Hugh Dillon) pulls over John as he’s heading back to the ranch. Haskell warns John against working with the Becks, and he knows what he’s speaking of from personal experience. The Becks have forced Haskell to do their bidding after he couldn’t pay off what he lost at a casino. They’ve had their differences, but Haskell’s dead serious when he warns John to stay away from Malcolm and Teal.

John Dutton heads over to Dan Jenkins’ office, knocking out the bodyguard outside his door and then throwing a wine bottle, followed by a chair, at Dan (Danny Huston). He growls, “Do you know what a f*cking mess you’ve made in this valley?!”

Dan claims he didn’t kill John’s cows, but John had already figured out it was the Beck brothers. They were attempting to get him to turn on Dan. If the Becks would kill John’s cows, what would they do to Dan? John believes this new twist necessitates a new approach. Dan confirms Thomas and the Becks are pushing him out of the casino, and John suggests they all sit down (without the Becks) and clear the air.

Dan agrees.

Back at the ranch, Lloyd puts Jimmy to the real test with a horse no one rides for eight seconds. Jimmy, reluctantly, mounts the horse and away he goes. He hangs on for dear life and remains in the saddle for longer than eight seconds. Lloyd’s impressed and gives Jimmy a pat on the back, saluting the fact he’s finally found something he can do on the ranch.

Jamie meets with Sarah Nguyen (Michaela Conlin), the reporter, way out in the country, far away from any prying eyes. Jamie, acting as an attorney, rescinds his permission to be quoted. He also explains that some things he disclosed were attorney-client privilege and could get him disbarred. The article will also hurt his family and get him disowned.

Sarah’s not in the least bit impressed with his argument, revealing she hopes his family loses everything. She also adds that she’s glad she’s the one who will take it all away.

Jamie’s rendered speechless as she turns and walks away. He stares at her back and then quickly follows her, slamming her head into her car and knocking her out. He screams in anguish, unable to understand what he’s done. Still, he realizes he needs to finish the job and begins strangling her while repeatedly saying he’s sorry as she struggles against his hands.

Once she’s dead, he bellows at the sky.

Yellowstone Season 2 Episode 6
Cole Hauser and Wes Bentley in Paramount Network’s ‘Yellowstone’ season 2 episode 6.

Jamie returns to the ranch and heads straight to Rip. Rip immediately realizes something’s wrong and Jamie shows him the dead reporter in his car. Rip begs him not to tell his father because that would make him an accessory to murder. “Jamie, I’m just a wrangler. Kayce has my job,” says Rip.

As Rip’s walking away Jamie begs for his help – as a friend. Rip admits Jamie has always treated him as an equal and heads into the bunkhouse. He finds Walker (Ryan Bingham) hanging out and asks him to drive a car. Ryan agrees.

Walker drives one of the ranch’s trucks while Rip and Jamie follow. Rip warns Jamie the only way to get rid of the mess is to get rid of him and asks not to be put in that position. They arrive at the place where Jamie committed murder and Walker’s told to drive Sarah’s car (without being told whose car it is) and follow Rip.

Rip watches as Jamie struggles with the dead body in a kayak. Jamie’s having trouble pulling it into the river, and Rip refuses to help. Jamie’s finally able to send it floating down the river, and just a short way from the bank the kayak overturns and Sarah’s body is tossed out.

Rip smashes the reporter’s phone.

Walker meets up with Rip and Rip refuses to say who owns the car. However, Walker’s quick to figure out he’s just been made an accessory to murder. Rip points out his own prints aren’t in the rental car or on the kayak.

Rip agrees Walker can leave the ranch since now he has something to hold over his head should Walker ever want to cause trouble for the Duttons.

And now for a shocker…Monica (Kelsey Asbille) is making out with her physical therapist. She stops him before they have sex because she needs closer with Kayce.

Jimmy makes it to the fair where he signs a Do Not Resuscitate order in case he’s horribly injured. He watches the other riders and becomes increasingly nervous as one of the rider’s goes down before he even makes out of the chute.

Jimmy eyeballs the horse he’s been given to ride, noting that it’s huge. He gets on it anyway, desperately in need of money. Lloyd warns him to pray and hold on.

Jimmy almost chickens out but doesn’t. He holds on past eight seconds and wins the event. Lloyd tells him to wave to the crowd and finally Jimmy understands he’s not only alive but also just earned a nice check and a shiny belt buckle.

Jimmy returns to the ranch and shows off the buckle to his fellow wranglers. He’s disappointed to learn Avery has quit while he was gone. As they’re all standing around talking, Walker enters, packs up his stuff, and leaves.

Lloyd volunteers to ride with Rip as he gives Walker a lift off the ranch. Just as they’re about to drive off, Kayce arrives (he’s been missing this whole episode). Walker explains that Rip’s taking him to the train station, and Kayce tells Walker he’ll take him. (In season one we learned the “train station” is where they take people they need to have disappear forever.)

Walker gets in Kayce’s truck, even after Rip reminds Kayce he doesn’t know where the station is. As they drive, Kayce asks Walker what he did. Kayce knows there’s a reason Rip was ready to send Walker off, and they pull over to the side of the road. They have a heart-to-heart about how humans aren’t better than animals, yet Kayce believes he’s different than Rip and the others. Walker, obviously realizing he’d be dead if he was riding with Rip, wonders if Kayce is truly different.

Kayce makes him swear he’ll never say anything about what he witnessed at the ranch. Kayce then promises he’ll be running the ranch differently if Walker ever returns in the future. He’ll welcome Walker back into the fold. Walker agrees he should stay away from the ranch for a while and they drive off, with Walker saying he owes Kayce one.

Tate’s spending time with his grandfather, John, when the news comes on about Sarah dying in a boating accident. John sends Tate off to bed and listens to the reporter explain Sarah was the third drowning death this year.

John spots Jamie having a drink in the living room and demands his son look at him. John wonders how they move on from this mess, and Jamie claims he had no choice. John disagrees.

The wranglers are up way before sunrise. As they stand around drinking coffee, Rip decides it’s time to get to work. John, Kayce, and Tate are also up before dawn, ready to go out hunting. John reminds Tate the rifle has the power to take a life and that he doesn’t have the power to bring something back from the dead. He warns him to make sure before he pulls the trigger.

Kayce helps Tate line up a shot and he kills a deer. Kayce and John are proud of the kid and initiate him with the blood of the deer. Kayce smears it all over Tate’s face, but Tate isn’t happy when he looks down at the dead animal. “It’s a big deal, taking a life, but everything on this earth has to do it to survive,” says Kayce. John agrees and adds it’s the one thing on this planet that everything shares.

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