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‘Yellowstone’ Cast Breaks Down Why That Insane Beating Rip Gave Lloyd ‘Had to Happen’

There’s one rule on Yellowstone: No fighting in the bunkhouse. Season 4, Episode 4 shows exactly why – and what happens if there is.

“You wanna f***ing dance, old man?”

Walker has been “twisting the knife” into Lloyd for a while now. This musical snake-in-the-grass isn’t a gracious winner. He’s the opposite, and he’s making sure Lloyd suffers every minute he continues to shack up with Laramie.

But it’s the line above that finally sends things off the rails. In Yellowstone Season 4, Episode 4, “Winning or Learning,” Walker attempts to give Lloyd some of the stew Teeter’s cooking. After weeks of torment from the young whipper-snapper, Lloyd’s not interested in having anything Walker’s offering. Walker takes this personally, throwing his spoon down as he threatens Lloyd. And for the first time, we see what a knock-down, drag-out fight inside the bunkhouse looks like.

Lloyd throws the first kick, knocking Walker across the room. The cowboys go at it hard, and it’s not long before an enraged Rip Wheeler hears the commotion.

“God damn you for making me do this, Lloyd,” Rip tells his mentor and close friend. What follows is a scene Yellowstone fans thought they’d never see: Rip Wheeler beating the ever-loving daylights out of Lloyd Pierce.

Season 3 and 4 give us plenty of reasons for Walker to receive this beating over Lloyd. But as the Yellowstone cast breaks down, there’s a reason why it had to be Lloyd. There was no other way.

‘Yellowstone’ Cast Explains Why Lloyd Had to Take Rip’s Beating

“Rip showing up and only beating up Lloyd, I feel like… Lloyd, when Rip is gone, is supposed to be the anchor of the Bunkhouse,” Colby’s Denim Richards explains. “Walker’s already been the wildcard. He’s already shown that he doesn’t listen.”

As Richards pinpoints, if the bunkhouse “all sees that Lloyd can do that without any repercussions… Then what’s going to keep anybody else from just doing whatever they want?”

As much as Rip hates to do it (and you can feel it in Cole Hauser’s performance), he has to make an example of Lloyd. And make an example he did.

“Rip also has the most loyalty to Lloyd,” Jimmy’s Jefferson White adds. “Lloyd has the most responsibility, too. So the consequences of betraying that loyalty are that much higher.”

Regardless, man does it hurt to see Lloyd receive the full brunt of Rip’s wrath. The scene is handled perfectly. Thankfully, Rip follows his horrific beating of Lloyd by making sure Walker knows how much he loathes him, and what he just made him do, too. So here’s to hoping Yellowstone Season 4 finally gives Walker the beating he deserves- and that it comes directly from one Rip Wheeler.

Denim Richards takes us to school with a lesson in “Bethonomics 101.” Yellowstone airs Sundays at 8/7c on Paramount Network, in partnership with Ram Trucks.

Paramount Network