Yellowstone's Most Frustrating Moments In Season 4 Ranked
It's no secret that "Yellowstone" has become one of the most popular shows on television. With an ever-increasing viewership since the Taylor Sheridan-helmed series launched in 2018, it is now one of the top dramas out there. Whether you love "Yellowstone" because of the modern Western landscapes, the complex themes of family, blood, and land, or maybe you're just a die-hard Kevin Costner fan (there's no shame in it), the show has proven itself to be an entertaining thrill ride that promises even more excitement when the next season comes around.
Now that "Yellowstone" has finished its fourth season, there's a lot of speculation regarding the show's future and that of the many spin-offs it's currently launching. We know that the series will be returning for an extended fifth season, which makes us all the more excited (and nervous) for the Dutton family's future. Still, there are a lot of unanswered questions, and with how divisive Season 4 was among fans, who knows what "Yellowstone" will do next. Whether you loved or hated some of the new directions this season took, a few moments in Season 4 were beyond frustrating to watch. Let's take a look at some of the most frustrating as we anxiously await Season 5.
8. Lloyd's angry outbursts
The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch's senior ranch hand, and the boss whenever John and Rip aren't around, Forrie J. Smith's Lloyd Pierce is a "Yellowstone" fan favorite. Having spent much of the first few seasons taking Jimmy under his wing, supporting (while sort of raising) Rip, and keeping the other ranchers in line, there's no question as to why he's been so beloved by those around him — not to mention those of us watching. So when Lloyd became a rageaholic in Season 4, many of us were shaking our heads. While it's understandable why Lloyd would be angry at Ryan Bingham's Walker, especially after stealing his girl, it's clear that he went way too far.
Lloyd has always been tasked with keeping the peace in the bunkhouse and ensuring that everything goes smoothly between the ranch hands. For him to disregard the rules of the Dutton Ranch seemed entirely out of character. Not only that, but then to have to put Rip in a position where he'd have to make an example of the old cowboy? It just didn't quite work. While many characters frequently frustrated "Yellowstone" viewers, Lloyd was not one of them. Here's hoping that the amends he made with the country-singing cowboy stick!
7. Jimmy not fighting for Mia
Out of all the characters on "Yellowstone," the series has spent the most time and energy developing Jefferson White's Jimmy Hurdstrom into a genuine cowboy. Jimmy has no doubt come a long way from his time as a drug-dealing criminal, having learned to ride a horse, work the ranch, and even become something of a rodeo star. Overall, his arc on the series has been one of constant growth. Honestly, Jimmy is one of the best developed characters on the show. Season 4 ends his time on the Dutton Ranch, sees him head down to the 6666 Ranch, and turns him into a true-blue Texas cowboy, complete with a new fiance. He's the real winner this season.
However, Jimmy is not without his own mistakes, the biggest being his disregard for his ex-barrel racing girlfriend Mia. Now, to be clear, Jimmy's relationship with his new fiance Emily is a lot more stable than his time with Mia was, but the fact that Jimmy didn't even fight for her or ask her to wait for him was pretty cringy. This is especially true when we consider that Mia was with the cowboy throughout the entirety of his recovery between seasons. Mia might not have been the woman that Jimmy was meant to be with long-term, but she certainly deserved a bit more of a fight before Jimmy gave up on her completely.
6. No sense of direction for Kayce
When "Yellowstone" began, Kayce, Monica, and Tate Dutton were living on the edge of the Broken Rock Indian Reservation, with Kayce making ends meet breaking colts and steers. Having successfully moved away from the Yellowstone Ranch, and his father's vision, Kayce is quickly dragged back in, and the past few seasons have seen him working to defend his family's land. Of course, Kayce has gone back and forth in the past few years on whether he wants this violent life, which often follows him home and harms his family. Season 4 sees Kayce and his family leave the Ranch behind to start a new life of their own.
While Kayce seems to be right back where he started (you know, besides also being the new Livestock Commissioner), this arc makes it clear that "Yellowstone" doesn't know what it wants for our favorite Dutton and his vision quest in the Season 4 finale (where he sees his long-lost dead brother) seems to come completely out of nowhere. The truth is that Kayce appears to have no sense of direction at all, and although the finale seems to promise some exciting things to come in Season 5, his arc in Season 4 is pretty bland and often frustrating given how interesting he's been in the past.
5. Beth's revenge on Summer and John's response
There's no doubt that Beth Dutton is one of the scariest characters on television and being on the other side of her wrath is easily one of the worst places you could be. This brings us to Season 4 of "Yellowstone," which took the time to introduce Piper Perabo's Summer Higgins, a protestor on a quest to bring her Portland ideals to Montana before shacking up with John Dutton. Of course, Beth doesn't handle this well at all and acts like a complete psycho when John introduces the two of them, but what else would we expect from the most unbalanced Dutton?
At first, it seemed as if Beth was trying to make amends by helping Summer (and the Dutton Ranch) out with her protests against Market Equities, only for it all to crash around them. This ultimately results in Summer being sentenced to some pretty serious prison time. What's worse is that it doesn't take more than an episode for John to forgive Beth for her hand in this — even after confronting her and telling her that she "might need to find a new home." Instead, Beth bats her eyes and John immediately gets over it, even after Summer's horrid trial.
Had Jamie or even Kayce done this exact same thing, John would've held it over them for an entire season, if not longer. Yet he seems to let it go simply because it's Beth, which is pretty infuriating.
4. Beth making a scene at the dining room table, again
Speaking of Beth, if any character on "Yellowstone" could be defined as frustrating, it would definately be Beth Dutton. The walking poster child for "toxic masculinity," it's pretty common now to find women wearing "Don't Make Me Go Beth Dutton On You" shirts, especially when visiting locations related to the series. In fact, Beth's scenes in Season 4 have been criticized by some as being one-dimensional, with an over-the-top Beth scene forced into every episode. Whether you love Beth or not, it's becoming clear that all Taylor Sheridan knows what to do with her is reveal tragic backstories or make her throw childish temper tantrums.
One such tantrum occurs at the dining room table after John invites Beth, Rip, and Carter to live in the main house on the Dutton Ranch. John jokes that angry interruptions are a usual occurrence during Dutton meals before Beth storms off all upset, which is pretty ironic given that she's usually the one offending somebody. Beth blames this on the idea that the dining room suggests that they're supposed to be a happy family (something dining rooms have never suggested), instead opting to eat elsewhere.
This isn't that different from a young child complaining that they can't eat on the couch because they prefer the couch to the dinner table. It's pretty childish and yet, as always, John and company let Beth's actions slide. No wonder she's the way that she is.
3. Monica's unreasonable jealousy
It's no secret that "Yellowstone" hasn't known what to do with Monica Dutton pretty much since the show began. After her brother's death, marital issues with Kayce (resulting in her almost engaging in an affair), a short-lived teaching job at Montana State University, and her issues with living on the Dutton Ranch, it's clear that Monica is the one character the show consistently forgets. Honestly, the only thing that has been interesting about her arc throughout the series is her passion for Native issues on the Rez. Sadly, we haven't seen any more of that since Season 3.
Unfortunately, Season 4 is no different, except Monica has become unreasonably jealous of a former Dutton Ranch hand, Avery, who left the show after Season 1 only to return briefly here to confess her love for Kayce, which is very weird in itself. Dumbing Monica down to just being a jealous wife is pretty disingenuous to her character and the foundation of her marriage to Kayce, especially now that they're having another child. With their family now living closer to the Broken Rock Indian Reservation, there was a lot more potential for Monica to get involved with local Native issues. Instead, the show shooed her aside, making her fight for her husband's affections.
2. Jamie refuses to share the truth behind Dutton's attempted murder
Another character "Yellowstone" struggles with is Jamie Dutton, the lawyer and adopted son of John Dutton who is either running a campaign, protecting his family's land, or building his own life — depending on the season. At the end of Season 3, we learned that Jamie's biological father is Garrett Randall (Will Patton), who murdered his wife (Jamie's mom) and was sent to prison for it. John took pity on the child and raised Jamie as his own son, though it's clear that John always looked at him differently than Lee, Kayce, and Beth. As the third season comes to a close, the Dutton family is attacked, and they barely escape with their lives.
Of course, Jamie is the only one not attacked and because of this, Beth believes that Jamie was behind it. As it turns out, Jamie's biological father planned the whole thing, and after finding out, Jamie just — let it go? No matter how much John or Beth had hurt him, there's no excuse for that, especially since Kayce (who had done nothing to Jamie) is still his brother and was also brutally attacked. While Jamie might not be as frustrating as Beth typically is, at least Beth's loyal to her family. Jamie's constant disloyalty gets him into more trouble than he's worth. Had he just revealed the truth, he wouldn't have been blackmailed so easily by his sister.
1. Beth's constant inability to care for anyone besides herself
With a title that broad, this frustrating moment could refer to anything, though, of course, we're referring to Beth's treatment of the young boy she's taken under her wing: Carter. Finn Little joined the Season 4 cast of "Yellowstone" as Carter, a young boy taken in by Beth after his father dies in the hospital. As the season begins, it seems as if Beth is learning, developing, and caring for someone outside of herself. But it doesn't take long before she flips out and stashes Carter in the bunkhouse like he's any old animal. We know that Beth has gone through a lot in the series, but making someone else go through the same emotional whiplash you did is not the way to deal with it.
Every time it seems like Beth's relationship with Carter is getting better, she rips out the ground from under his feet. When he calls her "mama" near the end of the season, she quickly discourages him and even belittles this child for crying. Beth can't decide if she wants to be a mother, and — just as the woman in Murdoch's points out to her — she's clearly unfit for the job. Knowing what she went through in her childhood and the emotional abuse she took from her mother, you'd like to think that Beth would give two cents about someone who isn't herself, especially when that person is looking to you for answers.