Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for the Season 2 finale of Yellowstone, called "Sins of the Father."
Summer's biggest cable TV show has officially wrapped up its second season, and Yellowstone went out with bang -- or several bangs, as the case turned out to be -- as the Duttons pulled out all the stops to rescue Tate. The escalating conflict between the Becks and the Duttons seemed bound to come to a head before the end of the season, and all signs pointed toward a strike against Monica or Tate. The Becks made the most dastardly move by abducting a child, and it took the Duttons past the point of no return.
So, what happened after Tate was kidnapped off of the Dutton ranch at the end of the penultimate episode, and the family recovered just one of Tate's boots? Was it as shocking and satisfying as promised, without the devastation of a Dutton family death?
Here's how it all went down for poor Tate.
The Duttons didn't waste any time in connecting the dots to the Becks. It was clear that they were going to do anything and everything to get back Tate, to the point that John sent Beth out of the room so she wouldn't know what he and his sons were going to do.
All things considered, they were organized and methodical as they set about doing what had to be done. Seriously, Kayce was much calmer throughout the episode than I expected. It was really only when Kayce was with Monica that he seemed especially vulnerable, and she got him to promise that he would kill both Beck brothers for what they did. Of course, he didn't exactly need convincing, but this was an instance of Monica being on board with the violence. Her son had been taken.
The Dutton vs. Beck conflict of the finale got bloody when Kayce went to the Becks' house and shot Teal while Teal was on the toilet. Talk about adding insult to injury! Kayce unloaded a bullet into Teal's gut first, then when he proved reluctant to share the details Kayce wanted, Kayce shot him in the leg. Teal finally gave up some info about what they'd done to Tate, and then kept his promise to Monica by shooting Teal in the chest, killing him where he sat.
How Yellowstone Set Up A Very Different Season 3 With Emotional Season 2 Finale
The info was enough to lead Kayce and his family to where Malcolm was hiding out with the group of neo-Nazi whit supremacists he'd hired to abduct Tate. The group had the Duttons outnumbered, but fortunately, the family wasn't riding in blind with rage.
Instead, Rip rode in as a diversion to grab the attention and draw the fire of the bad guys, giving John, Kayce, and the others the opening to advance. John got what had to be immense satisfaction by shooting Malcolm Beck. He didn't shoot to kill straight off the bat, though; Malcolm had details about Tate that John needed. Eventually, Malcolm gave up Tate's location.
(Notably, although Malcolm was clearly circling the drain after taking a couple of shotgun blasts, he was last seen alive, with John stating that he would send a chopper to get him to the hospital. Could he still be alive?)
As dawn broke, Kayce and the rest made it into the house where Tate was, uncertain of what they would find. Somebody tried to stop Kayce from entering the room to reunite with Tate, saying that he wouldn't want to see his son "like this."
I have to give Yellowstone credit, because the show convinced me at this point that Tate had been killed.
Instead, Kayce found his son very much alive in a bathroom, although his head had been shaved. Heartbreakingly, Tate started screaming when Kayce approached him, and it took a few moments for Kayce to get through to his son that he was safe. The final shot of Tate featured him in Kayce's arms as they headed away from the carnage.
Tate is alive and back with his family, and the only physical cost was apparently a lost boot and shaved head. Unfortunately, the psychological trauma is undoubtedly going to impact the poor kid moving forward. I'd be lying if I said I didn't tear up a little bit when Tate couldn't stop screaming after he didn't recognize his dad. The Beck brothers may be gone, but what they did to Tate is going to last, and the Dutton boys can't just kick down doors and shoot bullets at this problem.
Fortunately, Yellowstone was renewed for Season 3 quite a while ago, so fans don't have to worry that the last they'll see of Tate is him looking broken and miserable. The bad news is that it'll be a while before Yellowstone is back on Paramount, so be sure to check out our fall TV premiere schedule for some shows you can watch during the wait for the third season.
