The secret behind Beth’s hatred of Jamie in Yellowstone could lead to one of season 5’s biggest feuds. Yellowstone is a modern-day Western in just about every respect, which is partly why it’s proven so popular. While John Dutton (Kevin Costner) and the other male characters might be stoic and emotionally reserved, Yellowstone’s most purely entertaining character is Kelly Reilly’s Beth. John’s only daughter is unfiltered in her thoughts and opinions and often spouts the best one-liners. That said, her relationship with ranch hand Rip (Cole Hauser) is one of the sweeter elements of the series.
Beth’s rivalry with brother Jamie (Wes Bentley) is another matter entirely. From Yellowstone’s first episode, her sheer contempt for Jamie was apparent, and she bullied and belittled him at every opportunity. It was eventually revealed in Yellowstone season 3 that when she was a teenager, she became pregnant by Rip. Terrified of her father finding out, she confided in Jamie to help her get an abortion. Jamie took her to a clinic on the Broken Rock Indian Reservation to keep it secret but kept the fact Beth would also be sterilized from her. Once she learned the truth, she could never forgive him.
Beth’s Secret Could Lead To A Rift Between Rip & John
While Beth later revealed this to John, she hasn’t told Rip the truth about her feud with Jamie. The duo got married during Yellowstone season 4, where she made it clear they could never have children of their own. This was never an issue for Rip, but the fact she hasn’t disclosed what happened when they were teenagers yet suggests the show is saving it for an important purpose. Of course, if John himself had learned back then that Rip got Beth pregnant, he either would have kicked him off the ranch – or taken him on a trip to the Train Station.
Whatever his response to the news that Beth had an abortion will be, Rip will almost certainly be furious that Jamie’s actions caused her so much pain. Yellowstone has often shown that Rip would do anything for the Duttons, down to committing multiple killings. If his fury over Beth’s secret turns murderous, he might just want to outright kill Jamie in revenge. This would lead to a feud between him and father figure John; the Dutton patriarch might have his own issues with Jamie, but he still considers him a son. He would then have to prevent his surrogate son from going after Jamie, which is destined to end poorly.
Will Jamie Survive Yellowstone Season 5?
Putting Rip’s potential reaction to Beth’s secret aside, it’s not like Jamie is short of enemies in Yellowstone. The fifth season took that to another level when Jamie – in his role as attorney general – called for the impeachment of his father as the Governor of Montana. This means battle lines have been drawn, and that Jamie and Beth now want each other dead. Again, that’s not something John himself would sign off on, but it does make Jamie’s chances of surviving the second half of season 5 more remote. With his latest power play, he might have finally sealed his fate.