‘Yellowstone’: best moments from the bunkhouse

We’re officially two months away from the electrifying season five premiere of Paramount’s hit series, Yellowstone. The series captivated audiences from the very first episode, and we’ve grown to care about the storyline and the intricately detailed people who are telling it. 

One of the building blocks which helps Yellowstone stand firm is that of brotherhood and bonding. The series surrounds the Dutton family, but that doesn’t stop at blood relations. Many of the ranch hands have pledged their loyalty in the ultimate regard by branding their chests with the famous hooked Y symbol.

The experience isn’t something completely one-sided, for as much as wearing the brand means devoting oneself to the ranch, it also means that you’re part of something much bigger than yourself. Ranch hands are given a second chance if they take the brand, which provides them the means to want to prove themselves and be worthy of donning it. 

Of course, Yellowstone is also about the dynamics of the fight for the land the ranch hands love so much and for the honor of carrying the Dutton name. The ranch hands are bestowed that sacred honor, and it’s one they realize the importance of. The central desire to work at the Yellowstone is something they share, and the friendships they form because of it make the series. 

The bunkhouse is one of the best places on the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, and what better way to spend an afternoon than by traveling back in time with some of the best moments from it? Here’s to rowdy cowboys and girls and the fun they bring!

John Dutton plays cards at the bunkhouse

At around eight minutes in, one of our favorite bunkhouse moments so far happens. In fact, it might just be the one that pulls on our heartstrings the most. At the beginning of season four, we weren’t sure that we’d see John Dutton alive on the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch again. Having been the victim of a targeted attack, he was lying on the side of the road in a pool of his own blood as the season opened.

Of course, the series continuing without the patriarch was a complex idea to wrap our heads around, and we’re so glad we didn’t have to experience it, but it was certainly an intense experience. Those closest to John weren’t sure what would happen if he didn’t pull through, but they knew they’d have to find a way forward somehow.

The ranch continued to run in his absence, and as he slowly regained strength upon making it home. One night, when he returned to the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, he took a break to play cards in the bunkhouse. It was a moment that fans loved because we saw a different side of him, a side where he let his guard down. John was in the presence of those who worked to continue keeping it all running, and he set the worries and stresses aside for a night of fun competition.

John doesn’t get too many nights to relax, but we’re certainly hoping for more card nights at the bunkhouse in the future.

Teeter makes her infamous soup

Teeter is one of the most fabulous additions to the Yellowstone family and a fiery one at that. She’s tough, strong, intelligent, and a hell of a ranch hand. She also brings a much-needed sense of humor and comedic relief to the bunkhouse.

Teeter didn’t have a place to belong until she found the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, and it’s not in her future plans to leave it. She fought for her home with the Duttons and found a family through the experience.

One night, she decided to cook supper for everyone in the bunkhouse, and she made them a hearty soup. So why exactly is the soup such a big deal? It’s not just the incredible name: sumb–ch soup; it’s what’s in it!

During an episode of Yellowstone’s bunkhouse behind-the-scenes YouTube series, our favorite bunkhouse boys talk about the big moments at the ranch. One of those moments is the Teeter cooking scene. Ryan starts by telling Teeter that her cooking skills aren’t exactly top-of-the-line,”You’re wasting your time, Teeter. No one’s going to eat a thing that you cook.”

Teeter begins explaining that she made sumb–ch stew for the hungry ranchers, and some seem more thrilled about the option than others. Ian Bohen, who plays Ryan, explains that the soup contains everything in the cow — yes, everything.

Jake, a real-life rancher, quickly spits out his stew, but some of the ranch hands keep eating it, and for a good reason. The concoction isn’t something that exists only in the Yellowstone realm; it’s actually a dish that people genuinely eat. It’s not for everyone, of course, but if you feel like eating some of Teeter’s soup, there are recipes for it online.

The Colby’s mom joke

As Jimmy prepares to head back to the 6666 Ranch in Texas, he says goodbye to the ranch hands at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Some of them are quick and easy, as he knows he’ll see them again. Others are emotional and layered because goodbyes are never easy, and one of them made audiences everywhere laugh as he delivered it.

Walking up to Colby, Jimmy says, “Actually…I’m gonna see you at Thanksgiving at your mom’s house.”

The other ranch hands immediately start laughing at the joke and the nature in which Jimmy delivers it. It was as smooth as butter, like he’d been waiting his whole life to execute it, and it was flawless.

Jefferson White, Denim Richards, and Ian Bohen all discussed the joke on an episode of Yellowstone’s Stories from the Bunkhouse mini-series.

White: “The Colby’s mom Thanksgiving joke is something I threw in at rehearsals, and Taylor liked it.”
Richards: “Just uh — did you ask Colby before…that you were going to say that?
White: “I asked Colby’s mom.”
Richards: “Ahh…”
White:” And she said YASSS.”

We know “your mom” jokes were a big thing in high school, but that doesn’t mean that a well-timed one doesn’t still make us laugh from time to time. The brotherhood the ranch hands share is a lot like a familial bond, and when you leave everything behind to become part of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, family is what you become.

Carter joins the poker game

Carter’s welcome to the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch was surprising for everyone, including the ranch hands, but they look after him as if he’s a younger brother. In another episode of Stories from the Bunkhouse, White, Richards, and Bohen speak about Carter being a mini-Jimmy, and someone who understands less about poker and more about magic and making items around the table disappear. 

He also got to banter with the ranch hands, including Teeter, who wasn’t watching her language just because a kid was at the table. In fact, his presence really spurred her on. 

Another person who was floored by Carter’s card table presence was Cole Hauser’s Rip Wheeler himself. Seeing the boy they’d brought to the farm step up and kick butt and take names while doing it was next level. He was proud, he was soaking it all in, and he was enjoying the experience more than anyone else. Carter is a kid, yes, but he knows a thing or two about life, and he clearly knows a thing or two about cards. 

Lloyd’s peace offering

The storyline between Walker and Lloyd is a layered one, and at times, it really doesn’t sit well with audiences. Both Lloyd and Walker wear the brand and know their place at the ranch, but they don’t quite understand yet that it’s essential to get along while doing it. No one said they had to be best friends, but the mortal enemy thing they had going on didn’t help anyone at all. 

Of course, what does a fight that big start over? A woman, but there was more to it, too. Lloyd is proud, as is Walker, but one of them is more loyal to the ranch than the other. That doesn’t mean that the rules apply less, and Lloyd had to learn that the hard way. After several verbal fights and physical altercations, Lloyd was reminded that if you want to fight someone at the ranch, you must fight Rip.

That moment, that fight — it was heartbreaking to watch, but it’s what was necessary for Lloyd to remember that he couldn’t let his emotions control him. After all was said and done, Lloyd bought something for Walker, a peace offering of sorts. While we still think it was a gesture too kind (we’re not the biggest fans of Walker, okay?), we know why he did it. 

So what was the peace offering? A new guitar, that’s right, after breaking his old one, Lloyd got him a new one — and Walker said it was worth a lot more than the one he broke anyway. The two shared a moment as Walker played a song for him, and it was something we won’t soon forget. 

Lloyd and Walker will never be the best bunkhouse buddies, but they’re at a place where they can learn and work together. That relationship will be necessary as they’re thrown into the next season of Yellowstone, bringing even more surprises and evil for them to face together. 

The best of the bunkhouse

One of the key components of Yellowstone is the bunkhouse and the relationships formed there. The friendships, camaraderie, and hard work they do together all set the building blocks for a successful way of life. They’ve got to work together, trust one another, and trust themselves to be able to do what is required of them. Sometimes, that means giving every ounce of strength they’ve got and then some; other times, it means fighting when they feel like they’ve got nothing left to pull from. 

The only way to make sure they stay strong is to believe in one another and have fun. One can learn some essential life lessons from the bunkhouse, and if it’s not one of your favorite places at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, we’re not sure you’re even watching the same show. 

Here’s to Yellowstone, our favorite ranch hands, and a new season of epic laughs and brotherhood.