5 Most Rewatchable Yellowstone Episodes, Ranked

At this point, you either love or hate the shows that encompass Taylor Sheridan's "Yellowstone" franchise. To enjoy them, one must learn to look past their plot holes, logic gaps, and ridiculous moments and simply go along for the ride. Now, we can spend all day debating which show is the best of the bunch, but none of them would exist without "Yellowstone" — the one that started it all. The series epitomizes Sheridan's multi-generational Western saga at its best and worst, but when it's good, it's really darn good. What's more, some episodes boast tremendous rewatch value.

On this list, you'll find episodes that define the best elements of "Yellowstone." As such, you can expect plenty of soap opera, family drama, murder and mayhem. However, there's more to "Yellowstone" than darkness, so you can also look forward to episodes with more life-affirming elements and romance. But if you just want to see some bar fights and rampaging farm animals, fear not — we have you covered. With that in mind, here are five episodes of "Yellowstone" that we just can't get enough of.

"Yellowstone" Season 3 ends with the fates of John (Kevin Costner) and Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) up in the air after being targeted by assassins. The fourth installment's premiere, "Half the Money," picks up straight after these events and sees John fighting for his life while Beth survives an explosion. It's game on to find the culprits, meaning that it's only a matter of time until the bodies stack up.

"Half the Money" wastes no time in getting us sucked into the action, which lends a sense of urgency to the proceedings. "Yellowstone" has a tendency to portray the main Dutton family members as unbeatable, but this episode does a great job of making it feel like they're in actual jeopardy. That goes a long way, even if we know they'll be okay in the end.

Elsewhere, Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) goes on the warpath, resulting in a glorious scene involving a rattlesnake, cooler, and one surprised, villainous, fishing enthusiast. As soon as Rip appears, you know someone is about to die, but this scene depicts one of his more memorable methods of mayhem. "Half the Money" is pure chaos, and it's awesome.

"Yellowstone" Season 2's Beck brothers storyline is forever tainted by the infamous "bomb on the airplane" plot hole. You know, the bomb that never actually exploded and was seemingly forgotten about as soon as Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) planted it. It's one of the many dumb things to happen on "Yellowstone," but it shouldn't take away from the fact that the Beck brothers are two of the best villains to ever grace the series.

With that in mind, the Season 2 finale, "Sins of the Father," is one of the series' highlights. In this one, the Duttons mount an attack on the Becks to retrieve Kayce's son, Tate (Brecken Merill), who's been kidnapped and left with a vicious gang of white supremacists. Cue an all-out rampage where bullets fly and bad guys get shot while they're on the toilet.

"Sins of the Father" is an exciting payoff to an intense season, and the perfect episode for showcasing "Yellowstone" at its most action-packed. It works best if you've seen every episode until then, but there's always joy to be had in watching cowboys stick it to Nazis and evil businessmen.

Many "Yellowstone" fans agree the show is a trashy soap opera, and it certainly isn't without its ridiculous moments. That said, Taylor Sheridan's series is at its most entertaining when it goes off the rails, which brings us to the raucous Season 2 premiere, "A Thundering."

There's a lot to love about this episode, and it isn't without its fair share of drama. We see a conflicted Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) set out to take down his family, which becomes an even bigger storyline later on. Elsewhere, John Dutton (Kevin Costner) has a major health scare, with the revelation epitomizing why many view "Yellowstone" as a soap opera for dads.

The best part, though? There's a bar fight that culminates with a bull being unleashed on the brawling patrons. It is, without question, one of the greatest moments in "Yellowstone" history." The "Yellowstone" Season 2 episode's bull scene was also inspired by a real-life story, which only adds to its unhinged charms.

Knowing what we know now, John Dutton was shortsighted in forgiving Jamie in "Yellowstone" Season 2's "Resurrection Day." Back then, though, their relationship still seemed repairable — and no one could foresee Kevin Costner's "Yellowstone" departure and his character's subsequent death. This episode encapsulates the Dutton family at their messiest, but that's what makes it one of the show's standout installments.

The Duttons are objectively awful people, but we still root for them because they're complex characters who express both remorse and love. That's shown in "Resurrection Day," as Jamie contemplates taking his own life after killing a journalist before she could spill the dark family secrets he revealed to her. John — who's been at odds with his adopted son the whole season — ultimately consoles and forgives Jamie for his transgressions, leading to reconciliation.

"Yellowstone" is a show about family, first and foremost, and families fight, make up, and move on. Granted, most of them don't go through Dutton-levels of drama, but that shouldn't detract from the universal message at the heart of "Resurrection Day." It's a powerful episode that offers some much-needed respite from the Duttons' feuding — until it starts all over again.

"Yellowstone" is full of violence and Shakespearean drama, so it's easy to overlook its more beautiful moments. The lush Montana scenery is awe-inspiring, and the love story between Beth and Rip is one of modern television's greatest romances. Death can also be beautiful sometimes — a message this episode conveys in a way that will tug at your heartstrings.

"Whiskey, Cigarettes, a Meadow, and You" is all about slowing down and appreciating nature's splendor. Beth and Rip ride to a meadow for a romantic date, while John and some of the ranch hands head into the hills to gather cattle. Sadly, one of John's old friends dies peacefully on the trails, but we shouldn't mourn him. As John tells the old man's wife, "He died like a cowboy," meaning that he went out doing what he loved.

"Whiskey, Cigarettes, a Meadow, and You" is the most serene episode in the "Yellowstone" canon. It's perfect viewing if you want to submerge yourself in the scenic beauty of Montana, watch a beautiful love story unfold, or feel less pessimistic about your own finite mortality. The episode is a calm-before-the-storm affair, so enjoy the peace while it lasts.