There is one compelling character from Yellowstone that has been the subject of immense vilification, but their presence makes the show better.
Yellowstone is filled with divisive characters, who have all engaged in wholly inappropriate actions. Nearly every member of the Dutton family has blackmailed, threatened, and been involved in outright murder in the hopes of protecting their family’s wealth through the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. The brutal behaviors exhibited by every major character can only be alienating for casual audiences and have sparked an extensive backlash against characters like the divisive Jamie Dutton.
However, Jamie is not the only character that can be divisive among audiences. Beth Dutton, the daughter of John and Evelyn, has earned criticism over the years. Yet, while Beth makes constant mistakes and regularly lashes out against anyone who could pose even a slight threat to her, that complexity has made her a compelling and incredible character within the Yellowstone universe.
Beth Dutton Has Become a Controversial Character
As an emotional character who regularly lashes out against those who love her, it can be easy to set Beth aside as a repetitive and irritating person. Kelly Reilly plays the wealthy and vindictive Beth; even Beth’s actor has admittedly criticized her direction in the show. Beth often reacts to crises impulsively and rarely manages to regulate her emotions or harsh reactions to the behaviors of others. Her impulsive behaviors contributed to Jamie’s willingness to turn against the Dutton family, as she downright threatened to murder his child.
Beth also swings through different moods with little prompting, which can make her appear to be an irrational and incomprehensible character. In a show that focuses on politics, personal conflict, and drama, irrationality can present a serious problem for any character. Beth is extremely flawed, and her behavior has contributed to the slow decline of the Dutton family’s security and influence in Montana politics. With Jamie working against John and the rest of the family, the future of the Duttons looks bleak. Part of their decline can be directly tied to Beth’s decision to antagonize anyone who could stand against her family.
Beth is a Uniquely Complex Protagonist
Beth is an extremely flawed character, but her flaws are the very things that make her interesting. It can be easy to make characters perfect, but Beth is fascinating because she never relies entirely on rationality. The Duttons have all done terrible things, and Beth has her own unique horrific behaviors that have set the Duttons apart. Though she spent time working for Bob Schwartz, she ruthlessly took as much land from him as she could just to have a petty show of revenge. She tried to enslave her own brother after pressuring him to kill his father. It is abhorrent behavior, but those behaviors are still genuinely fascinating.
Not many characters in Yellowstone are presented like Beth, but Yellowstone is not alone in that. There is a growing trope among strong female characters that they cannot be flawed and are perfect because of their good decision-making, resilience, and excellent physical performances. Beth, meanwhile, is a brilliant financial worker with considerable wealth and resources, and she even has a husband who has stood beside her for decades. Yet, despite those positive traits, she is impulsive, thoughtless, and terribly ruthless. She never hesitates to cause horrific fates for those around her, and she never thinks especially far ahead.
Her ruthlessness is not a unique trait among Duttons, but it is somewhat unique for women on TV. The best-written women characters always have flaws and imperfections, but few female protagonists are portrayed as negatively as Beth, and that can make them less compelling. Men have negative representation through Breaking Bad, House, The Boys, and countless other shows. Women have fewer opportunities to see realistic depictions of relatable characters. Beth often feels like a real person with impulsive desires, and severe flaws. She can make mistakes, and that exact trait is what makes her such a compelling character. If not for those flaws, Yellowstone would not be as interesting, and neither would Beth.
Beth Doesn’t Need To Be Perfect
If Beth responded rationally in every instance, she would be a dry and robotic character. Yellowstone is a popular drama show, and it is the drama that makes it interesting. Jamie’s decision to have Beth sterilized may have been a moment of panic, but it was a decision that stole Beth’s autonomy and changed her life forever. She could have responded perfectly to that — by considering Jamie’s response and stating her perspective rationally and carefully — but a perfect response is not good television. It would take away the secret that poisoned Jamie and Beth’s relationship, and it would ruin the dynamic that has been driving the show’s entire plot.
Beth having flaws make her a compelling character. Without the ability to make rash mistakes, there would be nothing setting her apart from the rest of the cast. Her existence can also serve to reward audiences who have been searching for a divisive and flawed female character. Flaws make characters interesting, and Beth’s flaws make her a strong character who can still have serious issues holding her back. They make her more relatable, more compelling, and more capable of serving as a driving force in a show filled with characters who commit horrific actions. No Dutton is entirely blameless or perfect, and that is why Yellowstone is such an interesting show.
Yellowstone is Filled with Complexity
Yellowstone stands out among most shows because of how flawed and complex its characters typically are. Jamie is one example, as his toxicity directly drove the entire plot of Yellowstone’s final season. His scheming against John Dutton is driven by his deep-seated insecurities, petty jealousy, and unending spite. Even the likable Kayce Dutton is flawed enough that his indecisiveness caused Lee Dutton’s death. The entire family is filled with characters who engage in poor decision-making that causes long-term and devastating problems.Yellowstone’s various spin-offs have even proven that the flaws and mistakes happen to be a generational issue, as Dutton’s greed has dominated Montana’s politics for over 100 years.
Many Duttons care about their family, but they fail to extend empathy beyond that select group. That, too, is a trait that Beth shares. This can result in seemingly thoughtless and inconsistent behavior when it is the result of a desire to see familial supremacy over all other ranchers and communities. Characters can even try to do the right thing, as Kayce did by standing by the Broken Rock Reservation when the Duttons seemingly invaded their land, and those actions often lead to horrible consequences. For Kayce, that meant Lee’s death. For Jamie a rash decision meant to help his sister caused Beth to lose her ability to have future children. It creates a complex web of conflicts that only makes the show more engaging.
While Beth has earned criticism for her flaws, they are the very issues that make her an interesting character. Beth is often cruel, rash, and divisive, and that is what makes Yellowstone so great. Even those who dislike her character should still consider the benefits that the character brings to the show. Without her, there would not be nearly as many conflicts that set the show apart from other Neo-Westerns. Flaws are the entire reason Yellowstone works, and Beth exemplifies that quality.
