In Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 3 entitled “Tall Drink Of Water,” rattlesnake Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) was ready to strike. Though she seems to have delivered a death blow to Market Equities CEO Caroline Warner (Jacki Weaver), Beth herself got bit by a married barfly named Hailey Brewer (Ashley Platz) in The Crystal Bar up in Bozeman. Now in the custody of Sheriff Bill Ramsey (Rob Kirkland), Beth will have to wait until Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) and Gov. John Dutton (Kevin Costner) figure out a way to get her released.
As Monica (Kelsey Asbille) continues to mourn the loss of their son, Kayce officially resigns as Montana’s Livestock Commissioner, much to the chagrin of his father and Chairman Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham). Though, Rainwater has a much bigger problem on his hands: unrest on the Black Rock reservation regarding his leadership led by Angela Blue Thunder (Q’orianka Kilcher) and Martin Kills Many (Christian Wassana). Up north in Bozeman, Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) makes the most of an unexpected visit from Market Equities counsel Ellis Steele (John Emmet Tracy) and corporate shark Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri).
Amid Beth’s continuing quest for vengeance against those who have wronged her and the re-introduction of a thorn in the Duttons’ sides, here are 5 things to pay attention to in Episode 3.
SCHWARTZ & MEYER
Remember Schwartz & Meyer, the investment firm that Beth Dutton used to work for? You know, the company that allowed her to purchase property around the Yellowstone ranch to protect her family’s land. You know, the company that Market Equities bought to secure the same land for their Paradise Valley airport and other developments. You know, the company that Beth negotiated a controlling stake in when she took a job at Market Equities back in Season 4.
Well, Schwartz & Meyer is still very much in the picture in this episode of season 5. Desperate to stay one step ahead of Caroline Warner and her legal goons, Beth heads to Salt Lake City for a meeting with her old pal Robert Baldus (Aaron Lazar), who happens to be the head of Bersen International, Market Equities’ biggest competitor. She offers him the chance to purchase the controlling interest in Schwartz & Meyer, which nets over 480M a year. That purchase will “fuck” over Market Equities and Caroline Warner in countless ways. In return, Beth receives about 28,000 acres of Schwartz & Meyer’s real estate (worth about 300M) to put in a conservation easement. Just another reminder to never be on Beth’s bad side.
ANOTHER BURIAL ON THE YELLOWSTONE
In Episode 2, we watch as a grieving Monica asks Kayce to get John’s permission to bury their son, also named John, on the Yellowstone so she can visit him anytime she wants. Dutifully, Kayce puts the request to John: “He wasn’t alive long but he was alive. Don’t want to bury him with a bunch of strangers. She wants him here so she can visit if you’ll allow it.” How can John refuse?
John’s grandson is not the first Dutton to be buried on the Yellowstone. Fans will remember that Elsa Dutton in 1883
WE’RE PLAYING BY THE MASTERS’ LAW NOW
Angela Blue Thunder is once again a thorn in Thomas Rainwater’s side, and this time, she has an ally. When Thomas and Mo Brings Plenty return to the Gray Wolf Peak Casino, they are surprised to see a protest lead by young Native activist, Martin Kills Many, rallying the crowd to seek new leadership. As Martin speaks, Angela reminds Thomas of the slave rules vs. the masters’ rules discussion they had in the Season 5 premiere.
She warns Rainwater: “You keep enforcing the slave rules, Thomas. I’m going to teach you the masters’ rules and that lesson will not be pleasant.” Thomas should be afraid. Very afraid.
BAR M RANCH’S 2nd APPEARANCE
In a bar filled with “tourists and fake cowboys,” Rip and Jake (Jake Ream) are surprised to see a real cowboy from the neighboring Bar M ranch. Rip sends him a shot of whiskey as Jake approves observing, “good group of cowboys there.” The cowboy comes over and exchanges pleasantries with Rip as they complain about the lack of real cowboys at the bar.
This is not the first time we’ve seen a cowboy from the Bar M ranch. In fact, we saw a group of them at John Dutton’s inauguration party in the Season 5 premiere. With the Yellowstone’s recurring wolf problem, one has to wonder if the Bunkhouse boys will get some help from the neighboring ranches in outsmarting the Fish & Wildlife Servicemen who have been poking around the Yellowstone.
THERE’S A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN
Fans first met Bill Ramsey in Season 3, Episode 9, when he was the acting interim sheriff after the death of known Dutton alley, Sheriff Donnie Haskell (Hugh Dillon). In Ramsey’s eyes, Haskell was just a “gambling addict” and an “alcoholic.” In a brief but tense scene, Ramsey let John Dutton know then that “things will be different with me in charge.” When John responds wryly, “new rules,” Ramsey responds, “still the old rules, but now they’ll be enforced.”
Given that background, no one should be surprised when a distinctly uncooperative Sheriff Ramsey shows up to The Crystal Bar in the aftermath of the brawl that Beth instigated. When Rip asks to take Beth home, Sheriff Ramsey refuses: “You and the rest can go, but she hit that girl in the head with a bottle. That is aggravated assault.” Rip warns menacingly: “You know this is going to be a problem for you, right Sheriff?” Unperturbed, Ramsey responds, “problem of her own making.” And you know what? He’s absolutely right.