Ep 4. The Long Black Train

In Yellowstone season 1 episode 4, titled "The Long Black Train," tension continues to mount as the Dutton family faces a new threat. A mysterious and dangerous group of outsiders arrives in the area, bringing with them a "long black train" of trucks and equipment. Their intentions are unknown, but it quickly becomes clear that they are not to be underestimated.

The episode opens with a foreboding shot of the incoming convoy, as Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) and ranch hand Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) observe from a distance. Jamie is eager to confront the strangers and find out what they want, but Rip warns him to wait and see. Meanwhile, patriarch John Dutton (Kevin Costner) receives a visit from his old friend, Sheriff Donnie Haskell (Michael Nouri), who warns him about the newcomers and their shady reputation.

As the strangers begin to set up camp on the Dutton ranch, tension builds between them and the ranch hands. The leader of the group, a man named Dan Jenkins (Danny Huston), seems friendly enough, but his underlings are rough and aggressive, picking fights and causing trouble. Jamie's sister Beth (Kelly Reilly) takes a particular dislike to one of the men, a crude and vulgar cowboy named Teeter (Jennifer Landon), and sparks fly between them.

As the night wears on, the tension erupts into violence. Rip and his fellow ranch hands are attacked by a group of the outsiders, and a brutal fight ensues. Meanwhile, Beth and Teeter engage in a fiery confrontation that turns surprisingly intimate. The next morning, as the dust settles, John confronts Dan Jenkins and demands to know what he wants. Jenkins reveals that he and his partners are investors who want to develop the land around Yellowstone into a tourist attraction, complete with casinos, hotels, and theme parks. John is furious at the proposal and declares that the land will never be sold.

Overall, "The Long Black Train" is a tense and action-packed episode that introduces a compelling new threat to the Dutton family. The arrival of the outsiders sets off a chain reaction of conflicts and confrontations that keep the audience on the edge of their seats. The episode also delves deeper into the relationships between the characters, particularly the complicated dynamics between Rip, Jamie, and Beth, and the growing attraction between Beth and Teeter. The themes of family loyalty, betrayal, and greed are all front and center, as the Duttons continue to fight to protect their land and their way of life.