What happens to Lee Dutton in ‘Yellowstone?’ The story of John Dutton’s eldest son, explained

Taylor Sheridan‘s Yellowstone is being given a breath of new life as CBS begins airing the series from its very first episode, and fans couldn’t be more thrilled. The series, premiering on network television for the first time, will be greeted by new and already adoring audiences as an opportunity to see the thrilling Dutton story from its not-so-humble beginnings.

Fans who have been mentally checking into the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch since 2019 know that Sheridan begins this story with a bang, a crash, and a heartbreaking turn of events from the very beginning. Kevin Costner steals the show as patriarch John Dutton from the first seconds, seemingly the only survivor in an intense crash, John tells a horse it deserves more, but all he can give it is peace as he offers a mercy killing to the injured animal, and what he does next proves that there’s something else bubbling under the surface, and there always will be.

John walks over to another vehicle involved in the accident and sees a letter from Paradise Valley Capital Development on the dashboard. Viewers will want to pay close attention to that company as the season kicks off, but there’s more than just a development name of that company means more as the episode rolls on. John walks over to the edge of his land, speaking to the cattle and also himself — he realizes that there’s a lot that must be done to keep the cattle fed and to keep the show running.

Part of what keeps the show running is the Dutton family, and every one of its members (be it blood relation or tied together by the brand) means something special to the equation. So when Sheridan’s storytelling leads to a vital member of the family meeting an early demise, it proves two things immediately: one, Yellowstone is a series that intends to pull no punches, and the deaths that occur, well — they all mean something.

What happened to Lee Dutton?

Lee Dutton was the eldest son of John and Evelyn Dutton, a cowboy through and through and a member of the family who truly knew what it meant to dedicate yourself to the land. Lee didn’t long for a life outside the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch; he appreciated his life at it. Loyal to his father and proud of the Dutton name, Lee was a dream come true for John Dutton.

Fans are given plenty of chances to not just adore Lee in the beginning episode but to also discover that he was the glue that kept John together; he was the son that made it easy for the land owner and patriarch to move forward, as he knew he’d have Lee just a few paces behind him.

Lee’s death was surprising, shocking, and downright heartbreaking — and the reasons are multifaceted. You see, when cattle roamed off of Yellowstone and onto neighboring land, a dispute began with the Indigenous Peoples that inhabited it. While John was urged to leave well enough alone, he didn’t — and his team went in the night’s disguise, but the people of the Broken Rock Indian Reservation knew what was coming their way.

The Broken Rock Reservation police began attempting to hold off the Livestock agents, and while they were butting heads, Robert Long shot Lee Dutton. Lee fell off of his horse but was still clinging to life when none other than his brother Kayce Dutton arrived to try to de-escalate the situation. Lee felt himself slipping, and Robert wasn’t backing down; as he pulled his gun again, ready to fire, Kayce did too.

What happened to Robert Long?

Robert Long may have pulled the trigger, firing the bullet that killed Lee Dutton, but he didn’t survive long enough to face repercussions or recognize the weight of his decision. Kayce saw Robert getting ready to fire again, and he beat him to the punch, shooting him five times and taking his life in the process.

Kayce attempted to get Lee to safety, but it was too late; the shot he took would be life-ending, and the sad ride to get him to the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch is only truly realized when we see the look on John’s face as he realizes he’s just lost his eldest son.

So why is the story arc of Robert Long so important? For starters, he is the man responsible for taking Lee’s life, but he’s also the brother of Monica Long, aka Monica Dutton, Kayce’s wife. Complicating things on a whole new level, Kayce took the life of his brother-in-law, devastating the family of his wife and further making the bond between himself and his father something hard to navigate. Not to get ahead of ourselves; however, we’ll leave that for another episode.

There you have it: cowboys and ranch hands — the deaths that kicked off a series unafraid to “go there” and will continue to for each new episode that airs. We’re in the beautiful opening arc of a series that changed television, for some; it’s an exciting rewatch, and for others, it’s the journey of a lifetime from the very start.

Here’s to Yellowstone!