Yellowstone's Funniest Moments In Season 4 Ranked
"Yellowstone" leans heavily on syrupy drama to keep viewers' attention, but that doesn't keep series creator Taylor Sheridan from infusing episodes with occasional moments of levity. Whether it's Jimmy doing Jimmy things at the 6666 Ranch in Texas, John reacting to his daughter Beth's crude mannerisms, or Teeter tossing out "Teeterisms," the Western series knows when to lighten the mood with a clever piece of good-natured comedy.
Lucky for us, Season 4 of the acclaimed series comes packed to the brim with a number of humorous moments that made us laugh like a bunch of drunken ranch hands. Considering the talented cast of "Yellowstone," it makes sense that Sheridan would allow his actors a little more creative freedom with their characters as the series progresses. In fact, the slight tidbits of comedy actually make the likes of John and Beth Dutton even more relatable and helps distance them from the humorless gang we saw in Season 1.
As such, we decided to compile a list of our favorite comedic scenes from Season 4 in order from funny to funniest. Predictably, most involve Jimmy. Let's do this!
13. Jimmy meets his new boss
Part of Jimmy's (Jefferson White) appeal is his slow-witted manner. He's a nice guy, even if he only has one or two marbles rolling around in his head. When it comes to being a cowboy, he's even more lost and consistently finds himself the butt of his coworkers' jokes.
After enduring one too many falls off the horse, Jimmy is transferred to the 6666 Ranch in Texas where he hopes to start anew. Unfortunately, he takes his dimwitted personality with him, leading to a handful of humorous exchanges with his new employers.
In one notable bit, Jimmy wakes up from a nap and finds himself amidst three cowboys, including the legendary Buster Welch. His new boss notes that Texas has three gods, namely God, Buster Welch, and George Strait, remarking that Jimmy just met one of them. Confused, the slowwitted ranch hand notes that none of the men is George Strait, which prompts his boss to deliver this zinger: "I hope the good Lord gave you a big d***, Jimmy, because he sure shorted you on brains."
12. Beth makes Tuna Helper
Cooking doesn't rank amongst Beth's notable qualities, as we discover in a humorous scene in Episode 2.
Seated on the front porch of Rip's home, Beth (Kelly Reilly) boasts that she made dinner — specifically, Hamburger Helper. However, she is all out of ground beef, so she uses tuna. Her statement surprises the cool-headed Rip (Cole Hauser) who asks why she didn't just cook Tuna Helper instead. After taking a long sip of beer, Beth's eyes narrow as she contemplates his statement. "They make Tuna Helper?" she asks innocently.
With a smile, Rip suggests they skip her impromptu feast altogether and head into town for a meal. Beth beckons him to try the dish claiming that it might surprise him. She adds that "the kid sure likes it," prompting a more dramatic discussion regarding Carter's (Finn Little) well-being. After some back and forth, Rip bitterly allows Carter to stay in his house for the night and Beth, somewhat tenderly, asks if it's okay for Carter to finish his plate of "whatever it is we're calling this."
Don't worry, though. Eventually this odd threesome develops into something akin to a traditional family unit, but only after a number of bumpy, almost sitcom-style situations.
11. Ropin' in space
The bunkhouse crew often spends their off time piled on the couch watching rodeo on the TV. In Episode 5, Colby (Denim Richards) and Ryan (Ian Bohen) get into a war of words, as each claims to be the better roper than the other. They debate until Ryan proclaims he could out rope Colby on any planet — and even asserts he could out rope his buddy in outer space.
Jake (Jake Ream) hilariously tries to apply logic to the bizarre line of dialogue by asking, "What the hell kind of roping are you gonna do in outer space? It's called gravity."
Shocked by the conversation, Teeter (Jennifer Landon), the brash and outspoken leader of the group, interjects by asking, "What the f*** are you all talking about, roping in f***ing space? That's f***ing insane!" The entire crew gets a good laugh at the absurdity of the moment, which is always a welcome relief amidst the more dramatic sequences of "Yellowstone."
10. Beth and Rip argue about Carter
Beth and Rip are easily the best couple on "Yellowstone," largely because they perfectly complement one another. A good example of their terrific chemistry arrives in Episode 3 during a conversation about Carter. Beth wants to take Carter shopping for clothes, an idea that doesn't sit well with Rip, who warns her not to spoil the kid. "He needs to learn to work right now. He doesn't need anything else," Rip states before warning Beth, "If you treat him like a pet, that's what you're going to get."
Beth, clearly not enamored with the "pet" dig, swings back with a pointed, "F*** you!" We're ready for fireworks. Instead, Beth follows up her curse word with a gentle kiss. "I love you," she says, "and I'll see you at the house, but f*** you."
"All right, baby," Rip says with a laugh before returning to his job. If only love were really this easy.
9. Tater makes dinner
During a hilarious scene with the bunkhouse crew, Teeter tries her hand at cooking chili. Everyone is a little on edge about her ability to cook a decent meal — this is Teeter, after all — and try to cover their anxieties with some playful banter. Colby, in particular, wants nothing to do with his lady's dish, but she insists and even drops the first bowl in front of his ungrateful mug. "Come on, baby. I need you strong for later," she quips.
Colby isn't feeling it and slides the meal to Ryan, who eagerly gulps it down. To his astonishment, Teeter's chili is actually really good. The others heed his advice and dig in, but the question still stands — what's this delicious feast made out of?
"Everything, baby," Teeter says, noting the name of the chili is "sum bits," which is a recipe that uses every part of the cow. Even the parts many would balk at. The revelation causes Jake to nearly gag, but the others don't seem to mind all that much. Food is food, after all — even if it doesn't follow a traditional recipe.
8. John runs for governor
This may not be a laugh-out-loud moment, but it remains noteworthy nonetheless. In Episode 7, Jamie (Wes Bentley), who is making his bid to run for governor, is summoned to a press conference. En route, he is surprised to see John (Kevin Costner) and Beth waiting for him. Thinking they are there to offer support for his campaign, Jamie smiles and readies himself for his time in front of the media.
Except, plot twist, John isn't there to endorse his adopted son. Instead, he's there to announce his own bid to run for governor, which he's willing to do to prevent Jamie from obtaining more power.
The look on Jamie's face when John's name is announced instead of his own is priceless, as the former Dutton member deserves every ounce of humility sent his way. The real capper on the scene is when John takes a second to glance back at his former ally with a smug "Don't mess with me" look etched across his face. Perhaps this decision will come back to haunt John at some point, but at least he seized the opportunity to humble his son — much to our enjoyment.
7. Beth and Rip get married
Beth and Rip's tumultuous relationship reaches a climax when they decide to hold an impromptu wedding at Dutton Ranch in Episode 10. The scene is as corny as it is heartwarming but made all the better thanks to the many Beth flourishes sprinkled throughout.
For starters, the Dutton gal is dressed in a manner that John finds inappropriate — the outfit is a holdover from another subplot — and far removed from the flowery white dress typically adorned by brides on their wedding day. Second, she kidnaps a priest with a tiny pistol, which shouldn't be funny, but is. "Jesus Christ," John says after hearing what his daughter had done before adding, "Excuse me, father." Finally, the only attendees outside of John are Carter and Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith), who laughs and says, "D***, that was beautiful."
This is probably not what John had in mind for his only daughter's marriage, but considering Beth's tragic past and proclivity for creating enemies, it's likely the best outcome he could have expected.
6. Jimmy takes a shower
In another moment demonstrating Jimmy's dimwitted nature, the young ranch hand bumps into a veterinarian named Emily (Kathryn Kelly) on the 6666 Ranch. After some casual flirting over several days (or weeks), the pair decide to go out to dinner. Of course, Jimmy stinks after a long day of work, leading Emily to suggest he omit a long trip to his home in favor of showering at the ranch.
Well, Jimmy being Jimmy, he decides to take her advice at face value and begins hosing himself off in one of the stable wash racks. When Emily arrives, she's shocked and delighted to see the naked cowboy hosing off among the horses. As Jimmy does his best to cover his, ah, bits, Emily clarifies that she meant he should shower in the bunkhouse.
Thankfully, she's a good sport and not put off too much at seeing Jimmy in his birthday suit, which is good news for him because there aren't many cowgirls like Emily around these parts.
5. Beth meets Carter
In Season 4 we're introduced to Carter, a young man left orphaned after his heroin-addicted father passes away. His introduction to the show occurs when Beth steps away from an injured John for a smoke break outside the hospital. Carter lingers on a bench next to her and prompts a discussion by asking about her scarred face.
Beth takes the question personally and retorts, "What happened to yours, you insensitive little f***?" Undeterred, the young man presses Beth about her situation and eventually bums a smoke off her. She figures there's no harm because he'll probably end up in jail because, as Beth puts it, his life is a mess and he's "a lazy piece of s***." Still, Beth admits he's kind of good-looking and goes on to rant about therapists before finally asking Carter his age.
As it turns out, he's 13, a revelation that leads Beth to snatch the cigarette from his hand with a couple of harsh curse words thrown in for good measure. It's all Carter can do not to laugh at the hilarious moment with this strange new woman. As introductions go, this ranks among the best "Yellowstone" has to offer. Beyond that, young actor Finn Little holds his own against Beth, who appreciates and even admires his wry personality.
4. Mia meets Emily
In another hilarious Season 4 moment, Jimmy arrives back at the Yellowstone Ranch after months away at the 6666 Ranch in Texas. He makes his way to the bunkhouse with his fiancée Emily in tow and finds his former pals playing cards around the kitchen table.
Mia (Eden Brolin), Jimmy's former lover, is one of the players seated at the table and her shocked face at seeing Emily clutching his arm is enough to make this particular bit memorable. Thankfully, "Yellowstone" doesn't stop there. Instead of a cordial welcome, Mia leaps across the table to smack Jimmy and incurs Emily's wrath. The two women duke it out to the delight of everyone in the room until the other ranch hands forcibly separate them.
"Always good to exercise after a long drive," Mia quips with a grin. The scene is played mostly for laughs, though it is a little sad to see Mia so cruelly left in the dust by her ex-flame.
3. Jimmy learns about horse love
In Episode 7, Jimmy discovers that part of his job at the 6666 Ranch entails, ah, satisfying stallions for breeding purposes. He's given a sleeve to place over the horse's large appendage and instructed to help the animal complete its natural duty while Emily watches nearby.
"I just j***ed off a horse," Jimmy says in a stupor following the rather intimate practice, prompting a hearty laugh from his eventual fiancée.
Obviously, a responsibility like this is nothing to balk at. After all, this practice is how ranchers breed champion horses, which is an essential source of revenue for businesses like the 6666 Ranch. What makes this scene funny is Jimmy's genuine shock and initial disgust at the job. The man has a lot to learn about ranching and it is great to see him make the eventual transition to a full-blown cowboy, but his clumsiness and inexperience at all things farm-related still make for great television.
2. Carter schools the bunkhouse
Late in Season 4, Rip and Carter bond like father and son. The young man takes to Rip's teachings with zeal and seems to genuinely enjoy his company. One night, after saying goodbye to Beth, who must confront John about a tricky incident, Rip decides to take Carter to the bunkhouse. A few scenes later, we catch up with the duo and find the 13-year old child schooling the bunkhouse crew — Teeter, Colby, Ryan, among them — in cards.
Carter also lays down some cruel smack talk much to the delight of Rip, who stands over him like a proud father. The young man's skills eventually get under the skin of Lloyd and Teeter, who hurl curses at him, but their words have no effect. "He ain't no kid. He's just a motherf***ing card sharkin' — little elf," Teeter exclaims with a sly grin.
After enduring plenty of hardship throughout the season it's great to see Carter enjoy a small victory.
1. Beth confronts Summer
The funniest beat in all of "Yellowstone" Season 4 arrives in Episode 6 when Beth discovers a woman lurking in her father's kitchen. As it turns out, the stranger is animal rights activist Summer Higgins (Piper Perabo), who John had picked up the night before. The pair, it seems, enjoyed quite the evening together — much to the dismay of Beth, whose gut reaction is to grab a knife and hurl biting insults at this strange new woman.
Hilariously, Summer believes Beth is John's wife and prepares to defend herself with a milk carton when John appears and deters the standoff with a dry comment: "Here's a situation I couldn't have dreamed up in a month of Sundays."
Eventually, the three of them sit down for some breakfast, during which Beth makes snide comments about Summer's veganism. After plenty of awkwardness, Beth rises and begins to vacate the premises, but not before hitting Summer with the zinger, "I hope you die of a** cancer."
Don't ever change, Beth.