Yellowstone season 2, episode 3 recap: The Reek of Desperation

John (R-Kevin Costner) and son Kayce (L-Luke Grimes) talk ranch business in Paramount Network’s hit drama series “Yellowstone.” Episode 3 – “The Reek of Desperation” premieres on Wednesday, July 10 at 10 p.m., ET/PT on Paramount Network.

Elsewhere, Governor Perry meets John at a restaurant. They make small talk until things turn serious. John says he told her to find a new Attorney General. When she didn’t, he found one for her. Governor Perry says that it’s just put her in a position where her only choice is to fight him. Jamie was a convenient way to serve both their needs, but now it’s important to have an Attorney General that serves her needs, not John’s.

John claims he’s going to get Jamie to leave the race. When Governor Perry asks him how, he says she doesn’t have to worry about it but she shouldn’t fight him on it. Otherwise he’ll find someone to run against her next too.

They proceed to get drunk on wine and leave together. But Governor Perry stops things before they go too far. She asks John if he thinks he’ll ever fall in love again. John says no. The Governor agrees she won’t either.

At the ranch, Beth catches Rip feeding the horses. She asks him why he’s doing it. He explains it’s his job and Beth comments she wishes he hadn’t let Kayce win. She wishes Rip had beaten Kayce up so badly that he’d left and never come back. It would have been the best thing for both of them.

Rip responds that he’s happy to be feeding the horses again. Beth claims that if Kayce’s in charge things will only get worse. She tells him that there are other ranches, but Rip protests that there aren’t any others for him.

At another office, which is decked out in mounted deer’s heads and taxidermy, a new character, played by Neal McDonough, named Malcolm Beck is on the phone. He and his brother, who’s also his partner, have just learned about Rainwater and Dan Jenkins’ casino. They don’t seem pleased.

At a home & garden store, two shady guys are buying a bunch of ammonia. They’re waiting in line to pay when a cop walks in. They get nervous and walk away from  their cart.

Outside the store, Jimmy and Avery are loading their purchases onto a pick-up. Jimmy goes back inside to get one more thing. The two shady guys approach him. They know him. He greets them as Ray and Blake. Blake tells him he wants the money Jimmy owes him. Or instead he can go on a shopping trip for him, Jimmy knows what he needs.

Jimmy starts to buy what Ray and Blake want, but  decides against it. The two men confront him as he exits the store, but Jimmy hits Blake and runs to the truck. He tells Avery they have to go, but Avery hesitates. Blake and Ray break the truck’s window and start attacking Jimmy. Avery sprays them with bear repellant and speeds away.

At the pool, Monica is working through a physical therapy session. She and her therapist bond. There’s chemistry there. But when the session ends, Monica tells him she’s married. The therapist knows, he saw the ring.

At the ranch, Lloyd finds Avery cleaning up the pick-up and Jimmy explains a can of bear spray went off by accident. Lloyd insults Jimmy but Jimmy doesn’t understand why what he says is supposed to be insulting. Avery tells Jimmy he’s so dumb it’s almost attractive. Jimmy appreciates the sentiment but Avery is unimpressed.

Elsewhere, Malcolm Beck and his brother go to see Dan Jenkins. They identify him as the guy that learned not to mess with John Dutton in a very painful way. Jenkins asks if they’re friends of Dutton’s. They say they haven’t met him but they know of him.

The Beck Brothers offer a lesson: thriving in Montana means you stay in your lane. Dutton has never been in theirs and they’ve never crossed into his but Jenkins has by partnering with the Native American tribe and opening an off-reservation casino.

Then they outline the exact deal Jenkins made with Rainwater. And they caution that Rainwater is going to nullify the deal and steal from Jenkins. Jenkins tells them off. But they inform him that not only do they run a rival casino called Rocky Mountain, Malcolm is the head of the Montana Liquor Board. And he won’t ever issue Jenkins’ new venture a liquor license. if he doesn’t want more trouble, they suggest he figure out a way to get out of the deal with Rainwater and make a new one with them.