Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler Order Mass Cattle Slaughter After Foot‑and‑Mouth Outbreak

Foot‑and‑mouth disease spreads to the entire herd at the Dutton Ranch after a newly purchased bull is identified as the source. Rip Wheeler and Beth Dutton decide the only way to stop the virus from reaching the community is to cull the infected cattle, a scene described by the characters as a “funeral” for the herd.

The episode also follows personal drama: Beth discovers Carter in bed with Oreana Jackson, Beulah’s granddaughter, and warns Oreana that any harm to Carter will bring retribution. Beulah retaliates by confiscating Oreana’s car and credit cards and assigning a bodyguard. Meanwhile, veterinarian Everett McKinney is lured to the Jackson ranch under false pretenses, revealing a lingering past with Beulah. Beth investigates the paperwork on the bull and uncovers that the broker falsified veterinary records, suggesting sabotage.

Carter, unable to find work because he lacks a horse, is hired by a ranch hand named Dwight for manual labor, where he meets Dwight’s African leopard, Xena. The episode ends with the Duttons facing a destroyed herd, strained alliances, and the prospect of further conflict with the Jackson family.