In “Yellowstone,” workers on the Dutton ranch are taught a tough lesson in loyalty. It’s not just the cattle that are branded on this particular farmstead but also many of the employees and even a couple of family members.
This is because being branded by John Dutton (Kevin Costner) or Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) means that you can never leave the Dutton ranch again, at least not in a long-term sense. Furthermore, you’ll be expected to get your hands dirty in ways that your average ranch hand probably doesn’t need to worry about.
Before the present events of “Yellowstone,” there were only four men who fell into this category. Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith) is John’s oldest ranch hand and likely the first to be branded, but it is not known how the practice first began. Along with Lloyd, Rip and Kayce (Luke Grimes) are both branded as boys. Finally, there is Wade Morrow (Boots Southerland), who betrays the brand and eventually becomes an antagonist in the show.
Those who betray the brand rarely escape with their lives
Prior to this, John remarks several times that Wade has something of his that he needs back. This leads to one of the most grisly scenes in “Yellowstone,” when Rip orders Walker (Ryan Bingham), another branded ranch hand, to remove Wade’s brand as a test of his loyalty. Walker obliges and cuts the brand off of Wade’s chest before the rest of the bunkhouse members take their revenge, lynching Wade from a tree.
This is an especially pivotal moment in the series, as it leads to Teeter (Jennifer Landon), Ryan (Ian Bohen), Colby (Denim Richards), Jake (Jake Ream), and Ethan (Ethan Lee) all receiving their brands in exchange for being allowed to seek their vengeance. This covers all but one of the branded ranchers on “Yellowstone,” Jimmy Hurdstrom (Jefferson White), who received his brand in the very first episode of the series.
Though Jimmy is uniquely unsuited for ranch work, he still does his best on the Yellowstone cattle farm. In the end, though, he is ultimately sent to the 6666 ranch in Texas in hopes of finally getting his act together. He manages to do so successfully and, as such is granted a rare opportunity for a branded: the chance to leave. This, of course, also helps to set up the upcoming spin-off “6666,” in which Jimmy is expected to star. Still, with half a season of “Yellowstone” remaining, we could still see Jimmy return to honor the brand one final time.