There are plenty of aspects of “Yellowstone” that have become somewhat iconic over the show’s five seasons, but one of the most recognizable is the Dutton brand, which has been burned into the chests of several major and supporting characters. While some had it even before the events of the series, many more have accepted it since then for a variety of reasons, including salvation and vengeance.
However, the brand that “Yellowstone” fans might find the most baffling is the one received by Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes). A direct successor of John Dutton (Kevin Costner), Kayce already carried his father’s legacy within him, so why did the Dutton patriarch decide to inflict such horrific abuse on his son?
As dedicated fans might recall, the reason John brands Kayce is he doesn’t want his son to have a child with his partner, Monica (Kelsey Asbille). When Kayce goes against his father’s wishes, though, John decides to brand him to teach his son a hard lesson in loyalty to the family and the Dutton name.
John’s actions did a lot more harm than good
While it might seem a bit obvious to point out that such blatant abuse is probably not going to be good for a relationship, John’s branding of Kayce on “Yellowstone” is much more disastrous than he could have ever imagined. Directly because of his actions, his son’s emotions become somewhat stunted, and he leaves the ranch for years to join the military, only rarely speaking with his father.
This is likely why when John seeks to reconnect with Kayce’s branch of the family, he chooses to do so through his grandson, Tate (Brecken Merrill). After all, if Kayce and Monica had followed John’s wishes, Tate wouldn’t even exist. In this way, it seems like this is John’s way of admitting he was wrong to punish Kayce.
Still, as fans of “Yellowstone” will well know, the brand is for life. Only one character has had the brand removed over the course of the series, and anyone who recalls Wade Morrow’s (Boots Southerland) brutal final moments will probably not want to follow in his footsteps anytime soon. Meanwhile, John and Kayce have grown increasingly close throughout the series, and John has even bonded with Monica from time to time, suggesting that even an overreach as violent and unnecessary as John’s can at least be redeemed to some extent.