Why Yellowstone's Roarke Isn't Afraid Of The Duttons, According To Josh Holloway

Yellowstone Roarke Morris Josh Holloway Paramount Network

Yellowstone Roarke Morris Josh Holloway Paramount Network

(Image credit: Paramount Network)

Yellowstone is gearing up for its Season 3 finale, and Josh Holloway’s Roarke is heading for the center of it. The teaser trailer for this Sunday’s episode revealed Roarke and Dutton patriarch John Dutton finally coming face to face with each other, a development unleashed before the season even began. And if you think Roarke is not afraid of the Duttons, you would be correct.

Roarke has been working overtime along with Market Equities to get the Duttons’ land, even recruiting one of John’s old foes to do his bidding. Ahead of Yellowstone’s Season 3 finale, that threat is out of the way, and Wade Morrow is not the first one to fall at the Duttons’ hand.

When Season 3 began, Roarke came onto the scene fresh from the Duttons’ battle with the Beck brothers. They were both killed in Yellowstone’s previous finale after they orchestrated the kidnapping of Kayce Dutton’s son, Tate. Is Roarke a little nervous going up against the Duttons after what became of their last rival? Josh Holloway told me:

Uh, no. I think Roarke is a couple of levels above those guys. So, you know there’s a line in the script that says, ‘when they’re talking about too big to fail, they’re talking about us.’ So, we are another level. We’re the hammer. We’re like the steamroller you can’t stop, so he comes in kind of confident like this is just another deal. I fear that’s all going to change very soon. [laughs] Because I think Kevin Costner’s character told me ‘you know, you think you’re winning, but you’re about to learn the rules, boy.’ So, I fear I’ll be drug through the sagebrush soon enough.

Underestimating your nemesis may be the most dangerous move an opponent can make and, as Josh Holloway has said before, Roarke has made it. The high-flying hedge fund manager has been doing battle with Beth for most of Yellowstone Season 3. Now, he is about to meet the physical muscle.

Kayce Dutton may be out of the equation when it comes to Roarke in Season 3. His dad is another story. John Dutton has some intimidating body language in store for his adversary. So how much does Roarke know about how the Duttons have dealt with past their enemies? Is he unaware of everything that occurred before he arrived? Holloway told me:

Yes, they’re too confident in that way. Yes, I’m sure he knows that this is a tough character, and there’s been some incidents, but he is not worried about it, which he should be, he’s just not. And I, as an audience know cause I’ve been watching the show, I’m like ‘oh you better worry, sir.’ [laughs] But me playing the character, no, he’s not afraid, and you know he’s flirting with the wrong girl cause’ Rip is no angel. So, we’ll see. [laughs]

Roarke was flirting up a storm with Beth earlier this season. However, Beth has kept her fiancé and her father in the dark regarding the specifics with Roarke. John is about to learn all about him first-hand. Settle in folks, one of the Yellowstone face-offs you have been waiting for is almost here.

Find out what happens between Roarke and the Duttons when the Season 3 finale of Yellowstone airs tomorrow (Sunday, August 23) at 9 p.m. ET on Paramount Network. And after it airs, anticipate this fall’s premieres while you wait for Season 4.

Britt Lawrence

Like a contented Hallmark movie character, Britt happily lives in the same city she grew up in. Along with movies and television, she is passionate about competitive figure skating. She has been writing about entertainment for 5 years, and as you may suspect, still finds it as entertaining to do as when she began.