Top 10 Yellowstone Scenes That Went Too Far
#10: Monica & Predator
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“I Killed a Man Today” Violence against indigenous women has seen an alarming surge throughout the U.S. “Yellowstone” addressed this serious issue in Season 3, culminating with Monica confronting a predator who’s been abducting Native women. This sequence slowly builds uneasy tension as we’re put in Monica’s vulnerable position. Although Monica and the audience know what’s coming, it doesn’t make it any easier to watch the predator chase her down and force himself on her. The ordeal is thankfully part of a setup with Mo taking a precise shot. While things could’ve played out much worse, Monica’s ordeal is undeniably traumatic and more than some can handle. The attacker’s demise is especially graphic, but given everything he’s done, viewers can also take great satisfaction in this scene.
#9: Sheriff Donnie Haskell’s Death
“No Kindness for the Coward” A recurring figure throughout the first four seasons, Donnie Haskell might not have been the most integral “Yellowstone” character, but his death caught us off guard nonetheless. Intervening during a diner holdup, John and Rip take out all the thieves, but Donnie gets caught in the crossfire. Some might call their actions heroic. Others may say that John and Rip could’ve prevented Donnie’s death if they hadn’t taken the law into their own hands. Whether or not you think they crossed the line, Donnie’s demise is only made more brutal as he tries to call daughter. Donnie isn’t even given a chance to say goodbye, as he expires mid-conversation. John is left to tell Donnie’s distraught daughter that everything’s not okay.
#8: Jamie Murders Sarah
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“Blood the Boy” Even before it’s revealed that he’s adopted, Jamie has always been an outsider in the Dutton clan. Behind the fancy suit and law degree, though, Jamie possesses the killer instinct of both his adoptive and biographical father. When Sarah Nguyen backs Jamie into a corner, he sees violence as the only way out. It’d be one thing if Sarah died instantly as Jamie bashes her head against a car. What pushes the scene over the edge for some viewers is Jamie’s subsequent actions. Putting his hands around Sarah’s neck, Jamie repeatedly says, “I’m sorry,” as he does the unthinkable. Jamie was already something of a polarizing figure, but this scene, in particular, left fans torn on whether to sympathize with him or condemn him.
#7: Dutton Family Hit
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“The World is Purple” “Yellowstone” held nothing back in its third season finale, leaving us with Beth’s office exploding, Kayce seeking refuge behind a desk as guns start blazing, and John enduring a drive-by shooting. If any of the Duttons had died, we might’ve put this scene even higher. While they ultimately survive to see another season, the sequence still delivers multiple deaths. Namely, Beth’s assistant blows up when she opens the package while a mother John helped on the side of the road is gunned down. The woman’s death, in particular, could be viewed as gratuitous. At the same time, you could argue that her exit epitomizes John’s toxic nature. Anyone who gets close to him, even for a minute, is bound to suffer in some way.
#6: Teal on the Toilet
“Sins of the Father” When the Becks take Tate, the Duttons show no restraint on a revenge-laced rescue mission. While multiple members of the Beck clan meet graphic ends, Teal’s is the hardest to watch. That’s not to say Teal didn’t get what he had coming to him, especially considering the hell Tate goes through. Still, watching anyone die on a toilet makes us squirm in our seats. Sneaking into his domain, Kayce fires at Teal in the most compromising spot imaginable. After shaking him down for information, Kayce puts Teal out of his misery. However, he doesn’t give him the courtesy of being able to die with pants on. We guess Teal didn’t deserve a dignified death, but does anyone deserve to go in such a humiliating fashion?
#5: John Puts Down Horse
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“Daybreak” You’ll know whether “Yellowstone” is the show for you based on the first scene. Some shows ease us into the gritty realism, but “Yellowstone” dives in head-first as we’re introduced to John Dutton. The blood running down John’s face is only a fraction of the surrounding traffic accident. A poor horse is left suffering, forcing John to put it out to pasture. While a truck driver also meets a grizzly end, let’s be honest. Seeing a human character die can be horrific, but watching an animal suffer is just too much for some. This sadly isn’t the only horse that dies in the series. So, if you couldn’t make it past this tone-setting opening, you might not have the stomach for the show’s remainder.
#4: Rip Rips Lloyd
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“I Want to Be Him” You wouldn’t want to cross Lloyd Pierce. Otherwise, a friendly hangout might turn into a surgery with a veterinarian treating your knife wound. As hot-headed as Lloyd is, we’d still rather be on his bad side than Rip’s. Wanting to make an example out of his friend, Rip pits Lloyd against Walker in a brawl. Despite his recent stabbing, Walker gives the older ranch hand a red face. Once Lloyd gains the upper hand, though, he refuses to let go. Rip decides to finally put an end to the feud, beating Lloyd into the ground. Watching Rip smash Lloyd’s hand stings more than anything else. Was this a necessary lesson or did Rip overdo it? Even Rip seems unsure as he reflects on the confrontation.
#3: Attack at Beth’s Office
“Resurrection Day” Beth possesses an unbreakable spirit, but even she’s not invincible. As Malcolm Beck’s goons storm Beth’s office, Rip finds himself in a race against the clock to save her. It’s hard to single out the most savage moment from this sequence. The death of Beth’s assistant Jason is especially upsetting to watch. Beth responds with obscenities, prompting one of the armed men to beat her more. He would’ve gone a step further if Rip didn’t show up, turning both thugs’ heads into target practice. Even then, blood isn’t done being spilled. Feeling that her attacker got off too easily, Beth puts an ashtray to effective use. Only then does she permit herself to cry, which might be the most gut-wrenching sight of all.
#2: Why Beth Hates Jamie
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“Cowboys and Dreamers” There’s always been tension between Jamie and Beth, but we don’t get to the root of their sibling rivalry until Season 3. In a flashback, it’s revealed that a young Beth turned to Jamie after becoming pregnant. Jamie arranged to have the pregnancy terminated at the one place where she wouldn’t be recognized. This clinic requires patients to be sterilized in the process, however. Jamie neglects to tell Beth this, depriving her of the ability to give birth in the future. So much about their relationship suddenly makes sense, although it may be more information than some of us wanted to know. It’s debatable if this is the scene that officially went too far, but Jamie undeniably crossed a point of no return that day.
#1: Taking Back the Brand
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“Meaner Than Evil” “Yellowstone” has repeatedly pushed the envelope for what a cable series can get away with. Watching this graphic scene, we briefly thought that we might’ve accidentally changed the channel to HBO. Exacting revenge against Wade Morrow, Rip sees an opportunity for Walker to prove his loyalty. Before turning against Yellowstone Ranch, Wade once worked for John and even became a branded man. Having betrayed the Duttons, Wade is no longer fit to have the Y symbol on his chest. What’s more painful than being branded? Having the brand removed. Although we’re only given a few brief close-ups of the act, Wade’s cries and the sound of Walker’s knife make this the show’s most agonizing death and arguably the closest it’s come to going overboard.
