In season three it came as a shocker that Jamie Dutton was adopted and John was not his biological father.
Jamie’s relationship with his family has always been rocky and learning that he was adopted only made things more complicated.
After discovering he is not a Dutton by blood, Jamie sets out looking for answers. He confronts his father about the topic and eventually meets his biological father as he discovers who he really is.
Jamie is surprised when he finds out his father is Garrett Randall, who just finished serving a 30-year sentence in jail for k*lling Jamie’s mother, Phyllis. It is a lot for Jamie to process, but he eventually forms a relationship with his biological father.
Why Did the Duttons Adopt Jamie?
After being sentenced to jail, Garrett hoped that his son would have a better life with a different family who could love him and provide for him.
The Duttons were a prominent family in the area, known for giving second chances to people who need them.
In addition, the Duttons knew the Randalls, as they had known Phyllis before she married Garrett. It is likely that John Dutton adopted Jamie since he knew the Randall family and wanted to protect Jamie from any further harm.
“When he married the woman who gave birth to you, we begged her not to do it because we knew,” said John in season three. “But I guess she thought she could save him. I don’t know how to explain the chemistry of attraction, the thing that drives us to k*ll ourselves.”
How Did the Duttons Know Jamie’s Mother?
In season three, John says that he knew Jamie’s mother Phyllis before she married Garrett Randall. However, there is very little information known about Phyllis and her relationship with the Duttons.
While there is not a lot we know about Phyllis and how she knew the Duttons, many fans have their theories.
Some believe that Phyllis was Evelyn’s sister, whereas others think that Phyllis could actually be a Dutton herself.
Since Phyllis’s maiden name has not been revealed, we don’t know who she truly is. However, it would make sense for the Duttons to adopt Jamie if his mother was somehow related to them.
Who are Jamie’s Biological Parents?
Jamie Dutton’s real parents are Garrett and Phyllis Randall, and originally Jamie went by the name Michael Randall. The Duttons adopted Jamie when he was only three months old and raised him as their own.
Jamie’s father struggled to make ends meet, and his mother struggled with a drug addict.
After coming home from work one day, Garrett was horrified to discover young Jamie crying and sucking on a crack pipe. Phyllis was not watching her baby as she was busy hooking up with another man.
Garrett became overwhelmed with anger that Jamie was put in such a dangerous situation. In an outburst of fury, Garrett m**dered Phyllis for putting Jamie’s life in danger.
Garrett spent 30 years in jail for m**dering Phyllis and Jamie spent that time being raised by John and Evelyn Dutton.
Upon being released from jail, Garrett tells Jamie that he k*lled his mother to save Jamie’s life.
Jamie and Garett Randall’s Relationship
After learning the truth about his heritage, Jamie meets Garrett. At the time Garrett is living on his own on a farm.
After some time, Garrett is able to bond with his son, expressing that he is proud of him. Eventually, Garrett even moves in with Jamie at his new home. Jamie even introduces him to his child and his child’s mother, Christina.
However, things go south when Jamie learns his father is behind the attacks on Beth, John and Kayce in season three. Garrett has a vendetta against John for his wife Phyliss and for John not standing up for him in court.
After Beth discovers the truth about who was behind the attack on the Duttons, she confronts Jamie.
Beth gives Jamie three options: she would report both Jamie and Garrett to the police, she would tell Rip that Garrett tried to k*ll her or Jamie himself could k*ll Garrett.
Jamie is overcome with emotion and begs Beth to change her mind. After she wouldn’t budge, he decided the only way out was to k*ll his father himself.
While on the ranch, Garrett tells Jamie he loves him while taking in the sites. Jamie then shoots Garrett in the head and k*lls him.
When taking Garrett’s corpse to the train station to dispose of it, Beth catches Jamie in the acting and takes a photo of Jamie holding his dad’s corpse as evidence flor blackmail.
Why Does John Dutton Not Love Jamie?
The main reason why John Dutton doesn’t love Jamie is their differing personality and views on many issues. They often argue, fight, and work against each other. Also, a potential reason why John doesn’t like Jamie is that he is not a true Dutton, but adopted.
Amid the dramatic scenes, John makes some poignant observations about his children. When Kayce (Luke Grimes) and Monica arrive at the ranch, John’s assistant, Clara (Lilli Kay), asks if Kayce is his youngest son, and John responds, “That’s my only son, Clara.”
John also has a dislike for Jamie because he ran against John’s pick for Attorney General. Jamie also revealed some dark secrets regarding Yellowstone Dutton Ranch in an interview to make his father look bad. However, Jamie ended up covering up the interview before it got out.
John has a close relationship with Beth and also dislikes Jamie for what he did to Beth.