Paramount Network’s western series Yellowstone revolves around the family of John Dutton, as they fight to protect their massive ranch against land developers, rival ranchers, and political forces, while also dealing with family conflicts and moral dilemmas.

In Yellowstone, Piper Perabo plays Summer Higgins, an environmental activist. She appears for the first time in Season 4. Her dynamics with John Dutton is fascinating because theirs is not a straightforward love story, it is rather nuanced. Read on to know about Summer Higgins and John Dutton’s relationship.

What do we know about Summer Higgins and John Dutton’s relationship in Yellowstone?

Being an environmentalist, Summer strictly opposes industrialized farming and cannot overlook the impact of ranching on the environment. She is arrested for her protest and finds herself unexpectedly entangled in the case. This is when John Dutton helps with her release, in the process showcasing his influence before the elected governor of Montana.

Instead of the prison, Summer is given home incarceration at Dutton’s Ranch. A chemistry develops between Summer and John despite their conflicting ideologies. John represents tradition while she fights against it. John seems intrigued by her conviction and passion.

Summer Higgins becomes John Dutton’s love interest making her part of the family in Yellowstone

As Yellowstone progresses, Summer’s relationship with John Dutton grows. She becomes John’s environmental advisor and love interest. In the Dutton household, Beth initially finds it hard to accept Summer as her father’s love interest after losing her mother years ago. Summer becomes part of the drama in the house as she starts imposing her opinions, including her criticism about the consumption of meat by the Duttons.

Eventually, Summer and Beth come to terms with each other. In the finale of Season 5 Part 1 of Yellowstone, Summer reveals Jamie Dutton is planning to make John the governor.

In an interview with Variety, where Piper was asked if Summer would like to let go of Dutton’s family at some point, she said the Duttons are not different from any other normal family and Summer would not like to let go.

“John respects her, and so that gives her some standing, and she’s sort of friends with Gator (Gabriel Guilbeau). That’s about it. And so I think there’s a real desire for family that Summer can see. As fu*ked up as the Duttons are, everybody’s family is kind of fu*ked up. So I don’t think Summer wants to let go of what she’s found, because I’m not sure she has it anywhere else.”