The midseason finale of Yellowstone season 5 begins with Rip and Lloyd getting rid of Rowdy’s body while John waits in the car. On the way back, John asks Rip what Rowdy said about his daughter. Rip initially doesn’t want to say anything, but he later confirms it was something sexual. “Why did it bother you?” John asks.
John demands to know if there’s something going on between Rip and Beth. Rip doesn’t say a word, but his face gives away everything. “That sure makes things a lot clearer,” John says. When they’re both sitting by the fire, John talks to Rip about how he will have to give up everything for the ranch. “You will have a home ’til the day you die. Or when this ranch is no more,” John says.
John stresses that the ranch is worth fighting for and gives Rip a choice. “Didn’t know I had a choice,” Rip says. He chooses the ranch and gets branded.
In the present day, Jimmy is still working down at the 6666 Ranch and living a happy life with Emily. He’ll be seeing his Yellowstone buddies very soon.
Before he heads off to Helena, John shares another quiet moment with Monica. She thanks him for his words after her son died. “It helped me more than you know,” Monica says. John has a big ask for Monica while he’s away. He asks her to help watch over the ranch while he’s being the govenor and Rip is in Texas. There’s a house on the ranch by the reservation that needs work. “The ranch can’t be Tate’s someday if the ranch isn’t here,” he says. Monica tells John that she and Kayce can help.
Jamie prepares to make his big play while John is away. He calls an emergency meeting of the assembly for John’s “egregious act of dereliction.” He tells the assembly that John has violated state law and exposed the state to litigation. Jamie continues to hammer down on John and asks for a senate tribunal seeking impeachment.
Once the news of Jamie’s latest betrayal becomes public, the press starts to hound John at his event. John quickly says a few words and leaves. Back at the ranch, Summer shows Beth the video of Jamie’s call to impeach John. The rage is crystal clear in her eyes.
Before he leaves for Texas, Beth gives Rip a handkerchief that smells like her. She says she’ll fly to see him in a week. And with that, Rip and most of the bunkhouse head south. Beth makes a pit stop at Jamie’s house to confront him about his latest bombshell. He’s in bed with Sarah. Beth refuses to go away and breaks a window to get inside. There’s a slight tussle between them, but Jamie is the only one left bleeding.
She urges him to resign tomorrow or she’ll release the photos of him disposing of his father’s body. Jamie tells her that if she exposes him, she’s exposing John, too. He reveals to Beth that “a century’s worth” of their family secrets are at the bottom of the canyon where they throw all the bodies. Beth had no idea.
Jamie tells her that she doesn’t know the real price of protecting the ranch. “The greatest threat to that ranch is our father,” Jamie claims. He says he’s going to take out the threat. Sarah walks down the stairs to stake her claim.
“Okay, so it’s war,” Beth says. Jamie thinks the war is over. “No, Jamie. War’s just beginning,” she tells him.
Beth drives directly to the governor’s mansion to confront John about the “train station.” She brings up that Jamie knows about it. John is well aware of this. “He will use everything that he knows to destroy you. He’s made it clear,” Beth says.
Beth thinks it’s time to get rid of Jamie. She asks John what he thinks about that. They talk quietly in the living room about what’s next. Meanwhile, Jamie and Sarah are having an equally dangerous conversation. He inquires about hiring someone to kill Beth. He wants to meet with the people Sarah mentions. She tells him that she’ll handle it. They discuss hurting Beth, but it may not be a direct hit on her.
Monica explains the East Camp situation to her. He wants to make sure this is what she really wants. She’s tired of renting a house and staring at a nursery that’s not filled. The East Camp house would be theirs and they could start anew. The next chapter for Monica, Kayce, and Tate is beginning on the ranch.