Two episodes of Yellowstone in one night? This is what dreams are made of! This installment of Taylor Sheridan’s western saga, titled “The Sting of Wisdom,” begins with John Dutton’s (Kevin Costner) first day in office as governor of Montana. Unsurprisingly for Beth (Kelly Reilly), Jamie (Wes Bentley) and their new assistant Clara (Lilli Kay), John’s first job is to stop Market Equities from building an airport on  Dutton Land. It keeps growing frustrated as Jamie explains the various legal and political hurdles they must overcome to stop the project and all the bridges they will burn along the way. It seems that political power is as complicated as John always assumed. want. Written by Sheridan and directed by Stephen Kay, this episode connects multiple storylines beyond John’s first day on the job. It follows a devastated Kayce (Luke Grimes), Monica (Kelsey Asbille), and Tate (Breckin Merrill) struggling to pick up the pieces after Monica’s accident and miscarriage. Switch to the  Market Equities gang planning to take down the Duttons,  then  Beth working to keep Jamie in check. Finally back in Yellowstone, Rip (Cole Hauser) gives Carter (Finn Little) a cowboy lesson and faces a big mistake that could land two of our favorite Bunkhouse boys in jail and jeopardize Yellowstone’s future. Not enough action? This episode also solves the mystery of Kayce’s Season 4 vision quest and takes viewers on a journey to Beth’s favorite dive bar. Among all these events in the second episode of season 5.

Declaration of War

By now, everyone in the entire state of Montana knows that John will do whatever it takes to protect his ranch. John makes good on his promise for the season 5 premiere and orders Jamie to draft an executive order repealing all state laws. Permits and suspends all government funding for all  Market Equities Paradise Valley development projects. As prosecutor Jamie John warns, “By signing this order, you are signing a declaration of war.” Fed up, John growls:

“As we speak, you are entering the land where our family has bled for over a century. We are already at war. As he sits down in front of the press and news cameras to sign his first executive order, John goes on to deliver a moving speech about what freedom means. He reminds his constituents that the projects he stops would increase their taxes and force them “to decide if they can  afford to live in a place  they call home.” It ends with these poignant words: “This does not progress in my opinion. This is an invasion and the invasion is over today.” ” Pretty convincing, no?

Will Jamie be Sarah Atwood’s friend or foe?

If there was ever a worthy opponent for Beth, it’s Sarah Atwood, Dawn Olivieri’s high-profile corporate shark. One wonders why  Caroline Warner (Jacki Weaver), CEO of Market Equities, didn’t use her services in Season 4. Maybe she’s a little suspicious of Sarah? From the moment she steps off the company’s private jet, Sarah is laser-focused on her surroundings, but you can bet she still has time to flirt and then belittle men. As the  Market Equities team watches

John revokerevokes government funding and permits for all of its development projects in Paradise Valley, and Sand Sarah remains calm. Like Ellis Steele (John Emmet Tracy) in the season five premiere, he notices Jamie, the dour-looking Attorney General, who dutifully signs John’s warrant. “Is that the governor’s son? It’s like doing business in Utah,” said Sarah. Sarah looks closer at the screen and purrs, “This son doesn’t admire this fight. Think.” I’ll start with him.

Monica Remembers Kacy’s vision

One of the most heartbreaking aspects of Episode 2 is how Kayce and Monica deal with the loss of their son, John. As they deal with their grief, Monica mentions what Kayce saw during her vision quest in the season 4 finale. “When you said you saw our end, is that what you saw?” Monica asks her husband quietly.

Surprised, Kayce replies, “No, baby. I never saw that coming. It won’t be the end of us.” Monica asks, “What will he do?” To whichKayce replies, “I must choose our ending.” I’ll never choose that.” Cryptic, but reassuring I guess?

The Deerfield club belongs to Beth

Whenever Beth stops by the Deerfield Club for a meeting or a drink, Yellowstone fans know to expect the unexpected. From a drunk night that turned into a traumatic drive home with Jamie in Season 1 to a memorable showdown with Roarke. (Josh Holloway) In Season 3, Beth is famous for making things interesting. That, and (we can assume) large tips, has endeared her to the staff of the establishment. So arranging John’s meeting with the park makes a lot of sense to him.

County Commissioners at the Deerfield Club in this episode. Before her arrival, Beth is sitting at the bar enjoying a few drinks when a stranger relentlessly tries to pick her up. In an unusual act of kindness (ha!), Beth snaps at him, This is your only chance to leave me alone with your self-esteem intact. As he goads her, Beth proceeds to demolish him in a truly glorious takedown. It’s reminiscent of a scene at the Deerfield Club in the season 4 premiere when he cheers on a woman at the bar after  mistreats her Husband.”You got all the pussy and half the money,” Beth purrs, urging her not to take his shit. When the woman then puts her man in his place, Beth smiles and takes a sip. His influence.

Why Did Ryan and Colby Kill the Wolves?

The episode includes a subplot revolving around ranch hands Lloyd, Colby, Ryan, Walker, Carter, and others. It’s always refreshing to visit the ranch hands because their misadventures often have a light-hearted and funny tone. moments. However, this episode foreshadows a dark future, especially for Ryan and Colby. In the episode, Ryan and Colby are sent to hunt down wolves that are preying on the ranch’s cattle. TowardsToward the end of the episode, Ryan and Colby find the wolves and shoot them. But later they find out that the wolves are tagged. The markings confirm that the wolves came from the nearby national park. Therefore, hunting wolves is illegal and could cause trouble for the duo. They bring the bodies to the ranch. and seeks Rip’s help to deal with the situation. Finally, Rip throws the wolves with the tags into a nearby river. However, one of the trailers got caught in the rubble, meaning the ranch hands aren’t free yet. As a result, the national park’s tag ranger can lead to the ranch, leaving Ryan and Colby in legal hot water. 

What Deal Does John Make With the County Commissioners?

John then reiterates his decision to cut funding for the airport. He decides to issue an executive order to suspend Market Equites’ lease on the land on which the airport will be built. However, John needs the votes of at least two members of the county commissioner to confirm the executive order. John meets Ronnie and Kyle, two men he can convince to join his side. During the meeting, John stops the airport construction.

Ronnie and Kyle, however, are concerned about lost revenue due to the cancellation of airport plans. John assures them that he will double the income by heavily taxing non-residents. He reiterates the non-residents that will oppose the decision affecting their political careers. John gives them his word and Ronnie and Kyle agree to do as John says.

With the duo’s support, John can prevent Market Equities from repurposing the project and avoid civil litigation. This is how you can temporarily save your country. John deftly deals with the County Commissioners, underscoring his political skills and setting the tone for the season to continue addressing Montana’s sociopolitical issues.

Read More: Yellowstone Season 5 Episode 1 Ending Explained: Do Monica and Tate Die?