TheactresstellsTheHollywoodReporterthatsheis“energized byherirreverence,danger,recklessness,butalsoherpain”inacandidinterviewabouthercharacteronthehitParamountNetworkseries.
ThelatestYellowstoneepisodecontainsasceneinwhichviewersarelikelyholdingtheirbreathwhilewatchingBethDutton.
It’snotthefirsttimethishashappenedonTaylorSheridan’shitneo-Westernsaga,buttheoperaticfeudbetweenDuttonsiblingsBeth(KellyReilly)andJamie(WesBentley)nearlyreachedatragicclimaxin“HorsesinHeaven.”
JamiecamethisclosetointentionallyrunningoverBethwithhiscarafterarelationship-alteringargumentinthefourthepisodeofthefifthseason,whichfollowsKevinCostner’sMontanacattlerancherJohnDuttonashebecomesMontanagovernor.
“IhavetheluxuryofsayingTaylorSheridan’swords,whichareweapons—sometimesprayers,sometimesscreams,”Reillysaysofherone-of-a-kindcharacteronthehitParamountNetworkshow.
“It’sdifficulttodescribeorsumupBeth.
Icouldgoonandonabouther.
She’seasilythemostintriguingcharacterI’veeverplayed.
Shecertainlytakesupalotofspaceinmymind.”
BethDuttonhascarvedanameforherselfintelevisionhistory.
GiventhetraumashebearsandthevengeancesheexactsforthebenefitofherfatherandtheYellowstoneranch,theDuttonfamily’sonlydaughterhasbeendescribedasruthlessyetunbreakable.
Reillyclaimsshewasdrawntothecharacterbecauseshehadneverreadanyonelikeherbefore.
“Complicated,um.”
“I’dprobablystartthere,”shesaysofherself.
“Ittookalongtimeformetoaccessherandfullyunderstandher,”shesays.
“Manyhoursbeforewestartedfilminginseasonone,IwouldjustbeonthephonewithTaylor,listeningtohim.”
Imusthavethreenotebooksfullofnotesabouthisperceptionofherandherhistory.”
Sheridan,whoisworkingonYellowstonespinoffsandprequels,iswell-versedintheDuttonfamilyandthefictionalworldhecreated,andReillysaysshegainedavisceralunderstandingofBethfromtheirconversationsandreadingthefirstfewepisodes.
“I’dneverreadacharacterlikeherbefore,andIwasenergized byherirreverence,danger,andrecklessness,aswellasherpain.”
“Hedrawsthatreallywell,”shesays.
“AndIknewthatinorderforhertoinhabitallofthat,forhertoresonateorcommandanykindofemotionalresponse,thosenoteshadtobeequalinher.”
Ithinkshe’satornado.
She’stheweather.
Andsomethingaboutherissounapologeticthatitmustbeafantasy,right?
Wecouldn’tgetawaywithspeakinglikeshedoesordoingsomeofthethingsshedoes.
Soit’saheightenedrealityof,“Wouldn’titbegreatifIcouldjustsaywhatIthinksometimes?”
Jamie’snearlyhit-and-runattackonBethisetchedintheDuttonsiblings’history.
ButthehatredresurfaceswhenBeth,whohasjustbeenarrestedforimpulsivelyandviolentlyassaultingawomanatabarforhittingonherhusbandRip(ColeHauser),isdrivenhomefromjailbyherAttorneyGeneralbrotherandnoticesatoddler’scarseatinJamie’scar.
WhileviewersareawarethatJamieisthefatherofayoungboy,hehaskeptthisinformationfromhisfamily.
AndthebetrayalenragesBeth,whowondershowfatecouldhavegivenhimasonafterwhathedidtoherwhentheywereteenagers.
“YouhadmywombremovedandGodgaveyouaboy?”
sheasks,hervoiceshakingwithrageandshock,recallinghow,asascaredandpregnantteen,sheturnedtoherbrotherforassistance,andhe,inturn,tookhertoahysterectomyclinicinsteadofanabortionclinic,andwithoutherconsent.
Bethhitsherbrotherinthecarandnearlyknocksthemofftheroad.
WhenJamietellsBeththattakinghertothatclinicishisgreatestregret,shepromisestodeprivehimoffatherhood:“Youcankiss[yourson]goodbye becausehe’sasgoodasgonethenexttimeyouseehim.”
That’swhenJamiegetsbackintothecarandletsoutascreamhe’sbeensuppressingsincehissisterbeganblackmailinghimoverhisseasonfourfinalechoice,inwhichhemurderedhisbiologicalfathertosavehimself.
HeaccelerateshiscartowardsBeth,gettingcloseenoughthatifshehadn’tsteppedasideatthelastsecond,hewouldhavehither.
“Bethdidn’thaveachoice,”ReillysaysofthetraumathathasdrivenBeth’shatredforherbrothersincetheshow’sinception.
“Thisisacharacterwhowasateenwhenshebecamepregnant,andshewasunabletoseekhelpfromherfather,andhermotherisnolongeralive.”
Shewasafraidofembarrassingordisappointingherfather,soshewenttoJamie,whomadeaterriblemistakebecausehedidn’twantwordofthehigh-rankingJohnDutton’s[daughterhavinganabortion]gettingout,sohetookhertoaplacewherenobodywouldknowaboutit,andshetrustedhimandmadeaterrible,awful,tragicmistake.”
Inseasonthree,theeventwasrevealedinflashbacks,finallyexplainingthelong-simmeringtensionbetweenthetwosiblings.
And,despitethefactthateveryonecanseetheirhatred,especiallyBeth’sforJamie,BethhasnevertoldanyonewhatJamiedid.
“Sheavoidsdiscussingwhathappenedforavarietyofreasons.”
“OneofthemwouldbesheknowsRipwouldkillhim,”Reillysays,delvingintoBeth’smind.
“Butit’snotjustthat.”
Somethingaboutthissecretisconnectedto[theirmother’sdeath].”
TheDuttonfamilymatriarch(playedbyGretchenMol)diedinahorseridingaccidentwhileoutwithayoungBethandherotherlivingbrother,Kayce,ashasalsobeenexploredinflashbacks(LukeGrimes).
Beth’smotherwrongfullyblamedBethforthehorsebuckingandthenfallingonhermother,andBethhasalwaysblamedherselfforhermother’sdeath.
“IactuallythinkJamieblamesBethfortheirmother’sdeath—andBethblamesherself,”Reillyexplains.
“But,moreimportantly,I’dsay[abouttheirrelationship],BethbelievesJamieisthegreatestpotentialthreattoherfather.”
He’salreadydemonstrateditseveraltimes.
Andifthere’sanythingworthkillingorremovingJamiefor,it’sifhethreatens—orre-threatens—herfatherandtheranch.”
Whenitcomesdowntoit,doesReillybelieveBethhaswhatittakestokillherbrother,asshehasthreatened?
“That’sagoodquestion;I’llthinkaboutit,”shesays.
“WhenI’minthedepthsofherhatred,rage,andpain,yes.”
Thatstrongandpainfulforher.
ButI’mnotsure.
Shehadthechancetodoit,butshedidn’t.”
ThecastofYellowstonehaspraisedSheridanforaddressingreal-worldissuesintheDuttonfamilydrama,andReillyemphasizes howBeth’sstory—whichisalsonowairinginapost-Roev.WadeAmerica—highlightsaharshrealityofwhatwashappeningtoNativewomeninthe1970sand1980s.
ShehopesthatbyexploringthecomplicatedtraumaBethisdealingwith,shewillfindsolaceinknowingthatherchoiceofbeingabletocarryachildwastakenawayfromher.
“ThetragedyinthisstoryformeisthathysterectomieswereperformedonyoungNativegirlsandwomenwhoweregoingintohavetheirtonsilsorappendixremoved.”
“Theywereforcedintosterilization withouttheirconsent,”sheclaims.
“ThishappenstoBeth,thisobviouslyprivilegedwhitegirl,butithappenstoNativewomenallthetime.”
Tayloremphasizes manyNativeAmericanandIndigenousstoriesandthemesintheshow,andheblamesitonBeth.
And,fromapsychologicalstandpoint,Bethbelievesitisunforgivable.
Andthefactthatitwasherbrotherwhomadethisdecision—whetheritwasoutofignorance,youth,stupidity,orsomethingdarker,wedon’tknow—Bethconsidersitahugebetrayal,andshe’snotonewhohascometotermswithit.”
