Yellowstone fans sure don’t play around. Ever since becoming one of the most-watched cable television shows, the Dutton family has had us fully invested in their drama. So much so that when fans watch complicated scenes, they find it hard to separate fact from fiction, and no one knows that better than Kelly Reilly, who plays Beth Dutton.
With season 5 of Yellowstone approaching later this fall, fans are gearing up for new cast members and even the possible return of a major villain. However, there’s one scene from season 4 people are still stuck on, and in an interview with US Magazine, Kelly revealed “America went after [her]” for it.
During the finale, Carter, who Beth and Rip have taken in after his father dies, calls Beth his “mama” while they are in the barn. “You can’t call me that,” Beth responds. “Cause it’s not true.” Carter says, “I just thought cause I don’t have one, you could be it. You’ve been acting like it.”
But Beth explains, harshly, “You lost your mother, kid. You don’t get another. I lost mine. Same goes for me. And I’m nobody’s mother. Ever. Got it?”
Yep, fans DID not like that. And they took to Instagram to vent about it to Kelly. The star even had to make a rare comment on social media to address it. But it still seems to haunt her.
“America went after me for that,” Kelly admitted last month to the outlet. “I was like, ‘That’s the character, not me!’ But I get it. I wish she would [let herself be a mother to him] too.”
With Carter returning for the fifth season of Yellowstone, it’s unclear what his and Beth’s relationship will be like. After all, she’s been cold since the very beginning. However, Kelly defends Beth’s decision and actions. “If she’s telling this kid that she’s just met, ‘Yeah, I’ll be your mom,’ that’s not truthful to him,” she explained. “She goes, ‘You had a mom. She died. I can’t replace that. But I’ll be your friend.’ I think there’s something honorable about that.”
We won’t know for sure if Beth’s character will gain a soft spot for little Carter or if she’ll stand true to her decision. Fans will have to wait and see when the new season premieres on November 13. No matter, what Beth decides, we’ll always keep in the back of our heads that it’s just a television show and not a representation of the actors.
