Paramount’s number one series, Yellowstone, has been the talk of the entertainment realm in waves since its debut in 2018. From the cult following it gained in specific facets of pop culture, to its powerful recent entry into the mainstream media, there’s a magic to the Dutton family story that fans simply can’t get enough of.

Season five of everyone’s favorite cowboy drama is available for purchase on DVD today, and it inspired us to look back at some of our favorite moments from the first half of the final chapter in the Dutton family story. While rumors have been swirling for months that the series was coming to a close thanks to drama on set, it’s been confirmed that we are nearing our final ride with the Dutton family as we know it. 

Of course, fans of the Yellowverse know that prequels already exist where the Dutton story is concerned. There are several spinoffs on the horizon, a new one promised to fill a void that Yellowstone will undeniably leave, and as we gear up to dive into the last run with Kevin Costner’s John Dutton, we’re looking back at the fun we’ve had so far in season five — and the tears we’ve cried. 

So run to your local Target or Walmart and pick up your copy of Yellowstone‘s fifth season today, and then dive into the first half of the most emotionally charged season yet. Here are five of the best scenes and storylines you won’t want to look away from as you pull your boots on and ride out to the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. 

John Dutton’s first speech as governor

John Dutton’s first speech as Governor of Montana was a powerful way to start the fifth season of our favorite neo-western. Fans saw a fire back in John Dutton, a man who took on this role, first and foremost, for the longevity of his family and their namesake, but he’s also a man who loves where he comes from. Despite never wanting to have a political future, John knew that this was an arena he needed to exist within.

His speech was powerful from start to finish, but this moment shows that he went into the job for one reason and soon realized that there were many layers of an arena for him to work within, and he’d need all the support he could get.

“You’ve elected me to be a steward of this state, of its land, and its people, and that’s exactly what I will be. You know, environmentalists, they just love to debate what’s Montana’s most valuable resource. Is it the water, is it the wolves, is it trees? The answer is actually pretty simple. It’s you. The farmers and ranchers who live with the land, not on it. Protecting you now is how Montana still looks like Montana when none of us here tonight are here to see it.”

Protecting Montana was the selling point for those who voted for Dutton, and it’ll be interesting to see how the rest of his time as governor plays out when the second half of season five returns, especially with all that’s at stake.

Horses in heaven

Everyone knows that the relationship between John and Monica has often been tumultuous, to say the very least. The father-in-law/daughter-in-law pair are never on the same page, and many of their beliefs are fundamentally different — but there are many things in which they can bond if they give one another a chance.

So when the family was trying to learn to deal with the impossible loss of Kayce and Monica’s son, John Dutton IV, the family patriarch had the right words to comfort Monica, and another plane of understanding and existence was born between them.

This scene is so good that it’s almost hard to put it into words, but this part of John’s speech to Monica really stands out for us and anyone who has lost someone far too soon.

“That boy lived a perfect life, Monica. We’re the only ones to know it was brief. All he knew was you that you loved him.”

A life where you’ve only known love, how magical is that.

Cigarettes, whiskey, a meadow, and you

Another one of the most magical storylines in season five is that of Beth and Rip; the pop culture couple that many will try to recreate for decades to come. There’s a vulnerability and complexity within them that does something for any type of viewer. It reminds some of us that love can truly help transform us in every sense of the word, brings others back to their first fiery and formative love, and houses safety and a sense of magic for others.

Rip and Beth are the power couple, forgiving one another when they need it most, having hard conversations with each other, and still giving one another space to find comfort together. In a particular season five scene, Beth is open with Rip as she tells him that she really only needs four things in this world to be happy: and it brings a tear to the eyes of viewers everywhere.

Rip loves Beth, he always has, and Beth’s greatest gift to herself was to not only allow herself to love him back but to allow herself to feel the depth of his love for her.

That bar brawl

This one doesn’t need a lot of explanation, but we’ll lead with this — you don’t get to mess with Beth Dutton’s man and walk away unscathed.

Rip didn’t think going out that night was a bright idea at all, but Beth talked the bunkhouse boys into going out to celebrate Lloyd’s birthday, and once they did — it was on.

Rip didn’t think going out that night was a bright idea at all, but Beth talked the bunkhouse boys into going out to celebrate Lloyd’s birthday, and once they did — the fight immediately popped off. Beth handled it about as well as we imagined Beth would handle seeing another woman with her hands and eyes all over Rip, which was…not well at all.

A beer bottle to the head and another added attack outside sure let her know not to flirt with Rip again, and of course, Beth ended up walking away without too much negativity following her either.

The war is just beginning

The finale episode of the first half of season five also brought one of the most notable moments throughout the series so far. Jamie let Beth in on a poorly kept family secret, and she decided to take it and use it against him.

Beth was told about the train station, and she immediately went to her father with questions; when she said that if that’s the place enemies go and are never found, then she felt that Jamie needed to go there too.

John, who usually defends Jamie when Beth is plotting life-or-death situations against him, didn’t immediately say that it wasn’t a move he was willing to take. Instead, he told her that he knew Jamie was waging war against them, and fans saw a realization in his eyes when he took in that Jamie was an enemy to them now.

That powerful scene set the tone, and Jamie was plotting imminent death for his sister across town, too. Battle lines have been drawn, and the stakes have never been higher; when season five returns (hopefully) later this year, a lot is hanging in the balance, and three very important conversations, and the actions that follow, will determine what happens next.

If you’re looking for even more magic and power from the Yellowstone universe, Paramount put this video together of other must-see moments from the first part of season five, and you won’t want to miss a second of them. 

It goes without saying that there’s a lot of emotion, love, and family focus in the fifth season of everyone’s favorite cowboy drama, and with a fifth season that was so intense, fans weren’t anticipating the series coming to an early end. It’ll certainly be interesting to watch the first episodes of season five knowing what we know now.

You can buy the first installment of season five on DVD now, and we’re not judging you if you cancel all of your weekend plans to have a marathon with your favorite drinks and Yellowstone-loving friends. We’re going to do the same thing.

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