Yellowstone Season 2 Episode 7 Recap: “Resurrection Day”

Yellowstone Season 2 Episode 7 Kelly Reilly
Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly in ‘Yellowstone’ season 2 episode 7 (Photo Credit: Paramount Network)

Paramount Network’s Yellowstone season two episode seven includes one of the most disturbing scenes on primetime television in recent history, so please be careful of any young ones watching the episode airing on August 7, 2019. That said, I challenge any Emmy voter to watch Kelly Reilly’s riveting, heartbreaking performance in “Resurrection Day” and not nominate her for an award.

Season two episode seven begins with Kayce (Luke Grimes) meeting up with his dad in the stables, wondering why John’s up so early. John (Kevin Costner) has a lot to think about and wants some alone time, but Kayce’s able to talk his way into joining John for a morning ride. Kayce reminds his dad his problems will still be there when he returns.

They stop after a while, arriving at the spot where Kayce’s mom died. John admits he was a better man and father when she was with him and hopes Kayce never experiences that feeling. Kayce confesses he already knows what it feels like. It’s a sweet yet melancholy moment the two share.

Back at the big house, Jamie (Wes Bentley) vigorously scrubs his face while weeping. Beth (Kelly Reilly) catches him and stares at his back. She finally says, “I blame myself, to a degree.” She then analyzes her brother having figured out he’s consumed with how the world views him.

“Morality, loyalty…not part of the equation for you. But you’ve finally done something that makes you see yourself the way the world does,” says Beth in a quiet, restrained manner. She then adds, “The way I see you – the way he sees you. And no amount of scrubbing is going to change that.”

As she’s walking away, Beth suggests he kill himself.

Elsewhere, the Reservation police bring Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) out to a house where a murder has just occurred. The victim was involved with the casino and his manner of death is disturbing. He was found strangled with his hand cut off. The severed hand was left outside with a knife sticking straight up out of it. Thomas acknowledges the message is received.

Tate hangs out with Rip (Cole Hauser) as Rip works a horse. Tate was left behind when John and Kayce went for a ride, and Rip’s surprisingly patient while watching over him.

Kayce and John arrive back at the ranch and Rip suggests they add babysitting to his list of talents. Tate has a talk with his grandfather, as Kayce thanks Rip for watching over him.

Tate tells John he’s going to be a cowboy when he grows up, but he needs a horse. He can’t be a cowboy without one. He asks John to buy him one and volunteers to take care of the barn to pay him back. He also agrees he’ll feed and water the horse. John tells him if Kayce says yes, then he’ll get him one.

Meanwhile, Teal Beck (Terry Serpico) shows up at Dan Jenkins’ restaurant with a notice that he’s suspended Dan’s liquor license. He won’t get it back until the following spring, and the cops accompanying Teal confiscate all the alcohol on the premises.

Teal’s brother, Malcolm (Neal McDonough), puts in an appearance at Beth’s office. He reveals he knows she’s buying up lots of land and that he thinks her father isn’t a reasonable man. He acknowledges he respects that about John and admits he’s not reasonable either.

Malcolm warns Beth he won’t allow a casino to be built at the gates of Yellowstone. Beth suggests he return to Billings and let them handle it, but Malcolm doesn’t trust they can do that. Malcolm says John’s going to need a new revenue stream once property taxes rise, and Beth assures him she’s taking care of it.

Malcolm’s not done talking. He believes Beth realizes the casino will need electricity and that they’ll get it from placing a dam on the Duttons’ river. That should provide the Duttons with an excellent source of revenue.

Malcolm recalls the story of a real estate attorney who placed her own needs over his. When he fought back, she was unable to turn to the authorities because it would have exposed her wrongdoing in the process. She ended up forced to move to California. He then threatens Beth by saying she looks a lot like that attorney.

Beth has a story of her own. She recalls as a rebellious teenager she gave a skinny boy no one liked a hand job in church. “It’s uncanny how much you look like that boy’s d*ck,” says Beth.

Malcolm warns her he’s got the cure for her tough talk. Beth accepts his challenge.

Tate’s working hard on convincing his father he needs a horse. They’re in Kayce’s truck and Tate ticks off a list of things he’ll do to take care of his horse. He’ll even learn how to braid its hair, if his dad will let him have a horse. “I’ll even clean out his poop,” says Tate as Kayce just smiles.

They arrive at the front door of Monica’s new apartment and Kayce finally gives in. However, Kayce will take care of it during the week and Tate can do it on weekends. That doesn’t sit well with Tate. John told him he needed to feed it every day, so Tate thinks he needs to live on the ranch. Kayce tries to get Tate to be quiet so Monica doesn’t hear that kind of talk, but she does and, strangely, she agrees.

Once inside the apartment Kayce notices Monica’s bags are all packed. She confesses she can’t move on from him and that he’s a part of her soul. She asks for his forgiveness and Kayce rushes to her as Tate tells them kissing is gross.

Yellowstone Season 2 Episode 7 Wes Bentley
Wes Bentley in ‘Yellowstone’ season 2 episode 7 (Photo Credit: Paramount Network)

At the ranch, John walks by his gun cabinet and notices a rifle is missing. He runs outside and grabs Rip and they take off on horses to track down Jamie. They’re coming up empty in their search when John asks Rip how much of “it” he did. Rip refuses to provide the details, unwilling to make John an accessory.

Rip finally admits he only helped in the clean-up. Neither man believes this will ever go away.

As they’re talking Rip spots Jamie. John goes after him on his own. Jamie’s cradling the rifle as John rides up, quietly and calmly approaching his son. John says that if he commits suicide it will be all anyone remembers about him. John’s angry, calling suicide a selfish act.

“This cannot be fixed. I cannot be fixed,” cries Jamie. “I’m married to it.”

John recalls his dad’s advice and admits he never should have sent Jamie off to school. He asks for the rifle and Jamie hands it over, breathing deeply. John helps him to his feet and tells his son they’ll work together on the new Jamie.

That evening John asks Beth to take it easy on Jamie. She can’t – or won’t – and claims Jamie’s the one they need to fight the hardest in order to save the family. She thinks John can’t see that, but she’s sure she’s right.

When John confirms Jamie was going to kill himself, Beth assures her dad she can get him to actually go through with it. John doesn’t want that to happen, but he can’t say that he loves Jamie when Beth asks him to look her in the eye and say it out loud.

That evening, Jamie packs up his belongings at Rip’s suggestion and moves into the bunkhouse. Rip tells the wranglers Jamie’s going to try his hand at being a cowboy. He leads Jamie to a bunk and then gets him involved in a poker game with the guys.

Jamie folds a winning hand, understanding what he needs to do to fit in.

John and Beth have a slightly more relaxed discussion about alcohol, Tequila, and worms. She lets her dad know Malcolm Beck paid her a visit and that men like him want to be feared. He won’t get that, but he’ll try.

Monica moves into the foreman’s house with Tate and Kayce. Relaxed and reunited, they stare into each other’s eyes as they make love.

Jamie continues with his poker game as Beth rings up Rip and demands he come to her. He climbs the house and joins Beth on the roof, sipping whiskey and staring at the stars. She wants him to take her on a real date, but Rip doesn’t believe her. He’s too tired to figure out what she really wants, but she swears she truly wants a real date.

She wonders what he spends his paychecks on and after making light of the question, she wants the real answer. Rip says he spent $22,000 on his mom’s marble headstone. He spent $30,000 on his little brother’s headstone. He spent $5,000 on a gravedigger to dig up his father and give him his bones. He threw them out the window of his car as he drove to North Dakota.

They kiss.

The following morning John’s trying to figure out where the TV remote is as he gives the master bedroom over to Kayce and Monica. Monica says the cabin’s fine, but John won’t take no for an answer. He wants them to do whatever they want to the room to make it their own.

John takes his clothes and a box out to the cabin that was his son Lee’s home. Framed photos of him and Lee bring John to tears, and he assures his dead son he’s not getting rid of his clothes as he places his own in the closet.

Later that day, Jamie’s working removing hay from a truck when John pulls up with Tate and Rip. They have Tate’s new horse and let him loose in the ring. John reminds Tate that how he treats the horse will determine how his horse’s life goes. Tate names him Lucky and John agrees it’s a good name.

Beth and her assistant Jason are working late when men arrive unannounced. They’re wearing masks and have guns, and immediately knock out Jason. One grabs Beth by the neck and she stabs him repeatedly in the face and neck. They punch and kick her while she’s down as she struggles for breath.

Beth managed to get a text off to Rip before the men attacked and as he’s driving, he attempts to call her. She doesn’t respond and he’s furious, aware she’s in trouble.

Beth and Jason come to and discover they’re tied up. A gun’s pointed at Jason’s head and he whimpers. Beth tells him to look at her. She doesn’t want him to give the men the satisfaction of seeing him scared. One man tells her he’s there to scare her and when she wishes him luck, he shoots Jason in the face.

Beth screams and cusses him out. The man she stabbed says he’s bleeding out and she’s glad. She taunts the man who threatens to rape her, and he whips her in the face with his gun. She slips from the chair, blood dripping from her head.

He unties her and slams her on a table to rape her. She continues to put on a brave act, calling out his tiny penis and refusing to act scared. He places the gun under her chin and warns her family will never see her face again because he’s going to blow it off. She screams at him to do it and continues to refuse to say she’s scared.

As Beth screams, Rip arrives and launches his attack. The gunman shoots but Rip’s a raging bull. He shoots the injured attacker and then knocks the other man to the floor, repeatedly banging his head on the ground.

He then comforts Beth but stops as he realizes he’s shot in the side. While he makes a call to John asking him to come to Beth’s office with a doctor no one knows about, Beth picks up a heavy piece of crystal and bashes in her attacker’s head.

Rip grabs Beth again, telling her he loves her. She cries in his arms as she hugs him.

John, Kayce, Jimmy, and the doctor arrive, and the doctor needs to take Rip to his office to cauterize the wound. John thanks him and although the doctor has no idea how it will all stay hidden, John assures him it will.

As Jimmy and Kayce help Rip to his feet, John attempts to ask his daughter if she was raped. She doesn’t answer the question and instead insists she needs to go with Rip.

Kayce tells his dad he’ll take care of Jason.

Monica asks where Kayce’s been when he shows up in bed, and he doesn’t exactly lie when he says there were wolves he needed to take care of.

The next morning Malcolm makes his morning cup of coffee and then enters his living room. He appears shocked as he looks outside. He heads outdoors and sees the two men he sent to attack Beth, naked, covered in blood, and dead. They’ve been hung up by their arms and there’s a knife pinning a note to one’s chest. It reads: “Return to Sender.”

At the ranch, John and Kayce have a talk about the Beck brothers. When Kayce asks what they’re going to do, John replies, “We’re going to kill them, son.”

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