The December 12 episode of Yellowstone begins with Monica finding her house empty. She wonders where Tate went. She finds Tate with Kayce and their new dog out in the field. Monica hasn’t felt this content in a long time. At breakfast, Monica continues to give Kayce a hard time about Avery, making it clear that she’s still very jealous.
Carter tries making things up to Beth once again. He brings her flowers, but she doesn’t want them. Carter asks to leave the ranch. He’ll take his chances in foster care. When Beth asks what Carter’s dreams are, he says, “I don’t have any dreams.” He tells Beth that’s too busy trying to figure out where he’s going to eat and sleep every day.
Garrett Makes A Plan For Jamie
When Carter walks away, Beth calls him back. She wants to make a deal. He has to agree to do what she asks, and the way she asks him to do it. She also asks him to never lie to her. He has to be able to agree to all of this and not break his promise. They shake on it.
Jamie is loving being able to spend time with his son. Christina acknowledges to Garrett that Jamie is more like the man she wanted him to be from the beginning. However, she’s going to need more time before she can fully trust Jamie again. Garrett, trying to move more chest pieces in his favor, floats the idea of Jamie running for governor to Christina.
Beth begins her new job as the head of Market Equities. When she shows up at the design meeting, she realizes that she never got all the information about the plans for Montana. There are resorts, condos, roads, and more accompanying the international airport. She didn’t know about any of this, and she knows she has to stop it.
Teeter shows back up at the ranch. She doesn’t think she deserved to be kicked out. At first, John isn’t on board with bringing the girls back to the bunkhouse, but there’s no denying that Teeter has proven her loyalty. Rip lets her stay. Teeter is so happy for the second chance that she actually hugs Rip.
John Is Running For Governor
Lynelle pays John a visit at the ranch and asks to go for a walk. She inquires about Jamie becoming the next governor, and John immediately says “absolutely not.” He knows that would be way too much power to hand over to Jamie. Without saying too much, John tells Lynelle that there are things she doesn’t know about Jamie. For Lynelle, the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t know.
In a shocking twist, John decides to run for governor just so Jamie won’t be able to. “That’s how bad he’ll be for everything you and I worked so hard to protect. He’ll destroy it all,” John says. This is not what he really wants to do, but he can’t let Jamie run.
Beth spots Summer at another protest and decides to have a little chit-chat with her. Beth flat-out tells Summer that she’s not making a difference with her protest. “The engine of the problem doesn’t know you exist,” Beth admits. Summer asks Beth what she even knows about saving the environment. Beth, always being the most strategic person, reveals the plans about the airport, resorts, and condos just 15 miles from the national park. Now that’s piqued Summer’s interest, and this is a way she can make a real difference.
Rip is warming up to Carter finally. Beth is called to the lodge where John tells her that he wants his family under this roof. This means he wants Beth and Rip to move into the lodge. Beth tells John that he has to ask Rip what he wants to do.
Before she leaves, John tells Beth about running for governor. She hugs him. However, he wants her to find a way out of him running. She doesn’t think he has a choice, at least not right now. As governor, he would have the power to withhold funds, reverse state land grants, and shut the airport down. He’d have the power to run all these people who want to destroy their land out. Beth believes this is the way to save the ranch, and she’s going to help him run.
Teeter and Laramie make their way back to the bunkhouse. Lloyd walks in and has replaced Walker’s guitar. He’s extended the olive branch after they nearly killed each other. As Walker plays a song on his new guitar, it seems like the dust in the bunkhouse has finally settled.
John asks Rip about moving into the lodge. It’s a brief conversation but one that means a lot to Rip. John says the lodge is where family belongs. Meanwhile, Jimmy is still getting acquainted at the Four Sixes. He meets a woman named Emily and agrees to go to dinner with her. What about Mia?!
Kayce and Mo finally track down the horses that went missing. When he returns them, he crosses paths with Avery again. She thanks him for bringing the horses back. Rainwater advises Kayce to watch out for Avery, and Kayce asks why. “When they look at you like that, they’re all trouble,” Rainwater admits.
Avery Makes A Confession To Kayce
As he’s preparing to leave, Avery confronts Kayce. He immediately reminds her that he’s married. She asks him if he believes in love at first sight. He says that’s how he fell in love with Monica. “That’s how I felt when I first saw you,” Avery tells Kayce. Kayce, not trying to be too harsh, replies that “God wouldn’t let you love something that can’t love you back.” Avery quickly says, “Yeah, he would.”
Jamie believes he’s finally getting his moment to shine when he’s asked to go meet with Lynelle. When he walks down the stairs, he sees John and Beth. Jamie doesn’t let their appearances kill his mood too much. He still thinks that Lynelle is going to announce her endorsement of him. He starts to walk to the podium when Lynelle reveals her endorsement of John. Jamie is blindsided and absolutely stunned by this turn of events.
“This is just the beginning,” Beth whispers in Jamie’s ear. As John gives a press conference, Jamie is up the stairs and off to the side just out of view. He looks like he’s just been punched in the gut. Just when he thinks he’s ahead, John knocks him back down again.