'Yellowstone' season two, episode five: The Duttons are busy with damage control in 'Touching Your Enemy'
Spoilers ahead for the fifth episode of 'Yellowstone'
Enemies of John Dutton (played by Kevin Costner), and by extension the Yellowstone Ranch, are closing in on them.
After Beth manages to manipulate Jamie (played Wes Bentley) into returning to the ranch in 'The Reek of Desperation', the fourth episode of the second season sees enemies closing in on the ranch – on one end is Chief Rainwater (played by Gil Birmingham), then is Dan Jenkins (played by Danny Huston) still very much eager about overtaking the land. This season also introduces us to the big bad, Malcolm Beck (played by Neal McDonough), who is the sort of villain who wouldn't stop at anything to lay hands on what he desires – no matter the consequences.
After the Dutton's cattle were attacked – and mercilessly killed by poisoning – the family is now hunting for the perpetrators. In the fifth episode, titled 'Touching Your Enemy', sees the Duttons getting closer to those responsible for killing their cattle.
This takes Kayce (played by Luke Grimes) to Jenkins' home. It goes without saying that this wasn't a pleasant meeting – the two are meeting face to face for the first time since the Dutton son hung Jenkins by a tree to teach him a lesson.
Nonetheless, every time Jenkins practically shouts at Kayce that he doesn't know how to poison cattle Kayce asks him again. Eventually, John's team leaves the Jenkins household as clueless about the perpetrator as they were before they got here.
Meanwhile, John Dutton is trying to solve the shooting that – unfortunately, and despite a warning – Kayce got himself involved in. When hunting for the perpetrator, they are led to a rancher. There, in self-defense, the rancher's young teenager is shot dead – not by Kayce, who is only present at the time of the accident. In the fifth episode, Dutton Sr gets in Cassidy Reid (played by Kelly Rohrbach) to help sort this out.
The episode packs in a little bit of teenage romance too – and we're, honestly, ere for it. Flashbacks tell the story of the bond/relationship between Rip (young Rip played by Kyle Red Silverstein) and Beth (played by Kylie Rogers).
Jamie (played by Wes Bentley) is in a classic Jamie situation. Remember that damning interview he gave which could potentially destroy John Dutton? Yeah, that comes back to bite him. The very same morning, John had warned him that Jamie had lost the right to question his father for a while.
Desperate to go back on the interview, he first threatens the reporter with suing. But he knows very well that it won't work so he goes begging to Beth (played by Kelly Reilly). Unfortunately for Jamie, this discussion doesn't go as per his wishes, and Beth literally beats him, dragging him to their father's cabin for a confrontation.
'Touching Your Enemy' will be airing on Paramount Network on Wednesday, July 24, 2019, at 10 pm PT/ET.