NOTE: this post contains spoilers for Yellowstone season 1 episode 2, "Kill the Messenger."
After the massive two-hour event that was Yellowstone season 1 episode 1, the western got back to a normal hour-length episode in its second, "Kill the Messenger." That doesn't mean it wasn't eventful, even explosive at times (literally). Let's break down what happened.
A gift horse
As Rip (Cole Hauser) says, Kayce's giving the stallion to John (Kevin Costner) is some "gift." The horse bucks like crazy whenever John tries to ride him. John and Rip get an idea though. They duct tape Jimmy (Jefferson White) into the saddle to make sure he doesn't fall off. Sure enough, the stallion goes crazy but Jimmy stays on.
Kayce (Luke Grimes) works on his own project, removing a stump from his property. It won't budge and actually causes his tractor to flip. Frustrated, he takes a bucket of chemicals, places it at the stump then shoots at it, causing a not small explosion. When Kayce and Tate (Brecken Merrill) go to inspect the crater, they find dinosaur fossils.
Jamie (Wes Bentley) wishes Governor Perry (Wendy Moniz) had dinosaur bones (or even a bucking horse) for him. Instead, he's told Lee's autopsy reveals he was instantly paralyzed when shot, meaning there was a third shooter. In addition, Robert was killed execution style, which will open up inquiries from outside agencies. Last, two Livestock Commission agents saw Kayce come back to the ranch with Lee's body, which discredits what Jamie said. They offer to hold this info as long as they can until Jamie can think of a solution.
No negotiations
Jamie goes to Beth (Kelly Reilly) for advice on the situation. However, instead of advice she gives Jamie a series of put downs. Family is a tricky subject for Beth, made clear by her removing a family picture from her wall. Jamie puts it back up, but as soon as he leaves she drops it back on the floor, breaking it.
Jamie brings John up to speed on the situation. John asks which agents saw Kayce; one's family he knows personally, the other is a more religious, by-the-book person. Knowing the medical report is their big issue and could cause investigators to dig up Lee's body, Jamie suggests they turn Kayce in. John says before he does anything he wants to talk with Kayce.
Visiting Kayce on the reservation, John asks for the truth, but Kayce believes what happened that night should stay there. John warns him he's playing a dangerous game with people that could threaten his future.
Jamie comes up with another option. Though the medical examiner already gave the report to tribal police, Jamie found out he was fired from his previous position for smoking embalming fluid. They could use that to discredit his reports. John tells Jamie to send Rip to visit the medical examiner, but not for a negotiation.
Cheating death
Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) looks over Robert's medical report. Though the narrative still is that Lee killed him, Rainwater isn't convinced. The only witness was Kayce, who Rainwater remembers was a soldier. He knows all of this could be key in his goal to bring down the Duttons.
After a long day of being strapped to the stallion, Jimmy is finally cut loose. Rip gets on the horse and is able to ride him, so Jimmy was successful in riding the buck out of him. John, who initially just saw Jimmy as a favor, thinks there may actually be a cowboy in him.
Later, John attends a rodeo with Carl Reynolds (Fredric Lehne), the father of one of the agents who saw Kayce. John tells him to get his son to stop saying he saw Kayce. Carl agrees.
Beth asks Rip to take her on a date suiting her personality (not a music festival like he suggested in episode 1). He picks getting drunk and watching wolves hunt elk in the park, which she agrees to. Their conversation eventually turns to death (you know, as all dates do). Rip says out of anyone, Beth may be able to cheat death. With that inspiration, Beth races out of the car screaming and chases off the wolves. Beth tells him only the things she loves die, not her. She wonders why Rip is still alive then, guessing God isn't done punishing him either.
The cost of promises
Jimmy is worn out, unwilling to move from his bed. The other ranch hands grab him to try to shower. Pulling his shirt off, they see the Yellowstone brand on him, which stops them. An older ranch hand, Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith), reveals he also has the brand. Knowing what it means, the others leave Jimmy alone.
John debates whether or not he should cremate Lee's body to protect Kayce. Beth reminds him Kayce was John's wife's favorite and they promised to protect him.
John then goes to a church. He speaks with the priest and reminds him he owes John a big favor, which John is cashing in. As a result, the priest gives a sermon about not speaking out against your neighbor, pretty much directed right at the other agent that saw Kayce. The sermon works, as the agent seeks the priest's advice afterwards.
Trying to be good
Monica (Kelsey Asbille) overhears Kayce planning to go back into the military. They argue about it on their way to pick up Tate. Kayce says he's going back because he can't support the family selling horses, but Monica doesn't buy it. She wants to know the truth. Kayce is about to tell her when a trailer/meth lab explodes as they drive by.
Kayce searches for survivors, finding only a severely burned man writhing in pain. The man asks for Kayce to kill him. When Monica says the ambulance is 45 minutes, they both agree to do it. Rainwater and the tribal police arrive on the scene. Rainwater doesn't want to throw away the potential chip Kayce is, so they cover it up, making it look like the police killed the man.
Rainwater brings Kayce to a native ceremony where smoke will rid them of what just happened. Rainwater sees Kayce's brand, which Kayce infers John gave him. Rainwater tells Kayce all men are bad, but some try real hard to be good. This ritual will show Kayce his path, allowing him the chance to change his path if he wants.
Ashes to ashes
To prevent anyone from using Lee's body against them, John has it cremated; he later spreads the ashes on the grave of his wife. Rip wraps up the other loose end by killing the medical examiner and destroying the original report, burning the facility to the ground and making it look like a suicide.
On his drive home, Kayce sees a wolf in the road. It stops and stares at him. When a truck is coming down the other side, Kayce honks his horn to get the wolf to move, but it doesn't budge and is killed by the truck.
Monica and Kayce talk when he gets home. She wants him to stay, but he's worried if he does she'll learn what he did. She tells him there's nothing he could do that she won't forgive, but Kayce doesn't agree. When Kayce spends time with Tate, Monica is outside the room, crying.
Yellowstone season 1 episodes airs Sundays on CBS and are available to stream on Peacock.
