'Yellowstone' Season 5 Episode 5 Recap: Beth and Summer Fight It Out

The majority of the action stayed on the ranch in Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 5, "Watch 'Em Ride Away."

John Dutton attempts to combine his two lives as ranch owner and state governor in the fifth episode of the season.

It took a while for everyone to actually, as the title suggests, ride away, but the episode seemingly sets up an adventure in the wilderness for next week's Episode 6.

For those who missed it, or if there's anything you want to go over, here's Newsweek's recap of Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 5.

Beth's Flashback

The episode opens as others this season have, in a flashback to a younger John, Beth and Rip. She ventures out to see John lead a group of ranch hands, including Rip, heading out on horseback for a week-long task. Still bitter about how Beth treated him before, Rip says goodbye without much warmth.

In the present day, Beth awakens, and we see that this flashback was another dream of hers. Once again, she tells her husband Rip that she's dwelling on the past, but he informs her that he only thinks about them today and tomorrow, not yesterday.

Later that morning, Beth confronts her father for bringing Summer, the animal rights activist, or as Beth calls her the "hairy hippy giving syphilis to their sofa," into their house. John tells his daughter that Summer is there for a useful reason, but she's adamant that she's the enemy and in one way or another, everyone wants a piece of the Dutton land.

John's Branding Trip

During a conversation with Rip, he lays down the ground rules for how he wants an upcoming branding trip to go. They plan to move cattle to land where they'll be safe from wolves, and brand them while they're there. Not completely out of the loop of the ranch owners' lifestyle, he informs him that he'll be going with them. It becomes a family affair as Beth, Kayce, Monica and Tate will join them too.

Clara, John's assistant, informs him that he has dozens of meetings in the diary that he can't cancel. Instead, she suggests turning the trip into a "MEPP," a manipulated event for political purpose, where he can hold two weeks' worth of meetings with attendees in one afternoon.

John faces opposition from Summer who informs him that he's mutilating the animals. He fights back by explaining that when she was born, a doctor cut a chord, smacked her backside and put her on metal scales, all to improve her quality of life. They agree to disagree.

When Kayce and his family arrive, John's face lights up. The trio are using this small trip as another means to get over the tragic loss of their son. When Clara asks if Kayce is John's youngest son, he replies saying Kayce is his "only son." We've not seen him yet but that's another blow for adopted son Jamie and his late son Lee Dutton.

Sleeping With the Enemy

Back in the Capitol building, Jamie is clearing his desk for the day when Sarah Atwood, his should-be-foe turned lover, arrives.

Their public liaise muddied the waters of the state's case against Market Equities and Jamie tells Sarah what they did was unprofessional. Sarah shows him what she thought of it by taking her clothes off in front of him in his office.

We still don't know what Sarah's plan is, but as Beth found out in the last episode, she's not to be trusted as Sarah is not her real name.

Dinner Time

Back at the ranch, John insists his whole family sits and dines together despite Beth's opposition to Summer. At the table is John, Beth, Rip, Carter, Kayce, Monica, Tate, Summer and Clara, all sitting in awkward silence initially.

Things get off to a bad start when Gator the chef brings out a meaty main course, which doesn't sit well with the vegan Summer. Beth insists next time just to feed her what he feeds the horses. Faced with a venison, duck and dove, Summer questions everything. Kayce breaks the tension which makes Monica laugh.

In a move that sets the whole table on edge, Beth and Summer take a walk to discuss their differences. Everyone knows what's going to happen, but John thinks it will be good for them both to get it out of their system. Once they're outside, Beth turns and hits Summer in the face. Nine years of jujitsu allows Summer to capably defend herself, but growing up with three brothers allows Beth to get the upper hand.

Rip comes outside in time to play dad and tell them they look ridiculous and give them both a good talking to.

Instead, he suggests cowboy rules where they exchange blows on their feet until they've had enough. After getting floored by Beth twice, Summer starts crying until Beth helps her up, and tells her she'll receive the respect she gives in that house.

Back at the dinner table, a starving Summer starts eating mash potatoes which may contain butter in it. It might not be the best message for viewers, but it seems Beth may have beaten the vegan out of her somewhat.

After retiring to the next room, John tells Rip over a drink about his ancestors, and how they got and kept the land by fighting. The mention of his ancestors is especially poignant now that we've seen the events of 1883 and the oncoming 1923 on Paramount+.

John says he has one child he misses, one he pities, one he regrets, but Beth he envies. It's not hard to figure out who he's talking about with the rest.

The Morning After

As the sun rises the next day, the same group eat breakfast in comfortable silence at the table. Summer watches on as one by one they follow John Dutton out the door.

Summer feels like she's been hit by a truck while Beth feels like she was hit by a Prius. While they're gone, Beth tells Summer to take a walk around the land and she'll realize there's no forest in America better taken care of than the Yellowstone Ranch.

As Monica says goodbye to Kayce and their son, Kayce implies they plan to have another baby. "If it doesn't make you cry not watch them ride away, you probably shouldn't have one," Monica tells Summer whilst wiping away a tear.

The episode is dedicated to the memory of Timothy Reynolds. He was a member of the crew who is credited as having worked behind the scenes on Yellowstone from 2018 until 2021.

The next episode of Yellowstone Season 5, "Cigarettes, Whiskey, a Meadow and Fog," airs on Paramount Network on Sunday, December 11.