In the modern era of cable television, nothing is - or has ever been - bigger than Yellowstone. Created by mega-producer Taylor Sheridan, the western centered on the Dutton family had somewhat humble beginnings as a drama produced for the Paramount Network before exploding in popularity. Recently, with Yellowstone season 5 finale in the books, the show is over. What comes next? We'll have to see, but looking back, what was the best episode of the show? There is a definitive answer, at least according to IMDB.

According to the measured grades of IMDBno episode ranked higher than Half Money. The episode served as "Yellowstone" season 4 premiere.first broadcast on November 7, 2021. Written by Sheridan himself and directed by Stephen Kay, it kicked off the show's fourth season with an absolute bang.

The episode sees Dutton's coordinated attack continue as everyone searches to see who is responsible. The episode really puts the Dutton family on their heels, with John nearly killed and Beth having to take care of him after he gets out of the hospital. There's an awful lot going on, a lot of preparation for the future, and it's a great way to start a television season. It probably didn't hurt matters that viewers were rewarded for their patience after the season 3 finale.

"Everybody's got a gun in their hand and everybody's got somebody they're going to kill right off the bat," explained Ryan Bingham, who plays Walker on the show. featurette breakdown of the episode. "This is another level.

Another big thing this episode did was introduce Tim McGraw as JD Dutton. who would later go on to appear in the prequel series 1883. This provided an important bit of additional history for longtime viewers, in addition to all the action today. In the same film, Sheridan discussed looking back in the episode, seeing it as a unique opportunity not just for Yellowstone, but for TV in general.

"There is a unique opportunity that we have not seen before. We can research a family generationally... It's an opportunity to see the seed of this ranch and give an accurate picture of what life was like for both the Duttons and the Native Americans in that region. It was fascinating for me to show how far we've come, and how far we haven't come."

Many viewers would will probably tell you that Yellowstone lost its way a bit in Season 5. Whether it was Costner's unceremonious exit that forced some pretty crazy creative decisions, or just a show that was a bit past its prime, it just never got better after this episode. But every show has a peak and this was a pretty high peak, as far as the fans are concerned.

"Yellowstone" is streaming now on Peacock, or you can grab the show on Blu-ray/DVD via Amazon.