's "A Knife and No Coin" is filled with so many twists and turns, as it not only establishes the main conflicts that will drive season 5, part 2 but also leaves many wondering who will survive till the end. A neo-Western drama, who get involved in a series of conflicts with the Yellowstone National Park and the Broken Rock Indian Reservation. The show primarily follows John Dutton (Kevin Costner), though his character may not appear in season 5, part 2 since .
season 5 turned up the drama, as John Dutton was sworn in as the Governor of Montana despite not wanting the position. in a car accident while on the way to the hospital, though sadly, her unborn baby did not survive.
John's adopted son Jamie (Wes Bentley) engages in an affair with Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri), a representative from Market Equities who manipulates Jamie into going against his father for the benefit of the company. All these vital story threads ultimately lead to the events of season 5, episode 8, "A Knife and No Coin".
"A Knife and No Coin" begins with a flashback in which a young John (Josh Lucas) and Rip Wheeler (Kyle Red Silverstein) bury Rowdy (Kai Castor) at the train station. Rip explains to John that he killed Rowdy because of an insulting comment he made towards Beth (Kylie Rogers).
While it's not exactly clear what exactly Rowdy had said that upset Rip so much that it drove him to kill the man, John seems to know the exact details. However, John also explains that from now on, the next time Rip fights someone, it will be against those who wish to harm the ranch and its inhabitants.
After a series of questions, John offers Rip the chance to be as he believes that the young cowboy is now worthy of such an honor. John explains that if he chooses to be branded, he can always call the Dutton Ranch his home and the Duttons his family, but in exchange, he must dedicate his life to protecting and taking care of the ranch.
Rip says yes, and so the two return to the ranch where Lloyd (Forrest Smith) brands Rip's chest with the Dutton Y symbol. Rip is reborn as an official member of the Dutton family.
Before John goes to work, he has a brief conversation with Monica. Monica thanks John for being supportive of both herself and her family after surviving the car crash and losing her baby. John knows that Monica has a lot of strength inside her, despite all the loss and pain she has suffered throughout the show. Therefore, he offers Monica and her family their own house on the ranch and asks if she can help Kayce take care of everything while he's out governing Montana and Rip goes on his trip to Texas with the cattle.
Monica gladly accepts both offers, and John smiles, happy with her response.
Meanwhile. Teeter (Jennifer Landon), Rip (Cole Hauser), and Kayce (Luke Grimes) are loading up some cattle onto trucks. John himself was originally supposed to transport the cattle to an area he leased in Texas, but because of his governing duties, Rip will be taking on this crucial task instead. John briefly speaks with Kayce and asks if he can help load up the rest of the cattle onto the trucks tomorrow, which he gladly agrees to. Then, for possibly the first time in the entire show, John hugs Kayce and tells him that he loves him before heading to work, which completely catches Kayce by surprise.
At a press conference, John introduces Broken Rock Reservation Chief Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), and announces that he firmly supports Rainwater's cause to stop the construction of a pipeline, promising to use all his powers as Governor to help. After John's introduction, Rainwater then gives his speech in which he expresses his strong opposition to the pipeline's construction as it will negatively affect his tribe's well-being. However, Rainwater's speech is cut off when news breaks out that Jamie Dutton had filed articles of impeachment in the legislature against his father, Governor John Dutton, for violating several state laws such as reckless spending that cost Montana billions.
John tells the press to continue focusing on the pipeline and ignore Jamie's impeachment charge against him before returning to the capital. John's assistant Clara (Lilli Kay) believes that John will overcome this impeachment charge since he didn't do anything wrong and that he will continue his role as Governor. John, however, is not convinced because regardless of whether or nothe did anything wrong, he believes that his enemies in the legislature will use Jamie's impeachment as an opportunity to get rid of him. Therefore, John tells Clara that it'll take a "" to win his fight against Jamie.
Meanwhile, after getting into another fight with Summer (Piper Perabo), Beth (Kelly Reilly) turns on the news and discovers that Jamie will be impeaching her father. Furious, Beth goes to Jamie's house and breaks in. When Jamie confronts Beth and tries to get her to leave, she hits Jamie over the head with a rock though luckily he is not too badly injured. Beth threatens Jamie with pictures she took of him disposing of his biological father's body at the train station and says that if he does not resign from his position tomorrow, he will show these pictures to the sheriff and have him arrested for murder.
However, Jamie fights fire with fire by telling Beth that their father has been using the train station to dispose of the bodies of his enemies for decades, something Beth was unaware of. Jamie threatens Beth saying that if she exposes the pictures, he will inform the sheriff of all the bodies John has disposed of at the train station, destroying both John and the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. At a standstill, Beth leaves and informs her father of what happened between her and Jamie. Beth then suggests that Jamie should be taken to the train station as well, but John does not give a response.
Meanwhile, back at Jamie's house, Sarah reminds Jamie that she has connections with companies that can make certain people's deaths look like accidents such as from a heart attack or a car accident. Sarah suggests that they should hire these companies to not only get rid of Beth but John as well, and Jamie agrees with this plan. This reveal has now set up a storyline that will become crucial in season 5, part 2, as both sides of this conflict have now reached the point where they are willing to kill each other.
