Yellowstone (2018–…): Season 2, Episode 1 - A Thundering - full transcript

Kayce settles into his new role at the ranch; A damaging article threatens to expose John; Rainwater pitches his new plan to the tribal council.

[breathing heavily]

[eerie atmospheric music]

[screams echo]

- What happened to you?

Ahhhh!

- They're in here.

- You seen 'em?

- Smell 'em.

- We'll get these horses
gored in that thick shit.

- Well I'm not leaving $100,000
worth of bulls in that thicket.

- Send in the dogs.



- [whistles]

- Hey Travis, why don't
you come on over, bring a horse,

We'll go for a ride,
maybe chase some cows.

- You've horse traded
me enough, Travis.

Time I horse traded you.

- [chuckles]

- Oh, you think that's funny?

[bulls grunt]

- Boy, if this don't
pucker your red eye,

I guess nothing will, huh?
- Here we go.

- All right.
Nobody be a hero.

Turn together.

- Let's go.

- All right,
let's split up.



- Yah!

- Hey hey!
- Take that angle!

- Ho ho!

[men shouting]
[bulls grunting]

Shit! They're moving this way.
Watch out!

Everybody stay back!

- I'm coming around!

- Goddamn they're angry.

- Get the fuck out of here!

- Push 'em out this way.
Hurry up!

- Here they come!

- Go go go go!

[dogs barking]

[dog whimpers]

[leaves rustling, bulls moo]

- Kayce!

- Yah! Get out of there.

- Goddamn boss,
that was awful reckless.

- It's only reckless if you
can't see it through.

Hell of a morning, huh?

[theme music]

[soft music plays]

["What Comes Naturally"
by Blackberry Smoke plays]

- Get yourself, Kayce, go on.

♪ Hey pretty baby come and spend
a little time with me ♪

♪ Hey pretty baby come and spend
a little time with me ♪

♪ Hey pretty baby come
and spend a little time ♪

♪ I ain't got
but one thing in mind... ♪

- What's the count?

- 800 so far.

Probably another
200 in the mix.

- Shit.

- Hey! Keep those bulls
away from the cows!

- Move, move!

Hey bulls!

- Jimmy, get up here!

Get ready to close
that fucking gate.

- Get in there, Jimmy.

- Get in there.
Go get that gate.

- They're fucking angry!
- No shit they're angry.

Their job is to fuck, Jimmy.

And they ain't fucked
in six months.

Better grow eyes in the
back of your head

with these bastards.

- These go over by
the squeeze shoot.

And this is the Lane Pulsator IV

Electronic Bull Ejaculator
for Artificial Insemination.

- What are you gonna do with it?

- I'm not doing
anything with it.

One of you are.

- Yeah. That's a low-man's work.

- Who's low-man?

Bullshit.

- Yeah, you'll be covered
in that, too.

- I ain't no fucking wrangler.
I'm the groomer.

Make Gilligan do it.

- Oh, I plan to.
But you're doing it with him.

- Excuse me.

Who runs this outfit?

Looking for some day-work,
if you have any.

Trying to make my way
to Arizona.

References available
upon request.

- Well you can make your case
to that fella right over there.

- Howdy.
- Hi.

- They call me Cowboy.

Gentleman tells me you might
have some day work for me.

Nice spread you got here...

[soft music plays]

- You have a fundraiser
dinner tonight.

Another one tomorrow in Helena,

then Thursday at the Stock Farm
in Hamilton.

My parents are gonna be
in Missoula this weekend.

They'd love to meet you.

No pressure.

- I'm gonna grab some coffee.
You want some?

- What?

- Coffee.

- Oh, I'm out.
Do you wanna grab us some?

- Great idea.

- Could I have
two coffees please.

- Mm-hm. Choose a selection
from the board.

- You know what.
You choose one.

You know they have
machines for this.

- Yeah, but this is like,
a way fresher brew.

Better than a regular drip.

- Well I see why
the long line.

- Oh yeah, people wait
all day for this stuff.

- Hey, I would let
that rest for like...

- Hey.

- Thank God. Caffeine.

A 'pour-over,'
God bless you.

The best measure of progress
in a town is decent coffee.

- And obviously,

there's a rent reduction
for a multiyear lease.

- If I'm in Bozeman
this time next year,

Jason here has
instructions to poison me.

Let's start with six months.

- Six-month leases
do require payment in advance.

- That's fine.

Get me account information

and I'll have the money
wired tomorrow.

Furnish it.

- Schwartz and Meyer in Bozeman.

I guess we're a real city now.

And I didn't think Bozeman
could grow any more

after the co-op moved in.
- What's the Co-op?

- It's kinda like a Whole Foods.

- There's a Whole Foods here??

Thank you

- How's the space?

- It'll do.
I found one.

- Yeah? Who?

- State Prosecutor
in Custer County.

She clerked for Stewart in 2014.

Former rodeo queen.
Pretty girl.

- Pretty doesn't matter.

- Yeah, it does.

- Jesus, she...
She looks like you.

- Jamie's gonna
fucking hate her.

- Yeah.

- Here's my issue, Chairman.

I've got plenty,
but my first one,

is we already have a casino.

It would seem to me improving it
makes much more sense

than building one 90 miles
off the reservation.

- Our reservation
is not a destination--

it's a gas stop on the way
to destinations.

Truckers and buses filled
with senior citizens

putting nickels
in slot machines

will not improve our schools--

- So you want to spend
$200 million

building another one??

Off-site casinos come
with regulations,

they come with partners
we don't control--

- It won't be off-site.

We will own the land.

And once we do, we annex it
into the reservation.

- Can we do that?

- The precedent's already set.

The Chumash did it
in Santa Ynez.

We can build businesses--
hotels, restaurant.

With no state oversight.

Because it's part
of the reservation.

All I need is council approval
for the loan.

- Ambitious.

- It's what I was elected to be.

- You were elected to bring
change to the reservation.

This isn't change.
This is the same thing

white man's been doing
to us for centuries.

And now you're doing it.

- Yes. At last.

Someone is doing it to them.

This is where change begins.

- I don't see anything
in this proposal

that shows how the money
from this development

is gonna help the community.

Just your promise it will.

And promises are how
we got on the reservation

in the first place.

- Trusting them is what
put us on reservations.

And I don't trust them.

- You don't get my vote.

- Do I need it?

I don't need it.

- Well you will, Tom.

- Well, it's good to see you.

So how can I help?

- I've reconsidered.

The job you offered.
I've reconsidered.

- Uh...

The money we earmarked for that
Native American Studies program

was re-allocated
until next semester

when we can find a professor.

I thought you didn't want
to leave the school

on the reservation
with one less teacher.

You were pretty firm on that,
if I recall.

- I'm not leaving.

What I mean is: I want both.

I can teach mornings
at the high school,

and afternoons or evenings
here at the university.

- That's a full plate,
and a long drive.

- I'm aware of that.

- I have a class--
American History.

It needs a professor.

That gets you in the door
until we can get your classes

on the fall schedule.

- What era of American History.

- Columbus's arrival to the
Declaration of Independence.

- Columbus.

- Are you comfortable with that?
- Depends.

Which version of Columbus's
history am I teaching?

- Yours, Mrs. Dutton.

- Long.
My last name is Long.

It used to be "Long Spear,"

until my grandfather
was taken from his parents

and sent to a Catholic school

funded by the Bureau
of Indian Affairs,

where they changed his name

and tried to teach him
how not to be Indian.

I look forward to teaching young
minds all about the man

who introduced genocide
to the Western Hemisphere.

- My God.

You Beth?

- You Cassidy?

- Whew.

My part of Montana you can
stand on a can of tuna

and see the entire state
from there.

- Not here.

- I'm very curious to learn
what I can do for you.

- Oh I think it's
what we can do for you.

Come inside.

Here.

- We're looking
at three candidates to support.

And wanted to gauge your
interest.

- I'm flattered by the offer.

I have to ask: why aren't you
supporting your son?

- Clearly you haven't met him.

- We want what's best
for Montana.

And right now, that...

that feels like you.

- Can you walk my father through

the wounded veterans
charity you started.

- We save horses from
slaughterhouses in Canada

and use them for equine therapy

with war veterans
suffering from PTSD.

- Well then...

Be hard for either side
to argue against.

- I'm late.
I gotta go, Daddy. Love you.

- Don't change the hair.

- I'm a little worried I won't
get the voter turnout.

I'm from eastern Montana,
towns with 600 people,

not a lot of voters there.

- You let me worry about votes.

You just worry about being you.

- Okay.

[playing guitar]

- What's your name?

- Cowboy.

- Your name's Cowboy.

Shit. We're all cowboys.

- Ha. The hell you are.

And you...

you ride a horse
like a teenager fucks--

bouncing up and down
with your eyes wide,

stunned you're doing it at all.

- Only cowboy thing I seen you
do is clean your plate.

Stand up and tell me
I can't cowboy.

- I didn't say you can't.

I said he can't.

And he sure as hell can't.

And you don't want
me standing up, boy.

I'll beat you
like a rented mule.

- There's one rule
on this ranch, Cowboy.

If you wanna fight somebody,

you fight me.

I guess you forgot that rule,
right?

Go sit down.

[singing and playing guitar
in distance]

Lloyd,

Go tell Elvis supper's ready.

- I'll tell him for you.

♪ ...something you'll
never know ♪

♪ Your only home ♪

- I see your voice
didn't get any happier.

- Well I guess neither did I.

Hell I ain't seen you since--
- The Haythorne.

Nebraska.

Heard you did a stint.

- Seven years.

- Yeah well,
it's behind you now.

Keep it there, son.

- I'm trying.

How'd this place find you?

- I found it.

- This ranch...

it's ain't like no place
you ever worked.

You might wanna think
about making a U-turn.

- Work's the same.

Just the ranch name
that changes.

- No. This one's different.

Reminds me of that place
down on the border.

Fuckin' drug-runners, militia,
and all that shit.

- There ain't
no border here, son.

- Oh yes there is.

We just can't see it.

- Don't seem like you've made
a friend in the foreman.

- Keep an eye on him.

Keep an eye on all of 'em.

How long gonna stay?

- Maybe I'll just push 'em
out to pasture

and then head south.

- That's a good idea.

When you leave I'm
going with you.

- You don't need permission
to leave, Walker.

- Here you do.

[guitar plays]

- How you doin'?

- How are you doing?

- I'm...

Doing, you know?

- Yeah.

- Can you give us a minute?

- Good to see you Kayce.

- You too.

I was hoping I made it
before he fell asleep.

- You didn't.

- Tell me how this works,
Monica.

I'm his father.
You can't keep me from him.

- I'm not trying to
keep you from him,

I just have to shield him
from what you've done.

I can't let him see it
catch up to you.

- Ain't catching up
with me tonight.

- You wake him up,
you put him back to sleep.

- Maybe I'll...

I'll just watch him for a bit.
Is that okay?

- Take all the time you want.

[crying]

- Hey.
- Hey.

- Let me order you a drink.

- No, I'm fine.

It's a brand new me.

Money's my new drug.

- It's my favorite.

You found offices?

- Right on Main Street.
For all the world to see.

- So, what's your first move?

- You've got these land
developers like Jenkins.

They find pristine
recreational property,

build McMansions,
and sell the dream.

Some, like Jenkins,
they take it further,

build hotels, subdivisions.

But they all leave
with their tails tucked

because they don't
have the cash flow

to make a real business
out of land.

- You do that in town.

- Or you do this--
we set up a fund.

That fund buys land,

puts the land
in a conservation easement

which cuts the property tax
by two-thirds,

then we go to the Department
of Agriculture,

and we enroll the land in a CRP.

- What the hell is CRP?

- It's the federal government
paying us not to farm it.

- Why would they do that?

- To control the supply, Bob.

That way they
don't have to worry

about local farmers
diluting the market.

It's pretty fucking shitty.

But it's great for us.

The government pay per acre,
per year.

- How much?

- Depends on the land.

Around here?

Could be 3-400 dollars an acre.

The government paid off the land
for us in 7 years.

We become landlords
who get paid not to rent.

- Sounds like a pyramid scheme.

- With the government
at the bottom.

We start with a 100 million
dollar investment in land.

We funnel the CRP funds into
more land purchases.

We can buy roughly
50 thousand acres per year

without spending a dime.

We are profitable
by the end of year two

with a net revenue
of 46 million per year.

The more land we buy,
the more that number grows.

- Why hasn't anyone
done this before?

- Because they can't
afford the two years.

They don't have the investment
infrastructure.

The Dan Jenkins' of the world

don't have this much
junk in their shorts.

Know what I mean?

How are you fixed for junk, Bob?

I understand
what's in this for me.

Beyond your fee,
what's in it for you, Beth?

Because something's buried under
the skin with you.

- I'm making you money, Bob.

And I am digging
a 200 square mile moat

around my father's ranch.

- We put the land
into the hedge fund.

Use the brokers
to buy up the land.

Don't haggle on price.

Just start gobbling.

That's how I'm fixed for junk.

- I always knew you tucked it
in your sock, Bob.

- I need another one of these
from...anyone.

[chuckles]

- Got a whole handful boys.

- Easy to say when
you're not here.

[chatter]

- Aw. Sorry buddy.
I can't.

[chatter]

- No, that's not as good
as he was.

- All right. Hit it.

- Ha.

- That's game.
- You son of a bitch.

- It's Saturday night.

This all we're gonna do?

Jesus!

Is it just the one set of
testicles y'all share?

[Cowboy laughs]

- You know, except
for the pair I'm wearing,

she's got the only set of balls
in this bunkhouse.

When I was your age,

we was out in the arena
playin' real poker.

Cowboy poker.

- There's a thought.
- Get your ass out in the arena.

- Sorry, what's cowboy poker?

- We're not gonna do it
so don't worry about it.

- [imitates chicken]

[bulls grunt]

- Y'all sure about this?!

- Does someone want
to explain the rules?

- Last one at the table
keeps the pot.

You want some courage?

- Yeah.

- Drink up, dipshits.

- Y'all are getting horse traded
by this ol' bastard.

Jimmy, stay seated,
no matter what.

Bull always goes
for the table first.

- This is fucking nuts.

- Yeah, there's not a lot
smart about it.

- Here we go ladies!

- Okay. Let it rip.

[bull bellows]

- Oh geez.

- Fuck that!

- [laughs]

- That's the stupidest thing
I've ever done.

- Ha ha ha!

- Move.

- Woo!
[laughing]

- Well, I'll be damned.

God, did you see that.

Balls of steel.

- You okay?

- Hey, you're gonna need this.

- Swore, there was plenty
to take my money.

- Give me my money.

- That's some cowboy shit, girl.

- She lost her hat,
she owes us a six pack.

- The fuck I do.

- What are you dipshits doing?!

- It's a Saturday.

- I know what fuckin' day it is,
Jimmy.

Don't be messing with that bull.

If you guys want to get drunk,

you go down to the fucking bar.

Get out of here.
Go on get out of here.

Get the fuck out of here.
Get out of here.

Go on.
- [groans]

- Get the fuck out of here.

- Who won?

- Your trooper.

She never moved.

- Is that right then?
- Yup.

["Long Hot Summer Day"
by Turnpike Troubadours]

♪ Well I got me a gal in Pekin ♪

♪ She's a good oh gal okay ♪

♪ Oh she's sitting there
waiting by a window fan ♪

♪ On a long hot summer day ♪

- For you, on the other hand,
I might be able

to find me wallet
to buy you a drink.

- We'll talk more later.
- Hey, man.

Hey.

- Hey man, can I--

Hey man.

- Hey.
- [ laughs ]

It's like I'm a fucking ghost.

So, uh, where'd you
learn to cowboy?

- My family ran relay races.

Indian relay races.

You ever seen people running
relays at the Olympics?

It's like that, but on horses.

My dad had me
break all the colts

'cause he said that women
have quiet souls,

makes the horses quiet.

- Where's your family now?

- Dead or in prison.

- We got a lot in common.
- [laughs]

You look like the roadie
for a white rapper.

You couldn't ride a horse
if you were strapped to it--

- Actually, if you strap
me to it, I do pretty good.

No, I was talking
about our families.

- Told you.
I don't have one.

- That's what we have in common.

- Excuse me. You wanna dance?

- Sorry man,
we're having a conversation.

- I didn't ask you to dance.
I asked her.

- I'm good, buddy.
Thanks.

- So that's a no?

- Yeah, that's a no.

- Jimmy.

Answer's no, buddy.

We're having a serious
conversation.

- So, uh...

fuck off.

- What the fuck
did you just say to me, huh?

- Sorry. Fuck off.

- All right. Motherfucker.

Let's fuck off over here.

I'll be right over here,
motherfucker.

- You need to learn
the art of de-escalation.

- We're with the Yellowstone.
No one's gonna mess with us---

- Ryan!
Motherfucker!

- Yo! What the fuck,
you son of a bitch.

Take that, motherfucker!

Get his old fucking ass!

[music continues]

[grunting]

- That's why you don't
go to the bar without me.

- Shouldn't go
to bars at all.

Not a good thing
happens there.

Not a one.

- This feels broken.

- What you get
for trying to be a hero.

- What the fuck happened?

- What's goin' on?

- Bunch of the wranglers
got worked over.

- What do you mean
"worked over"?

- Had the hell
beat out of them.

- I'll take care of this.

I said I'll take care of it.

- You don't get to tell me
what to do anymore.

[music playing]

- Whoah!
- Holy shit!

- Jimmy, you fuckin'
come out here.

Call 'em out, Jimmy.

- Him.

- No, yes...right there!

[shouting]

- Run, get his ass.
Get his ass.

- Right there, right there.

- Get that son of a bitch.
Come here.

- Right there, right there!

Green shirt, green shirt!

- Right there.
- Get him, Walker!

Get his fucking--
- Hey, stop!

- Bitch, let's go.

- Ahh!

- You're going
to live up to the brand

or I'm gonna fuckin'
take it back, do you hear me?

Motherfu--

- Rip, first things first.

- Open the fucking door.

- Fucking Christ.

- Ho, ho, ho.
- Come on.

[whistling]

- Hey, hey, hey!
All right, okay.

- What the fuck, Rip?

- Maybe next time
someone puts their hands

on someone from the Yellowstone,

you'll think to give me
a fucking call.

Or have your bouncers
break it up.

Or both.

- Or maybe next time
I'll burn it down.

- Carla, how are you today?

- This is about as good
as sober gets, Commissioner.

- [laughs] Okay.

Good morning.
- Good morning.

- Here you go.

- [sighs]

Morning, Dan.

Impressed you're eating
solid foods so soon.

- That cowboy wit.
Never gets old.

- Yeah, I bet
you're gonna miss it.

Your last meal
before you hit the road?

- On the contrary, John,
why would I leave?

I've come to love Montana.

Everyone is so welcoming.

- Yeah, well, your head
wasn't screwed on straight.

We straightened it.
You're welcome.

- There goes that wit again.

Oh, I went to the sheriff.

- John, your breakfast's ready.

- Thank you, sweetheart.

- But on the way,
I turned around.

I don't want to see you
taken away in handcuffs.

Where's the fun in that?

Where's the fun in having
you read about me

taking over the Yellowstone
in some jail cell?

I want you on the Yellowstone
when I take it.

I want to watch you
dragged from your front porch.

- Every man needs a dream, Dan.

But dreams take courage.

- I haven't seen you
since your son died.

My condolences.

You know, they say
there's no greater failure

than a parent outliving a child.

Because it's the one failure
you just can't ever overcome.

Ever.

- You should've gone
to the sheriff, Dan.

You ain't getting cut down
next time.

Because next time,
I'm doing it myself.

- Fuck.

- You finally got to third base,
Jimmy.

[chuckles]

- I think you make him nervous.

- How's he doing?

- We finally found his calling.

- I mean, really?

- He's willing to
get after it all day.

I guess that's worth something.

- Hey Jimmy.
- Huh?

- Don't worry, there's
only about 60 left.

- Sixty?

[gags]

- It's like watching a monkey
try to fuck a football.

- [coughing]

- Dad...

Dad! Dad.

- Call 9-1-1!
- We can't wait on them.

- Get his vest off him.
Get his vest off him!

- All right.
Move him into my trailer.

- Put him up on the table.

- ALl right.
- Easy.

- Turn his head to the side so
he doesn't choke on his blood.

There's a bucket at your feet,

you can use that for his vomit.

I need the x-ray machine
wheeled right up here.

And grab the paddle
on the back of it.

- That's good.
Thank you.

Hand me that paddle, slide
that paddle under his back.

- Don't sweat, dad.

- That's great, stop.
John, I have to take an x-ray

and see if I can figure out
what's going on.

- It's the cancer.
Colon cancer.

- If it was colon cancer,
you'd be shitting blood,

not spitting it up.

Stay still.
Just a second.

- What is it?

- It's not colon cancer, John.

You have an ulcer
and it's ruptured.

- Let's get him to the hospital.

- He'll bleed out in 20 minutes.
We've got to cauterize it.

- You got anesthesia...

- My anesthesia's for cattle.

It'll kill him
and I don't know the algebra

to reduce the dose.
He gets a local and that's it.

- Just do it.

- I need one of you to hold him,
I need two to assist.

Does anybody have any
medical experience?

- I do. I'm Navy.
I have medic training.

- That'll work.
What about you?

- No training
but I've stitched up

about anything
that can be stitched.

- Unbutton his shirt.
I need his shirt open.

Iodine, just pour it on.

Go, go, go.
Directly on his skin.

Come on, ready.

You all right, John?

- I'm not fucking all right.

- Take that,
that goes across him.

That'll do.

You're gonna be all right.

- [grunts] Damnit.

- Hold still.

All right, you got him?
Hold him tight.

This is gonna hurt like hell
and you cannot move.

- Just fuckin do it.

[grunts]

- Hold him.
Hold him.

- Come on.
[groans]

- Stay still.
Hold him.

Hold him tight.

Okay.

Breathe. All right.

The ulcer's gonna spew
like a geyser.

You gotta get pressure on it.
- Got it.

- You guys ready?
All right.

And...

[groaning]

- Doing great.
Hold still.

There you go.

Get pressure on it.

Let me see, let me see.

Okay, I need you guys
to hold him tight.

All right?

You're doing great, John.

[ helicopter whirring ]

- What a fucking mess.

- Yeah well, the bright side,

you don't have cancer.

Not dying yet.

- Maybe not.

But I've been living like it.
That might be worse.

- So much to undo...

So much to undo.