Wes Bentley Thinks Jamie's Yellowstone Showdown With Beth Will Go One Way, Fans Think It'll Go The Other
Branding, corporate takeovers, and politics all come together to make "Yellowstone" one of the most cutthroat series on television. From minute one, every member of the Dutton dynasty proves that they will do whatever is necessary to keep their way of life afloat. But in addition to the morally ambiguous practices the Montana family employs, there is nothing quite as vicious as sibling rivalry on the frontier, especially when one of those siblings is Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly).
The only female family member on the ranch, Beth has learned to set herself apart in more ways than one. After one traumatic experience with a horse that causes her mother's death, Beth is avidly against the cowboy lifestyle. Instead, she brings wit and — in her father's words — evilness to the table. In addition to destroying men on and off the ranch, the primary subject of her ire is her brother Jamie (Wes Bentley). While raised in the same household, the worst thing Jamie ever did creates a chasm between the two that can never be crossed. The simple violence of Season 1 has graduated to planned assassinations in Season 5. And at some point, one of them will have to end up on top. The question is, who?
Jamie can't let this opportunity go
Some wounds are too deep for time to heal. And as much as Jamie wishes that wasn't so, there is no repairing the rift between him and Beth. His childhood mistake of approving Beth's sterilization pitted the two against each other, and after years of resentment, it is finally coming to a head. With Jamie on the outside of the Dutton family, Beth tries to deliver a killing strike in the Season 5 midseason finale. She believes threatening Jamie with blackmail that he killed his father will put him in his place. But when Jamie reveals that he and every man serving the Duttons have used "the train station" as a dumping ground for bodies, there's no win to be had. Now Wes Bentley knows that Jamie has no choice but to kill Beth.
"I think he has to. There's an element of: This has to happen now because the play that's been made only allows for that. He knows this. They're gonna kill him now like he thought they would if he played the impeachment game," Bentley told Entertainment Weekly. He said, "[M]y move has to be asking for help killing her." Living in Jamie's skin for five years may put Bentley in his character's camp. But fans have other ideas about who would win the final contest.
Fans are putting their money on Beth
As much as killing Beth is the obvious play for Jamie, Wes Bentley admits to doubts that Jamie will carry out the act himself.
"I don't know if he could do it with his own hands," Bentley mused. "He did kill his own [birth] father, but Beth is closer to him than his father." He isn't the only one with reservations that Jamie will come out on top. Fans on Reddit were quick to remind everyone of Jamie's past making tough decisions. With his abilities in question, many Redditors considered what would happen if Jamie tried to kill Beth.
"He would instantly start crying and go to John crying and apologizing and saying he's not this man and not a murderer, and then rip would kill him," posted one user. Many posts remarked on Jamie's emotional tendencies, implying he didn't have the heart to kill his sister. U/Hairy_Combination586 pointed out that Beth would: "[taunt] him until he collapsed on the ground crying."
Others, such as u/MontanaJoev noted that Beth is so significant to the series that it seems unlikely Taylor Sheridan would ever kill off the fan-favorite character. "Beth has more plot armor than Batman. Ol girl survived a BOMB TO THE FACE," agreed u/meza2686. When looking back on the series, Beth is clearly favored. Not just by other characters but the fans and creatives behind the series. If Jamie ultimately wins over the Yellowstone Ranch, that would be the real twist.