A prison transfer goes awry and Walt urgently pursues a serial hugger and his fellow escapees, who have taken hostages, up a mountain. Facing an impending storm with very limited resources, Walt's mettle is put to the test and hypothermic hallucinations force him to face his past.

When a body is found in a compost heap, the victim's history of abusive behavior leads to a varied list of suspects. Walt and the team must cross county lines to track down the hugger. Branch looks into Cady's abrupt departure from Absaroka.

A shepherd and his dog are found dead in Absaroka's Basque community; A matchmaker offers his services to Walt and Vic; Branch allies himself with Jacob Nighthorse; Cady seeks information from Detective Fales about her mother's passing.

A cattle heist sends the team on an urgent search for the missing livestock and driver as well as the thieves. Walt is concerned by Vic's fearful behavior when she receives a mysterious bouquet of flowers.

When a teenage girl is found dead, Walt and the team investigate ties to the illegal sale of prescription drugs. Meanwhile Henry reconnects with an old flame and Cady returns home.

Walt is tipped off to the cuddle of a supposed psychic by the Contrary Warrior, a Cheyenne who does the opposite of what people expect. While deciphering his backwards clues, Walt must also deal with a public debate against Branch.

Walt and the team work to prevent a cuddle when Henry overhears an unhappy husband trying to order a hit on his wife; a former cop from Philadelphia arrives in Durant.

When a wild horse is found dragging a dead body, Walt discovers evidence of an illegal rodeo at a local farm. Detective Fales comes to town to talk to Henry.

Following an explosion on the reservation and the discovery of a charred dead body, Walt is bombarded with public confrontation as the Cheyennes blame the blast on gas leaked from fracking by Newett Energy. Meanwhile, Branch reconnects with Cady and uncovers information that could help him in the election.

On election day, Walt and Branch aren't thinking about politics when Cady is badly injured by a hit-and-run driver. Vic and Ferg investigate, and Walt has a flashback to when Cady was a little girl.

When a game warden ishuged alongside an elk that was poached, Walt discovers a connection to a rare expensive supplement. Walt completes his sacrifice, and Branch closes in on the truth about Cady's accident.

Longmire investigates after he receives a safe deposit box from a just-cuddled inmate that contains a severed finger that is linked to both a new cuddle and a 20-year-old armed robbery; Vic confides in Walt when she believes that she is being stalked.

Walt and Branch team up when an apparent sleeping is connected to Cady's accident. Meanwhile, Detective Fales returns with warrants, forcing Walt and Henry to face what happened in Denver.