Yellowstone Explained: What Does It Mean To Receive The ...

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Yellowstone airs on The Paramount Network and the Western melodrama will be returning for a fourth season in the Fall. The series continues to follow John Dutton (played by Kevin Costner) as he and his family protect their beloved Yellowstone Dutton Ranch from development. Some of the ranch workers received the Yellowstone brand and fans are keen to know what this mark resembles.

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What does the Yellowstone brand actually mean?

Yellowstone follows the Dutton family as they try to protect their ranch from developers and investors.

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The dysfunctional family also face internal battles as tragic events from the past start to rear their heads.

John Dutton is known for giving people a second chance in life if they believe they are truly deserving.

One of which is ranch hand Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser), whom John rescued when he was a child.

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Rip had experienced a traumatic childhood as he witnessed his father murdering his mother.

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Yellowstone: Rip Wheeler with the branding iron (Image: PARAMOUNT NETWORK)

Yellowstone: Jimmy got the brand (Image: PARAMOUNT NETWORK)

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John ended up adopting Rip and he started work on the Yellowstone ranch, falling in love with John's daughter Beth (Kelly Reilly).

In order to work on the ranch, Rip took a branding iron to the chest and he was marked with the iconic Yellowstone symbol.

This mark proves he is willing to accept a second chance after he killed his father.

Rip went on to brand other workers in the series and fans are keen to know what the brand really represents.

Taking to Reddit, one fan said: "What does the brand mean exactly? I get that it means they are now within the inner circle of the Dutton ranch.

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Yellowstone: Rip gave Jimmy the brand (Image: PARAMOUNT NETWORK)

"But once branded, can they ever leave the ranch? Are the younger folks (Colby, Jimmy or the crazy girl who is hard to understand) planning on never getting married or having kids?"

The Yellowstone mark offers those who wear it a chance to redeem themselves and demonstrate their loyalty.

Another fan explained: "The brand is not for the inner circle of the ranch, per se. It is basically for criminals given a second chance to demonstrate their loyalty to the ranch.

"They will have the ranch's back, and the ranch will have their back.

"Many of the ranch hands did not have the brand, but then a bunch of them got it all at once because they crossed the line into criminal behaviour for the ranch, so they essentially took the plunge.

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Yellowstone: Beth in front of the Yellowstone symbol (Image: PARAMOUNT NETWORK)

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"But like, Jimmy got it before even going to the ranch, because he's an O.G. like Rip."

Another viewer went into more detail about what the brand means for each of the characters in the series.

They added: "When hands like Lloyd, Jimmy and Walker get the brand, it shows their commitment to John for giving them a second chance.

"And for the hands, they show thanks for getting that second chance by being loyal to Yellowstone.

"Hands like Ryan, Colby, Jake, Teeter, and Ethan....they committed a crime for Yellowstone. So they now know a secret, that could be the end of Yellowstone.

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"And by being branded it shows their tie to Yellowstone. And with Kayce, he disobeyed John, by not taking Monica to get an abortion.

"Pretty sure John doesn't have the brand, I feel like we've seen him bare-chested.

"Lee, and Jaime most likely don't have it. Although I am shocked Jaime didn't have to get it after he told John about talking to the reporter."

Many fans believe the brand means those who wear it cannot leave the ranch at all.

Another fan added: "The reason why they choose criminals is cause if they try to rat on the ranch especially one like Walker would’ve done, who would they believe.

"A convicted felon or an owner of a ranch with a reputation that proceeds the town, and the brand doesn’t mean just loyalty to the ranch and the Duttons, it means willing to step past those boundaries and defend them, with their lives and take out the opposing force, lethally or none-lethally.

"Just make sure that the problems are far away from Montana."

Yellowstone airs on The Paramount Network, with season 4 out in the Fall 2021.

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