Yellowstone Season 3 Episode 1 Recap With Spoilers: “You’re the Indian Now”

After being off the air for a little over a month, Yellowstone returns Sunday night on CBS with the Season 3 premiere, “You’re the Indian Now.” Season 2 left off with the Duttons rescuing Tate, who had been kidnapped and given to white supremacists by Malcolm and Teal Beck as part of their conflict with John Dutton over the Yellowstone ranch. Now, with the Becks dealt with and Tate safe, new challenges await the Dutton family. Here’s what happened in the Season 3 premiere.

Fair warning: Spoilers for Yellowstone beyond this point. Read only if you want to know.

What Happened in “You’re the Indian Now”?

Season 3 opens with John, Kayce, and Jamie all preparing for the day, albeit separately. Kayce checks on his wife and son who are both sleeping soundly before joining up with Beth, John, and Jamie in the kitchen. He’s then told that he needs to check out the east pasture. John is in a suit and ready to head out and gives Jamie a suit to get dressed in on the way into town. As Kayce and Beth watch them leave, they hear Tate scream. The boy is having nightmares from his experience being kidnapped and Monica reassures him that he’s safe.

In town, John and Jamie meet with Governor Perry along with a federal official and the attorney general. Jamie tells them that they had evidence of the Becks poisoning their cattle using their private plane and that they served the warrant for that but discovered the kidnapping in the process. Jamie argues that livestock agents must intervene in any active crime according to the law, no matter the jurisdiction. Everyone agrees, but public opinion believes them to be wrong because of the six deaths involved and it won’t look good in terms of the news as it will look like a feud not an investigation. John says he will step down as commissioner and take the blame but expects the governor to stop the investigation. Everyone agrees and John says he’ll figure out who should succeed him.

Elsewhere, Rainwater and Mo watch the news. Mo says John is a good man and not their enemy and Rainwater asks Mo if he thinks he should share their plans with John. Mo says that it is Rainwater’s decision. Back at the Yellowstone, Rip and Kayce meet up and report on the pasture, though Rip thinks they need to keep the cattle close, but Kayce is worried about running out of hay so they decide to take the cows out but watch carefully. As they talk, they notice a group of people looking out over the field. Turns out they are looking for the Paradise Valley Sporting club and Kayce tells them they’re on the wrong side of the fence. The people explain that they now own the resort and are Providence Hospitality Management. A man named Ellis Steele introduces himself. He works for Market Equities.

Beth is working and tells Bob Schwartz how much property she’s bought for him and he’s happy. They also talk about future purchases because of the Market Equities purchase of Dan Jenkins’ property. They realize that it’s just the beginning for the group and Bob tells Beth to buy everything she can. On her way back to the ranch, she encounters a stranger fishing in the river on their property and calls him out for it. The man is Roarke Carter. They have a verbal exchange that leads to him asking her out, but she tells him no and to stay off Dutton land.

John tells Beth about his resignation. Kayce confirms that the pastures are clear of the clover the Becks dropped and tells them about the Providence Hospitality folks. John says he’s thinking about naming Kayce as replacement for livestock commissioner and Kayce says he doesn’t want it and says it should be Beth or Jamie. Beth supports the idea of it being Jamie because while she can’t trust him for the family, she can trust him to benefit himself which would in turn benefit them.

John talks to Monica about Tate with John apologizing for having Tate go out at night to feed his horse, which left him open to be kidnapped. Monica does not blame him and makes a parallel to what the Duttons are dealing with to what the indigenous people dealt with their land. She also asks John to take Tate with them to build the camp close to the cattle because she thinks it will be good for him.

The next day, as they are getting ready to head out, John tells Jamie to move back into the main house because he’s going to be the new livestock commissioner. John warns Jamie to never betray him again. Kayce apologizes for not taking the position and then they all go off.

Rainwater goes to see Ellis to discuss a cease-and-desist Rainwater received, but Ellis refuses. He says he must deal only with the lawyers, which angers Rainwater. Monica goes work at the college but finds that her students are just absorbed by their phones. She tries to convince them not to be, but they ignore her and she walks off.

Out at the camp, Tate talks to John about his nightmares and John tries to help him by telling him that he can decide what he wants to dream. John also tells Tate about his own nightmares and Tate tells him he should change his dreams, too. The pair relax together under the stars.