4. Meaner Than Evil

Season 3, Episode 9: The penultimate episode of season 3 has some great moments for the bunkhouse crew, as Ryan, Colby, and Teeter finally get branded. The bunkhouse characters help provide a necessary levity to the soap opera dramatics of the Dutton family, making them beloved supporting characters. They assist Rip in catching Wade and Clint, the men hired by Roarke to stir up trouble on the ranch, and Wade ends up having a gruesome death after his Yellowstone branding is cut off his body. The episode also sees Jamie meeting his biological father, Garrett Randall, for the first time.

3. Resurrection Day

Season 2, Episode 7:

“Resurrection Day” has some of the wildest moments from Yellowstone, with the highlight of the episode being the assault on Beth’s office by the Beck brothers’ armed men. Luckily, Rip shows up in time to save Beth, though she puts up a good fight on her own. The man steps through oncoming gunfire to save his would-be wife, but she’s already suffered through a traumatic moment. The season 2 episode is about as dark as Yellowstone gets, showing how violent things will be for them.

2. Sins Of The Father

Season 2, Episode 10: The confrontation with the Beck brothers sees the Dutton family in their most brutal, dangerous rivalry in the series. The Beck brothers are willing to cross any line to get what they want, and the season 2 finale sees the Yellowstone Ranch team delivering the final blow to their enemy in a satisfying way. It’s a great Rip episode, as he has one of his most tender moments with John Dutton and also saves the day by riding in on horseback and drawing fire during the final battle.

1. The World Is Purple

Season 3, Episode 10: The Yellowstone season 3 finale is the most epic episode of the series, concluding with a major attack on the Duttons. The shocking ending culminated Yellowstone’s best season and left audiences worried about the lives of their favorite characters for months. Beth’s office is assaulted (again), this time through a mailed explosive, Kayce is attacked with gunfire in his office, and John Dutton is shot multiple times after stopping to help someone on the side of the road.