Daybreak is the first episode of the first season of Yellowstone. It premiered on June 20, 2016.
Outline[]
In the series premiere of Yellowstone, John Dutton, patriarch of a Mountain ranching family and owner of the largest ranch in the US, fights to defend his land and his family from the modern-day forces that threaten his way of life: land developers, an Indian reservation and America's first National Park.
Summary[]
In the opening scene, John Dutton appears reaching out to a horse to comfort it. John's head is bleeding and the horse is severely injured after an accident with a vehicle. John shoots the horse in head saying, "I know you deserve better, best I can offer you is peace."
As John walks around the accident scene, it is clear there were many vehicles involved. He comes upon a fatally injured big rig driver for Paradise Valley Capital Development who is lying bloodied in the wreckage. Police cars arrive on the scene as John leans against a fence, watching cows to whom he says, "The things we lose to keep you fed." The police officers rush to John to see if he is hurt.
Later, Jamie Dutton speaks to a commission in the Montana capital building. He is arguing that land preservation and property rights take precedent over public expansion, making his position clear against a housing development that would take up part of the Dutton's Yellowstone Ranch. The chairwoman of the commission, Governor Perry, states that the plaintiff, Alan, must show public need, not public desire. She dismisses the case without making it go to a vote. The plaintiff approaches Jamie after the dismissal saying it's only 30,000 acres which is a very small amount of the ranch. Alan suggests the Dutton's can harvest the timber first without an environmental review. Jamie dismisses the idea and suggests that the town should expand up by building condos.
Elsewhere, Kayce Dutton attempts to get horses out of an area that is actively being drilled for oil. The oil drillers from IL Energy don't believe he'll be able to wrangle the horses on his own. He says that if he can get the stallion out, the rest of the horses will leave on their own but that he should leave the horses there to prevent anymore drilling. As Kayce rides toward the horses, the oil drillers comment that they think he's crazy and that they found him through his ad in the Yellow Pages indicating he works with problem horses.
In the city, Beth Dutton works at one of the most powerful banks in Montana where she is a cut throat executive. Her bank is the largest creditor for IL Energy. She is the "hatchet man" who comes in after 3 hours of negotiations. She tells the founder of IL Energy that she will either force them into bankruptcy or IL Energy must suspend the dividend and allow the bank to assume management. Beth shows herself to be ruthless and harsh, willing to do whatever it takes.
Later, back in the country, Kayce has successfully caught the stallion and is transporting it back to Broken Rock Indian Reservation where he lives with his wife, Monica, and son. The stallion thrashes around the trailer showing his spirit but Kayce manages to get him out of the trailer and into the corral. Kayce's brother-in-law, Robert Long, asks if he's free the next day and tells him to bring a horse. It's clear from the exchange and Monica's response that Kayce and Robert are not on great terms.
In the Dutton family home on the ranch, John is attempting to stitch up his forehead and talks to Jamie about Alan's offer to allow timber harvesting with no environmental review. John is staunchly opposed to it and presses Jamie that he needs to learn how to think like a lawyer and other times as a land owner. Jamie argues that he did say no but that his father should consider it because they could use the money and the leverage. Lee, John's oldest son, arrives asking if John is coming out with him to round up strays. John instead leaves the ranch getting on a private helicopter saying he has a meeting in Bozeman.
On Broken Rock Reservation, Chief Thomas Rainwater has been elected and is hosting Senator Huntington. She has taken a tour of the reservation and has seen the poverty and inequity of the living conditions of the reservation's residents. He tells her about his background, growing up under the belief that he was Mexican and finding out that he was Native American at the age of 18 when his adoption records were unsealed. They discuss the policies set up towards Native Americans. Rainwater says that he will use money from the casino to buy land back for his people because every area of Montana belonged to Native Americans before. Huntington asks what she can do to help and Rainwater says she can help him spend that money, setting her up as an ally to the reservation.
Later, back in town again, Dan Jenkins is talking to managers at a bank about financing the subdivision that Paradise Valley is attempting to build. They discuss several of the particulars about the subdivision and Dan says that if they build a mill, they don't need a permit to build a power source. He argues that the mill will cut down the timber cost for the subdivision and allow them to build a power plant without a permit. He says that in Montana, they can do whatever they want to the river on their land. In the bar below the conference room where Dan is talking with the bank managers, Beth sits drinking alone. After verbally castrating a tourist who attempts to pick her up, she goes to join the bank managers who have left the meeting. She later tells John that they're building a city and hands him a copy of the Paradise Valley master plan for the subdivision.
On the ranch, that afternoon, Lee has ridden out with other ranchers to go get their stray cattle who have wandered on to Broken Rock Reservation land. Broken Rock residents, including Robert, have taken down the barbed wire to allow the cattle to cross and are standing guard. One of the ranchers crosses the fencing line and both groups draw their riffles on each other. Robert holds one of the ranchers down in the dirt, saying that the moment the cattle walked on to their land, they could do as they pleased with them. Lee puts a gun to Robert's head so that Robert will let the rancher go. John arrives in the helicopter and talks to Ben Waters, head of the Reservation police force. Ben says that it's a tribal issue and no longer the business of the livestock commission. John however clearly lacks respect for Ben and goes to talk with Felix Long, Monica and Robert's grandfather. Felix says that he argued to give the cattle back to Yellowstone, but the new chief is hungry for a fight. He and John seem to want to work together and don't understand who benefits from the escalation of the conflict. John sees Kayce among the cattle and realizes that Kayce had helped Robert round them up. John orders the Yellowstone ranchers to clear out of the area for the time being.
Lee and Robert escalating the conflict over the Yellowstone cattle.
On Tuesday, John goes to the Greater Montana Livestock Auction where he asks Jamie if they have any legal recourse on Reservation land. Jamie says they'll need friends in the US Attorney's office. John is approached by Dirk Hurdstram who is looking for a job his son with a criminal past, Jimmy. John says if he's going to do it, he'll do it his way. He then leaves quickly to talk to Governor Perry about the hearing about the housing development. It becomes clear that Perry and John have a friendly, possibly even romantic, relationship in which Perry favors Yellowstone Ranch in governmental issues.
Later that week, John goes to visit Kayce at his home on the Reservation. Kayce tells him he didn't know the cattle on the reservation belonged to Yellowstone. John says Kayce doesn't want to be on the wrong side of the conflict but Kayce is independently minded and doesn't want to take orders from his father. John pleads with Kayce to avoid trouble and asks if he can spend some time with Tate but Kayce says Tate is away at Monica's parents. In their conversation, John expresses a great deal of regret about their father-son relationship and says that all he wants is the opportunity to get to know Tate. After John leaves, Monica and Tate come out of the house making it clear that Kayce lied about Tate's whereabouts. Monica does not think highly of John but she agrees to it.
Rip Wheeler, one of the Yellowstone employee's, goes to see Jimmy Hurdstram at his trailer. He binds Jimmy to a chair and heats a branding iron. Rip says he'll give Jimmy two choices. He'll either take Jimmy and his stolen merchandise down to the sheriff's office or Jimmy can come to work at Yellowstone and wear the Yellowstone brand on his chest. Jimmy makes his choice and lets Rip burn him with the Y branding iron.
Lee and John discussing what it takes to be a cattleman.
On Saturday, on the ranch, John and Lee are out surveying the cattle. The men begin arguing about Lee's role at the ranch because John wants him to understand the difference between working the land (what Lee does) and running it (what John wants him to do). Their fight is cut short, however, because they see a cow down in need of help delivering her calf. They run into the field showing their dedication to their animals.
John sees Dan Jenkins playing golf at the edge of the property line. There is a stark contrast between the manicured appearance of the golfing green and Dan Jenkins and the meadowlands of the ranch and John astride his horse. John tells Dan he knows about the subdivision plan and that it's not welcome. Dan tells him he can't stand in the way of progress. The two men are pitted against each other and John rides away after telling Dan he owes him a new horse.
Back at the family house, Jamie comes out on the front porch and sees Beth who he hasn't seen for some time. She tells him she's there fixing something he couldn't. Later when she goes back in the house, she sees Rip. They have a complicated romantic history together. She is verbally abusive toward him but they still have sex periodically. However, when he asks her if she wants to go to a music festival with him, she leaves in disgust throwing more insults at him.
After taking Tate to get ice cream, Kayce takes Tate to Yellowstone Ranch to spend time with the Dutton family. Kayce hasn't seen his siblings for some time. The men saddle up their horses and go out to herd buffalo but Beth stays at the house saying she won't get near the horses. The family has an idyllic day of riding and fishing. Lee, Jamie and Kayce have chosen very different life paths though Kayce's took him farthest away from the ranch.
Elsewhere, John and Rip walk the property with an environmental consultant discussing the river. The following Monday, when Jimmy arrives for his first day of work at the ranch, his first task is to go with Rip into the mountains.
Cast[]
Episode Deaths[]
- Lee Dutton - Shot by Robert Long
- Robert Long - Shot by Kayce Dutton
Music[]
- Save Your Soul (Radio Version) [feat. Black*kiss] by Joey Stylez
- The Outsider by A Perfect Circle
- Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton
- Tumbleweed by Puscifer
- On the River by Whiskey Myers
- Trouble About My Soul by The Trishas
- Ashokan Farewell by Jay Ungar & Molly Mason
- Stone by Whiskey Myers
Quotes[]
- John Dutton: Leverage is knowing if someone had all the money in the world, this is what they would buy.
- John Dutton: When you say 'no', it must be the death of the question. If there's even a hint of maybe, the questions won't stop until they find something you can't say no to.
- John Dutton: Got tiger stripes on his legs. You know what that means, don't you?
- Kayce Dutton: Spanish blood - pure.
- John Dutton: One of his ancestors probably bucked a conquistador and took to the hills.
- John Dutton: If you act like a thief, Thomas, I will treat you like one.
- Tate Dutton: What's a transplant?
- Kayce Dutton: It's, um, a person who moves to a place, and then they try to make that place just like the place they left.
- Tate Dutton: That don't make sense.
- John Dutton: When you look at that calf, what do you see?
- Lee Dutton: I see a life I got to feed and defend until it grows up and feeds me.
- John Dutton: Yeah. That's what a cowboy should see. But a cattleman sees a $293 investment worth $1,100 in seven months, whether it feeds anyone or not.
- Lee Dutton: Well, I wish I saw it different, Dad.
- John Dutton: Well, we see it the way we see it, son.
- Doug: There are no restrictions on damming a river?
- Dan Jenkins: Beavers do it all the time.
- Ron Wright: On their land, it's their river. I mean, I can't stop the river from flowing.
- John Dutton: I don't want you to stop it, Ron, I want you to move it.
- Beth Dutton: Penance you earn. Closure you find. Look somewhere else and you might.
- Kayce Dutton: What do you want from me?
- Thomas Rainwater: To help me understand the man I'm negotiating with.
- Kayce Dutton: Well, he's reasonable, till he's provoked. Then reason don't factor in at all.
- Thomas Rainwater: Senator, you've never driven a road, walked a trail, skied a mountain in Montana that didn't belong to my people first. If this nation doesn't want to give it back, so be it. We'll buy it back ... with their money.
- Dan Jenkins: This is our land. Our river. This isn't California, gentlemen. This is Montana. We can do whatever we want.
- Beth Dutton: I'm hunting, too. Just not hunting you.
- Beth Dutton: You look like a soft fuck, Ted. All you city boys do.
- John Dutton: From now on, 'or else' is all you'll get.
- Beth Dutton: I'm not goin' anywhere. Just tell me who to fight.
- Felix Long: Until they find a cure for human nature, a man must stand with his people. And we are not your people.
- Lee Dutton: Whatever happens next, happens to you first.
- Kayce Dutton: In case you don't already know, there's no such place as heaven.
- Robert Long: When thos cattle stepped onto our land, they became our cattle, do do with as we please.
- Jamie Dutton: The state of Montana has never gauged its progress by the size of its cities. We measure our progress by how those cities impact the people and the land surrounding them, the land that feeds them, provides their water, nourishes their souls.
- Alan: This doesn't sound like a legal argument, Mr. Dutton. It sounds like a lecture.
- Jamie Dutton: Well, it's a summation of our state constitution, which clearly states that land preservation and property rights take precedence over public expansion.
- Alan: The constitution clearly denotes the state's right to eminent domain and grants the authority to condemn property for the public good.
- Jamie Dutton: For essential public services like hospitals, schools, highways... not housing developments.
- Alan: Housing is essential. Bozeman has doubled in size in a decade. We're thirty miles away, and our population is less than it was forty years ago. Why? - Because their fence guarantees we don't grow. Stagnation is death for a town, and the Duttons are the ones killing it.
- Governor Lynelle Perry: Well, poetic if it were true, since a Dutton founded the town. As it stands, the defendant is correct. Our land use laws are quite clear. For this commission to grant eminent domain, you must show public need, not desire.
- Committee Member: I think that's enough posturing. Let's put it to a vote.
- Governor Lynelle Perry: The plaintiff hasn't shown any legal imperative for a vote, so this case is dismissed.
- [GAVEL THUDS]
- Alan: It's 30,000 acres, Jamie. That isn't a fraction of the ranch. Okay, look, you can harvest the timber first, no environmental review, nothing. You can cut every tree to the root.
- Jamie Dutton: You want to suggest to my father that he clear-cut his land, be my guest. You're a braver man than me.
- Alan: Just mention it, Jamie. The town grows, or it dies.
- Jamie Dutton: Well, maybe it should grow... up. Condos, Alan, like they have in San Francisco.
- Alan: Condos? Who wants to live in a condo in Montana?
- Young Man: Bob... Bob needs you.
- Beth Dutton: Give me a minute.
- Young Man: I don't think he has a minute.
- Craig Martin: God damn it, Bob, I didn't come here to do business with these people.I came here to do business with you.
- Beth Dutton: I can hear you screaming halfway down the hall, Craig.
- Craig Martin: I thought we were gonna try and work this out, Bob.
- Bob Schwartz: We've been trying to work this out for three hours, Craig. This is the alternative.
- Craig Martin: We don't want to merge.
- Beth Dutton: No one wants to merge with you. You have a three-to-one debt ratio. It'd be easier to sell VCRs.
- Beth Dutton: I'm not gonna be bullied by your hatchet man, Bob.We will pull our funds, and we will take our business down the street to Chase.
- Bob Schwartz: We're just asking you to suspend the dividend.
- Craig Martin: And kill the stock!
- Beth Dutton: What do you think's gonna happen when I dump our %18 share tomorrow morning? I'll tell you what. The stock will drop below 10, SEC will suspend trading, and every creditor you have will file on you. Your company will be Chapter 11 by Friday, and since we're your largest creditors, I can promise you there'll be no negotiating then. I will be CEO of IL Energy by Monday. I will fire every fucking employee. Then I will sell your leases and equipment to Chevron for 30¢ on the dollar, and you, buddy, you will have the unique distinction of being the only drilling company to go bankrupt in the largest oil boom of the last century. Won't that look good on a résumé?
- Craig Martin: I started this company in my garage.
- Beth Dutton: That's where it's gonna end up if you don't suspend the dividend and allow us to assume management. Don't look at him. You're dealing with me now. So what's it gonna be?Are we restructuring your company tomorrow or killing it?
- Bob Schwartz: Good. You made the right choice, Craig. We'll get you through this.
- Craig Martin: [UNDER BREATH] Bitch.
- Beth Dutton: I just saved your house. I put your kids through college. Maybe you should say something more appropriate.
- Craig Martin: Thank you.
- Beth Dutton: You're welcome.