WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Yellowstone Season 4, Episode 9, “No Such Thing as Fair,” which premiered Sunday on Paramount Network.
In the aftermath of the dangerous café shootout, Beth starts Yellowstone Season 4, Episode 9, mad that Rip wouldn't talk John out of intervening, though she's apparently unconcerned about Rip's safety. John brings Carter out to teach him to ride, though the boy doesn't take to it immediately. After cursing up a storm while learning to bounce with the horse's gait, John sends his horse running to try to spook the vulgarity out of the kid.
When the opening credits finish, Carter and John bond over the history of buffalo in the area of the Yellowstone. When John gets back to the house, Beth takes her anger out on him for his reckless behavior. She calls him out for risking his life for people he doesn't know and pocket change when he won't go after the people who almost killed the entire Dutton family. Beth still thinks Jamie's responsible for the attack, but John tells her that a man named Riggins is behind it and that she should at least stop blaming her brother for this.
Meanwhile, Jamie watches news coverage of the deadly attack from the previous episode and John's speech as he announced his bid for Governor. Christina encourages Jamie to oppose his father's methods and stand as the face of progress and change as opposed to John's interest in preserving the old ways of life. When Christina also suggests showing the world his real father, Garrett, Jamie finally admits that his dad is a convicted murderer. Christina switches tactics and tells Jamie to get Garrett out of his life.
Summer calls John from prison to ask for his help after she's been threatened with life in prison for protesting the airport. When John arrives at the prison, Summer is meeting with her lawyer and complaining that the assault charges aren't valid and that they're trying to make an example of her. John tells her to just apologize, but Summer claims she's not sorry. In their discussion, Summer reveals that this protest was Beth's idea, which is clearly news to John. He promises to get Summer out of jail, which might mean taking the fight back to Beth.
Chief Rainwater talks with Kayce about the wolf that Kayce keeps seeing and what this animal means to his people. Kayce is eager to figure out why he's been seeing this wolf where none should be and why it seems to be serving as his protector. The Chief and Mo encourage him to talk to the wolf to understand the animal's purpose in being there. On his way home from the prison, John stops at a diner where he runs into Garrett. The two share a few sentences, each blaming the other for Garrett's time in jail and ultimate fate. Each man seems to think they have the moral high ground and John leaves in a huff without his meal.
At the 6666 Ranch, Jimmy and Emily share a bed after their relationship has clearly progressed. She asks what makes her different from Mia and Jimmy responds that Mia had always been interested in Jimmy's potential whereas Emily likes him for who he is right now. After Jimmy gets a horse ready for some rodeo showing a little while later, he watches some competitors including the horse trainer Travis. Jimmy approaches Travis afterword and the two meet on much more even terms, with Travis accepting Jimmy as a knowledgeable peer. In fact, he tells Jimmy that cowboy school's over and they're heading back to the Yellowstone.
Back at the Yellowstone main house, John and Beth prepare to have it out while Rip and Carter retreat to the bunkhouse. John accuses Beth of using Summer and leaving her facing prison. Beth claims she doesn't care who she hurts to protect her family. When John tells her to have some morality, Beth tells him there is no morality in a kingdom. John tells her no more collateral damage -- they don't kill sheep, they only kill wolves. In true parental fashion, John tells Beth that she's really disappointed him.
Jimmy returns to Emily to share the bad news of his imminent departure -- Jimmy gave John his word that he'd return to the Yellowstone, which means that he and Emily will have to say good bye as Jimmy returns to Montana. The two try to tearfully depart but eventually Jimmy asks Emily to wait for him.
At the bunkhouse, Carter is taking all the wranglers in poker and talking trash. It's a change from his time on horseback with John where the eldest Dutton was trying to work the swearing out of him, but it seems to make Rip happy to see this foul-mouthed kid take on the world. When Beth walks in, she talks Walker into playing her a sad song for the mood she's found herself in after her conversation with her father. She sobs as he plays, certain that she's lost the family that she's been fighting her whole life for, and Rip watches from a distance.
Kayce prepares for a spiritual journey to see his purpose in life and perhaps talk to the wolf that's been visiting him, guided by Mo and Chief Rainwater. For four nights and days he intends to go without food and water, standing on the brink of death while offering prayers alone in the wilderness in order to speak with the animal. As the credits roll, his friends ride off, leaving Kayce to face this self-imposed trial on his own.
New episodes of Yellowstone air Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount Network.