Taylor Sheridan wastes precious time before the series finale

Spoiler alert: The following article contains spoilers for yellow stone Season 5, Episode 10, ‘The Apocalypse of Change’.

With just a few episodes left before yellow stone comes to an end, Season 5, Episode 10 does little to advance the show’s final story, wasting precious time with flashbacks. At least the scenes in question appear to be flashbacks. Taylor Sheridan’s wildly popular neo-Western drama is set to end after the fifth season finale (unless reports about yellow stone season 6 are true). So it stands to reason that every second counts, but you wouldn’t be able to tell while watching “The Apocalypse of Change.”

Of course, the second episode of yellow stone Season 5, part 2 isn’t all bad. The hour contains some intriguing moments important to story and character development, especially regarding Kayce (and a little bit Beth and Jamie). Ultimately, however, yellow stone episode 10 is mostly a snoozefest with only a handful of seemingly significant scenes.

The First Half of Yellowstone Season 5 Episode 10 Is Confusing

The timeline of the story is unclear

When yellow stone Season 5, Episode 10 opens, we are taken back to Rip and the other ranch hands’ transport of cattle and horses to Texas (more specifically, the Four Sixes Ranch). At first, it’s unclear when this scene with Teeter and the rattlesnake takes place. Is it a flashback or is Rip back on the road for some reason? As time passes, the confusion disappears a little, especially when Beth arrives to surprise her husband and doesn’t mention John’s death or seem all that disturbed. However, it takes almost 20 minutes to reach this conclusion, making the first half of the episode confusing.

It would have been easy for the yellow stone editors add a “one month ago” disclaimer at the beginning of the episode or “one month later” when returning to the present day. Instead, we are left to our own devices. We need to know the timeline of an episode from the beginning, otherwise, we become less focused on the scenes and their meaning and spend more time trying to figure out when they happen in the episode.

Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 10 Fails to Progress the Story

Fans can skip “The Apocalypse of Change”

Not only is the timeline intriguing in episode 10, but the first half is also unnecessary. The division yellow stone The flashbacks in season 5, part 2 do not advance the show’s story at all. Yes, maybe the rattlesnakes and Beth and Rip’s encounter in Texas are symbolic of what’s happening in Montana. However, spending so much time to present metaphors and symbols is just a waste of time, especially when there are only four more episodes left after “The Apocalypse of Change.”

Additionally, many will try to understand the timeline of the hour rather than dissect the meaning behind the rattlesnakes or Beth and Rip’s encounter. The first half of “The Apocalypse of Change” may make more sense on a second viewing. But for now, the flashbacks are just getting in the way of the impending war between Beth and Jamie. With the end of yellow stone around the corner, every second is precious.

What Worked in Yellowstone Season 5 Episode 10

The episode made the most of Kayce’s screen time

Although the first quarter is frustrating and confusing, the second half contains some important scenes. “The Apocalypse of Change” ends Summer’s story, which is necessary, but it’s also nice that the episode doesn’t focus too much on the secondary character. The episode also gives Beth confirmation that Jamie and Sarah are behind John’s death. Now the real war between the Dutton brothers can begin. However, the most memorable part of episode 10 concerns Kayce.

Kayce has always been the most passive of the Dutton brothers. With the death of his father, however, Kayce is ready to take action and be by Beth’s side when she faces Jamie. The scene between Kayce and Tate is also significant, as Kayce gives her son a choice regarding his future. Their conversation led me to believe that Tate (and probably Kayce) will not take over Yellowstone Ranch, leaving the responsibility in the hands of Beth and Rip. However, yellow stone Season 5 Episode 10 can be skipped, as its rare key moments can easily be recapped in Episode 11’s “previously on” segment.