'Yellowstone' Episode 9 Recap: Beth is Given the Boot by John (2024)

Yellowstone Season 4 is almost over, and the penultimate episode puts the future of Beth's place in the Dutton family in doubt.

Episode 9 "No Such Thing as Fair" opened with the fallout from the deadly shootout John Dutton (Kevin Costner) threw himself into in last week's episode. Jamie (Wes Bentley) and Beth (Kelly Reilly) had different reactions to John's act of heroism, Jimmy's time at the 6666 draws to an end, Summer (Piper Perabo) landed herself in jail and Kayce (Luke Grimes) starts a dangerous spiritual journey.

Season 4 is nearly complete and Episode 9 is the last we'll see of Yellowstone in 2021 before the finale airs during the first week of January 2022.

Fallout from the Shootout

John and Rip saved many lives in last week's episode but couldn't prevent the death of fan-favorite Sheriff Haskell.

Initially Beth is angry at Rip for not stopping her father from entering the diner that day, and she later tells John exactly what she thinks of his heroics by hurling a mug at the wall by his head.

This is the first act of aggression in what proves to be a tense episode for John and Beth. She asks why he's risking his life for strangers when he has yet to do anything about the assassination attempts on the family which she still believes was set up by Jamie. She reminds him of the incident by showing her wince-inducing scars on her back. John tells her that it was actually set up by a man who is rotting in jail, but as the audience knows, it was Jamie's birth father Garrett Randall who ordered the hit.

Speaking of people in jail, at that moment he gets a call from Summer Higgins who is facing life in jail for her acts while protesting. John heads down to the police station where she's being held and meets the interim sheriff, called Ramsay.

John speaks to Summer who is not relishing the prospect of jail time. John promises to get her out using his connections, but is shocked when he discovers that her protesting the new airport was Beth's idea.

Jamie, the progressive candidate

Word of John's acts at the diner are broadcast on the news and appear to further his chances of winning the race for governor against Jamie. Katherine tells Jamie that he should see it as an opportunity though, since John has publicly stated he's not running on a progressive platform.

Katherine is dismayed to discover that Jamie's birth father was in jail for murder, and tells him that he'll have to distance himself from Garrett during the campaign. Garrett agrees with her and leaves.

Garrett pops up again later, as he runs into John at the diner. The pair exchange verbal barbs, and it's clear that Garrett still blames John for sending him to jail 40 years ago. It's a brief but tense conversation which ends with a clear threat from John. Perhaps he'll finally discover how dangerous a threat Garrett poses in the final episode.

Beth is given the boot

John went into full dad mode when dealing with Beth's betrayal regarding Summer. He even goes as far as to say how "disappointed" he is in her, which we all know is the worst form of emotional punishment you can receive from a parent.

Beth coldly tells John that she only cares about him, Kayce and Rip, and that any harm that comes to anyone else is just collateral. John questions her morality, telling her "No more collateral damage. We don't kill sheep, we kill wolves."

Even though she, Rip and Carter only just moved into the house, John tells Beth that it might be for the best that she moves away for a while.

Beth is devastated by this and calls on Walker to play her a sad song so she can purge the tears from her body. He plays a wonderfully somber tune about a man dying, which prompts Beth to sob her heart out.

Kayce's journey and Jimmy's end

Kayce continues to get more spiritual as Season 4 progresses, and he further connects with his wife's Native American roots by embarking on a solo venture which will see him left in the wilderness for four days and four nights without food and water. The last shot of the episode sees him sat alone, shirtless in the snow.

Meanwhile Jimmy's own journey of self-discovery at the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas is already at an end. That's particularly bad news for his new girlfriend Emily who seems devastated when she finds out he's returning to the Dutton Ranch in Yellowstone.

Taylor Sheridan, the creator of the show, returns as Travis and informs Jimmy that they are driving a horse back to the ranch. Jimmy is shaken and is seemingly disappointed since he's grown so much at 6666, but he gave John Dutton his word.

In an incredibly sweet goodbye, Jimmy blurts out to Emily, "Wait for me," to which Emily instantly agrees. Jimmy seems to be all in on this relationship now but Mia is still out there somewhere and may interrupt their romance at some point.

The Yellowstone finale, Episode 10 is titled "Grass on the Streets and Weeds on the Rooftops."

It will air on Sunday January 2, 2022 on Paramount Network at 8 p.m. ET.