And just like that, the fourth season of Yellowstone snaps into focus. An election is a natural central plot around which to structure a story. It’s only a wonder it’s taken this long to introduce it.
After at least a few sleepy episodes, “Keep the Wolves Close†gets the plot moving quick. Jamie, finally getting some quality time with his (still unnamed?) son, is also suddenly next in line for governor. He has the support of power-hungry Garrett Randall, his biological dad, who also enlists his baby mama and previous campaign manager, Christina (still surname-less). Most critically, he has current governor Lynelle Perry’s endorsement.
That is unless she finds a better candidate, which she does quickly. Stopping by the Dutton ranch to tell John she’s running for U.S. Senate, she finds a surprising new choice for successor: John himself, who impulsively throws his hat in the race out of the desperate desire to derail his own son’s path to power. Lynelle has no real idea what John means when he talks obliquely about the damage Jamie has inflicted; to her, Jamie has always been “the devil we know.†But John’s insistence that Jamie will destroy everything they built together if he takes power sure seems sincere, and ultimately John is a devil she knows even better.
John was always bound to have complicated feelings once he found out about Jamie running for governor. But his distrust is at even higher levels than I realized. And even knowing John had replaced Jamie, I still wasn’t expecting the cruelty of the episode’s end: John and Beth allow Jamie to think they’re visiting him just to proudly support the announcement of his run for governor, only for John to be the Dutton named at the press conference. John even glances back to get a good glimpse of Jamie’s reaction as he comes out onstage to accept his endorsement. He fires off a speech about the war against Montanans’ way of life and denounces the false notion of progress promised by big-city developers, boldly calling himself “the opposite of progress†and “the wall that it bashes against.â€
It’s hard to know exactly what’s motivating John in this latest anti-Jamie crusade. Jamie was starting to slowly make his way back into his adopted dad’s good graces; to further prove his allegiance and his innocence in the hits, he agreed to meet with Terrell Riggins. But we’ve never seen him get back to Kayce or John with what he learned, or even with a made-up excuse about hitting a dead end. John’s instincts seem to come from a more generalized dislike he’s always had for Jamie, especially since finding out he murdered a reporter in season two and learning about his role in Beth’s sterilization in season three. (There are worse reasons to distrust someone, to be fair.)
Regardless, we know Jamie doesn’t exactly deserve John’s trust. He now knows exactly who planned the hits — a man who explicitly said he has no intention of quitting — and he’s not only keeping it secret but bonding with the guy. Still, it hurts a little to see Jamie’s surprised joy turn to horror. While he stands there stunned, Beth takes the opportunity to get her licks in, as she always must. “This is just the beginning,†she assures him. Beth’s threats against Jamie have gotten tiresome, but for once this feels like a sincere threat. It may not have been Beth’s initial idea to pit John against Jamie, but she’s crucial in getting him to commit; when he balks at the idea of spending four years away from the ranch, she stresses that the ranch won’t be here at all if they don’t do something about it.
With her new position at Market Equities, Beth knows just how urgently they need this. When she visits the office and walks into a meeting earlier in the episode, she realizes development on Dutton-adjacent land is coming fast. The international airport is the biggest offender, a sort of physical manifestation of John and Beth’s greatest fears for the ranch. When Beth later sees Summer protesting outside a fur dealer, she can’t resist mocking her cause. It seems so trivial to her compared to Market Equities’ vision, a far bigger threat to the region’s natural beauty. Of course, we all know Beth’s employer has no interest in preservation. “They’re in the business of want,†Beth explains, “and they want it because it’s going to make them a shit-ton of money.â€
So, as Beth points out to John, power in government is their best option — their only option, maybe, if her hands are tied at Market Equities. As governor, John could put up all kinds of bureaucratic red tape, shutting down the development in a number of ways. He finally agrees to go through with it, aided by Beth’s assurance that she’ll be there to help. John trusts his daughter implicitly; she’s his closest ally and confidante now, with Jamie gone and Kayce living in relative tranquility away from the ranch for the time being.
That’s also why John wants Beth and Rip under the same roof as him, even if they have to bring Carter along. Beth refuses to play wingman, forcing John to “take an emotional risk with another man†and ask Rip himself if he’ll move into the lodge. He sort of agrees, though John storms off before he gets a real emphatic answer, so afraid of showing vulnerability.
Despite the welcome boost in pace, “Keep the Wolves Close†isn’t the best episode this season, and some of that comes down to whatever’s going on in Kayce’s corner of the show. He’s permitted some domestic bliss with his family, certainly, and it’s nice to see him continue to do his job competently, recovering the horses stolen from the reservation. But what’s the deal with Avery’s abrupt, teary declaration of love at first sight? The Avery of season one and two was tough, strong, and more flirtatious than romantic. I liked that Avery, but I’m not sure what purpose this one serves besides stoking up some jealousy from Monica. Kayce loves his wife, and I can’t see him leaving her now that he’s finally attained a measure of peace.
Kayce has spent three episodes away from the ranch now, but he’s living the same type of existence his father hopes to protect: a modest one, focused on land, animals, and family. The Dutton ranch’s luxuries may be inaccessible for most Montanans — John isn’t exactly the common man — but it’s that serenity, that quiet, that John wants to ensure for future generations. When you think of it that way, a threat as banal as a new airport feels downright existential.
The Last Round-Up
• Carter Corner: Carter finally mends fences with Beth, at John’s urging. She forgives him after he brings her flowers and promises to never lie to her. I’ll say for the last time that this whole conflict was strangely underdeveloped, and it’s telling that it’s been episodes since anyone even mentioned the impetus for Beth’s distrust. (It was a shirt.) It also strikes me as a little extreme to call a 14-year-old “the kind of man who uses flowers to say ‘I’m sorry’ because he doesn’t have the balls to say it himself.â€
• Beth fires her new assistant, Cal, then says, “Not looking too fired, Cal†probably 30 seconds after he leaves her office.
• In a nice scene, Teeter convinces John to keep her as a ranch hand by pointing out her hard work and, more importantly, the brand on her chest. It’s the men who were immature, she argues, not her, and not even Laramie. I suppose that’s why Laramie is still at the ranch (and with Walker no less!), though I’m surprised she can stay without the brand.
• Lynelle sees compromise and negotiation as the missing ingredients in D.C. politics these days. She talks up her own skills in that department, leading John to remind her of her more important value as a piece of meat: “Well, I can think of a few others you’re a master of.†Classy, John.
• Lloyd trades in his treasured belt buckle to buy Walker a new guitar. It’s a lovely gesture to put this feud to rest (hopefully).
• At the Four Sixes, Jimmy shares a meet-cute with Emily, his partner in graphic horse masturbation. I’m glad he’s moving on from Mia, but wow, these girls all really throw themselves at him, don’t they?
• John snatching power back from his estranged son — and relishing it — inevitably reminds me of last night’s Succession finale. The parallels are even closer than usual.