In Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 8 entitled “The Dream Is Not Me,” Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) officially declares war on his adopted father, Governor John Dutton (Kevin Costner), by going before the Montana state assembly to secure the approval of a Senate tribunal seeking impeachment. Even worse, John learns about Jamie’s dastardly albeit cunning political move after giving a rousing speech of support for Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) and the Broken Rock Reservation as they make plans to protest the proposed federal government pipeline. Needless to say, Jamie’s impeachment ploy undermines the good will that John is building with Rainwater and his people.
After learning of her adopted brother’s subterfuge, a furious Beth (Kelly Reilly) does what Beth does: breaks into Jamie’s home with a brick, hits him with said brick, and threatens to release the footage of him disposing of his real father’s body if he doesn’t resign as Attorney General immediately. In a bold move, Jamie calls her bluff, saying he’ll bring down the Duttons and the Yellowstone himself by revealing the whereabouts of “the train station” and who lies at the bottom of the canyon. Surprisingly, this is the first time Beth hears of the “train station,” and when she confronts John about it later, he confirms her worst fears. Now that a war between the Duttons has officially been declared, Beth and Jamie openly plot to murder each other, much to the chagrin of John and much to the delight of Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri).
In the midst of all the political maneuvering, Rip (Cole Hauser) and the Bunkhouse Boys prepare to take the herd down to the Texas panhandle for the winter. The land is owned by the 6666 ranch, so there’s no doubt the Yellowstone men and Teeter (Jen Landon) will run into Jimmy (Jefferson White) and his girl Emily (Kathryn Kelly) at some point. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Kayce (Luke Grimes), Monica (Kelsey Asbille) and Tate (Breckin Merrill) step in to oversee operations and build a home of their own, per John’s request.
From the return of everyone’s favorite wrangler/former bronc rider to Beth’s sudden enlightenment about her family’s murderous past, here are 5 things to pay attention to in Episode 8.
JIMMY’S BACK AND THRIVING
Jimmy received John’s blessing to leave the Yellowstone for the 6666 in the Season 4 finale, but his fate has been a mystery thus far. Thankfully, this season viewers finally get an update on how’s Jimmy’s doing…and he’s doing great! He’s still in love with Emily, the 6666’s veterinarian, and they are living together and doing it like rabbits. As the two sit in their yard drinking beers and playfully squabbling over bottle caps, Jimmy looks at Emily and says lovingly, “I’m happy.” Sassy as ever, Emily replies: “You should be. I hope you’re buying lottery tickets, lucky as you got.” How can he resist her?! Let’s hope he can get play nice with the Bunkhouse Boys when their paths inevitably cross in Part 2 of Season 5.
MONICA AND JOHN GET CLOSER
Who can forget that heartfelt speech John gave Monica in Episode 4 of this season at her son’s burial? “All he saw of this planet was you, and all he knew was you loved him,” John told Monica as he comforted her by the gravesite. After some time has passed, Monica reveals to John that their conversation stuck with her. As she thanks him for his counsel, Monica tells him: “[Your words] helped me more than you know. I leaned on them every day since you said them and every night.” Their newfound connection makes it easier for John to ask her if she and Kayce would help run the Yellowstone while he is in Helena and Rip is with the herd. She agrees, of course. All John had to do was ask.
WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS
With Jamie’s coup d’etat in the works, things don’t seem like they could get any worse for John… until they do. Remember the protected wolves with radio collars from the Yellowstone National Park that Colby (Demin Richards) and Ethan (Ian Bohen) accidentally shot way back in Episode 2? That incident that both Rip and John tried to cover up in subsequent episodes? Welp, the other shoe drops when John, Lynelle Perry (Wendy Moniz), and Clara (Lili Kay) are watching the news. It’s revealed that Wolf Watch, an environmental group that funds radio collar studies in wolf packs, has determined that the wolves could have been killed on the Yellowstone, which is not a good look for the Governor. John needs to get his environmental advisor in action, stat!
BETH LEARNS ABOUT THE TRAIN STATION
After 4 seasons of various murders (mostly committed by her husband), it’s hard to believe that Beth had no idea what the “train station” is, even though she was there when Jamie dumped his biological father’s body. She is stunned when Jamie asks her incredulously: “Do you think I just picked a turnout on the Wyoming border at fucking random? There is a century’s worth of our families’ secrets down at the bottom of that canyon.” Later, when Beth storms into the Governor’s house to confront John, he doesn’t deny it. “It’s the trashcan for everyone’s whose attacked us,” he explains. Beth doesn’t hesitate to suggest that’s exactly where Jamie belongs.
KAYCE’S VISION
All season long Kayce has acted with his vision quest in the Season 4 finale in mind. He planned to quit his job as Livestock Commissioner in Episode 3, only to have Monica talked him out of it in Episode 5 after she reassured him that nothing would come between them. In the last scene of the midseason finale, Monica and Kayce discuss living on the Yellowstone again and moving into the house in East Camp. “In my vision, the choice that I saw was between this place and you,” Kayce reveals. “Was East Camp in your vision?” Monica asks. When Kayce shakes his head, Monica says, “Maybe this is the way we have both.” Let’s hope.