Who died in Yellowstone Season 1 Episode 1? Explained

While Yellowstone was released on Paramount Network five years ago, CBS began broadcasting the neo-western drama on Sunday, September 17, 2023. This means that those who didn't have a Paramount subscription or who couldn't watch it back then can do so now.

As mentioned earlier, the first episode of the first season of the show hit CBS on September 17, 2023. Titled Daybreak, the episode was thrilling and engaging at best, albeit a couple of deaths did dampen the mood of viewers.

So, who died in Yellowstone season 1 episode 1? Lee Dutton, the eldest son of the Dutton family, and Robert Long, an ex-Army veteran were the fatalities seen in the first episode.

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The two deaths in the Yellowstone premiere episode set the tone of the series

Directed by Taylor Sheridan, episode 1 of Yellowstone starts with establishing the might of John Dutton, a Montana rancher, his family, and his four children.

Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), John’s very tough daughter comes first followed by Lee. The latter served as one of the Livestock Agents and was John’s right-hand in matters of the ranch.

Next up is Jamie (Wes Bentley), a lawyer who protects his family’s matters in court. He doesn’t really have the support and love of his father, which Lee enjoys.

Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) is the prodigal youngest son and a military veteran. He doesn’t stay with John but lives nearby on the Broken Rock reservation with his wife Monica and their son Tate.

In Daybreak, a developer Dan Jenkin wants to make a town named Paradise Valley adjacent to the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. For this, he needs to dam up the river, which will cause heavy damage to the residential grid. A defiant John shows his power and blows up the dam, inviting the wrath of the developers.

On the other hand, a few of his cattle stray off to the reservation where Kayce stays. The new head there, Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), refuses to permit their return. Miffed, John sends Lee and other Dutton ranch employees at night to bring the cattle back.

There, the Broken Rock Police were already prepped for combat, and a gunfight ensues. Eventually, Monica’s brother Robert, who worked for the police force, fatally shoots Lee in the neck.

In retaliation, Kayce, who did try to intervene and send the cattle back before the gunfight started, shoots Robert in the torso and then in the head. This entire fiasco effectively rolls the red carpet for the bloody conflicts between the reservation and Yellowstone.

Further, Kayce and Monica’s married life will take a solid hit since the latter is unaware of the circumstances that led to Robert’s demise.

Given this gist, it’s surely expected that the show will impress and leave all CBS viewers in a good shock throughout its run, as it did to all Paramount viewers.

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Will Yellowstone be censored at CBS?

CBS, along with ABC and NBC, is reportedly known as the more conservative network compared to the likes of Paramount, FX, and AMC. The channel has a reputation for being pretty icky about adult stuff on TV shows.

Yellowstone is inundated with such sequences, which may get snipped by the time the episodes are aired, reports analyzed. Picture this: When the series was initially broadcast on basic cable, its rating was TV-MA. The edited version for CBS stands at TV-14.

However, a channel executive told Country Living that the changes made are “minor,” and that they have preserved “the integrity of the original series.”

Yellowstone returns on September 24 at 8 pm ET on CBS.