The Yellowstone Season 4 Episode 3 Detail That Has Fans Scratching Their Heads
Paramount Network's "Yellowstone" is a show that has grown in immense popularity since its original season. The show is chock-full of interpersonal drama and intense scenes centered around the Dutton family, led by patriarch John Dutton (Kevin Costner). Over the seasons, the Duttons and their employees have been forced to defend their land from multiple parties with various (and often nefarious) motivations. They've faced off with the government, corrupt lobbyists, bikers, and even members of their family tree.
The series returned with a bang in early November, choosing to focus its Season 4 premiere on revealing who died and who survived the jaw-dropping events of the Season 3 finale. The final episode saw the Dutton family come under attack as individual members, including John, are targeted for assassination. Season 4 picked up with the Duttons attempting to piece together their lives and looking to exact revenge against those who have wronged them. However, there is one detail about Dutton & Co.'s drive to seek justice that has perplexed even the most devoted "Yellowstone" fans.
Yellowstone fans are confused about why the livestock agents have so much power
A recent Reddit discussion from u/I_Am_A_Real_Hacker on the subreddit r/YellowstonePN popped up about Episode 3 of Season 4, but the conversation quickly focused on one aspect that seemed to confuse everybody. The issue in question? The ultimate power of livestock agents. The comments thread was kicked off by Redditor u/VenomousCoffee, who said, "I want to see a list of the actual powers of a livestock agent," to which several comments came in response. Among those replies was Reddit user u/iheartsev's note, which reads, "[In] a recent interview with Cole Hauser and Wes Bentley they asked exactly that question and both guys burst into laughter at the same time and said, 'I have no idea!'" Redditor u/GLSNR offered, "Well, if it's anything like a Game Warden, they have higher jurisdiction than [the] police do."
The thread also contained links from users trying to understand what an actual livestock agent does. Redditors established that the agents on "Yellowstone" definitely shouldn't be spending an averaging workday discharging firearms and rescuing people. One comment from u/CaffeinatedNation showed that livestock agents are typically entirely involved with farm animals, and their duties often include anything livestock adjacent. This can include acting as an intermediary between those buying and selling livestock and attending court during livestock violations (via ZipRecruiter). Considering that "Yellowstone" Season 4 thus far holds a 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, this detail confused fans but ultimately has not detracted from their enjoyment.