A new wrinkle in John’s murder investigation arises

Yellowstone‘s final season has taken place in two different timelines: before John’s death and after the tragic death of the Dutton patriarch. Its third episode, titled “Three Fifty-Three”, continues the trend and starts with a flashback to the former.

Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser) end their romantic tryst in Texas, while Kayce (Luke Grimes), Monica (Kelsey Asbille) and Tate (Breckin Merrill) enjoy their new home on the ranch. Aside from Beth’s sadness at having to leave her husband in the Lone Star State, life is pretty good for the Dutton siblings. But that’s all about to change.

It turns out that these happy moments are the last leading up to their father’s murder; in fact, the next scene offers a front-row seat to what actually happened in the governor’s mansion that fateful night. Three men dressed in black cut the power to John’s property before entering his bedroom and knocking him unconscious. They drag his limp body to the bathroom, plant a bottle of oxycodone in his medicine cabinet, and inject a needle between his toes. The professionals carefully place a gun in his hand, put the barrel against his temple and pull the trigger.

Just as John hits the floor, Beth – who is on her way back to Montana – is struck by an unshakable feeling that something terrible has happened. She immediately stops and calls Rip to make sure her husband is okay. Kayce is eerily struck by a similar feeling as she lies wide awake in bed next to Monica in a cold sweat. As his phone rings, the opening credits roll.

Back in the present, Governor Dutton’s temporary replacement wastes no time reversing John’s orders. After he performs the ceremony, he, Jamie (Wes Bentley), Lynelle (Wendy Moniz) and John’s loyal assistant Clara (Lilli Kay) meet in his office. The latter two are quickly put off by the aggressive, greedy and heartless nature of the men wanting to move forward with regards to the ranch’s doomed future.

The new governor offers Clara a job, which she gladly accepts. But it takes about a minute for her to get sick of his unpleasant side, causing her to ultimately turn down the position. After the meeting, Clara and Lynelle begin to plan their own strategy. Lynelle offers to hire Clara, then not-so-subtly suggests that she leak the sensitive information that was just shared with those in the new governor’s office.

Meanwhile, Kayce meets with the coroner to dig deeper into the report of John’s death. The coroner insists her findings are accurate and that Dutton died by his own hand. But the persistent livestock commissioner urges her to take another look, even calling on her old military skills to strangle one of her assistants and prove his murder theory. The examiner quickly discovers clear signs that John has been restrained before his death. She changes the reason to “undetermined” and apologizes to Kayce.

He brings this fresh intelligence to the lead detective on the case, who shows him the murder weapon. It turns out the gun belongs to Kayce and was apparently stolen from the Livestock Commission office. Kayce suggests that the detective make a statement immediately to flush out whoever ordered the hit on John.

His dogged search for answers then brings him to the Attorney General’s office. He escorts Jamie’s assistant to prevent her from calling security, then slams his brother into his desk. Jamie begs and pleads, insisting that he had nothing to do with their father’s death. But unlike his confrontation with Beth last week, he gives a very convincing performance, looking Kayce in the eye the whole time. Jamie claims he’s trying to protect the ranch, but tells Kayce they need to sell some of it so they don’t risk losing it all. The sinister public prosecutor’s silver tongue saves him – for now.

We then catch up with Market Equities weasel Ellis Steele and his nefarious sidekick Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri). They are at a lunch meeting, assuring their clients that plans to turn Dutton’s land into a tourist attraction airport are back on track. But Atwood’s smug smile quickly fades when she spies a nearby television broadcasting a live press conference. She can’t hear the news, but the ticker headline of John Dutton’s death is now being investigated as a homicide says it all. The mystery man Atwood hired for the hit also sees the report, prompting him to immediately make a call.

Back in the capital, the new governor is about to address the assembly. Before going behind the podium to vote on revoking John’s orders, he shares some concerns with Jamie. Given the new wrinkle in the investigation, he fears they will look complicit by supporting Market Equities. Still, he goes ahead with the plans and takes a vote that ultimately favors his and Jamie’s wishes. He also catches Jamie off guard and suggests that the AG recuse himself from the investigation because of his relationship with the deceased.

By this time, Kayce has made it back to the ranch, where Beth is watching all of this unfold on television. In a rare moment of vulnerability, she admits they are out of sorts. They have no choice but to sell off at least part of their beloved property. Of course, even in the worst of times, the fiery Dutton daughter never loses her spunk. When Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) arrives to offer his deepest sympathies and any help he can give, she follows a tearful, “There’s no way to save this place” with “One day there will be a Costco where the barn is .” Beth hasn’t completely given up, but we’ve never seen her against the ropes like this.

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As Beth and Rainwater discuss potential strategies to save at least some of the land they hold so dear—albeit for different reasons—Kayce has a heart-to-heart with Mo (Moses Bring Plenty), Kayce fears that he must choose between his family and saving the ranch, a fear Monica expressed to Tate last week. Mo comforts him in his typical cryptic way, suggesting that he knows exactly what to do when the time comes.

Sarah could also use a meditative moment with Mo, as the hard-working lawyer spirals in the wake of news of John’s death, which is being investigated as a murder. She quickly drives to the nearest mobile phone shop, where she berates the salesperson before buying a burner. She then races home, frantically punches in a number she has stashed away in her purse, and proceeds to take a hammer to the phone when it is revealed that the line is not working.

Her meltdown is interrupted by an angry Jamie, who immediately unloads on her. The verbal sparring quickly turns physical, and the two end up punching each other in the face. Between sips of Ketel One, she tells him that he has nothing to worry about – she accepted all the risks of planning John’s murder and ensured that Jamie could not be tied to the crime in any way.

She soon storms out, but her phone starts buzzing before her Range Rover reaches the end of the block. It’s Jamie apologizing. As the dysfunctional couple sort of make up, Sarah once again convinces Jamie to trust her. However, their conversation is interrupted when a couple pulls up next to Sarah and asks for directions. As the woman driving calls for help, the man in the passenger seat acts as if he recognizes Sarah. With her identity confirmed, he whips out a gun and fires a shot into her head and several into her chest.

On the other end of the line, Jamie is screaming for Sarah. Sobbing, he calls 911. But as he repeatedly yells “My number, my number!”, he seems less concerned about his girlfriend’s fate than the fact that his number is now recorded as her last call. As he sobs into his hands and the 911 dispatcher asks what his emergency is, the third episode ofYellowstone‘s fifth season draws to a suspenseful close.