How Yellowstone Fans Really Feel About Walker And Beth
The combination of stunning Montana wilderness, neo-Western themes and good old-fashioned drama has helped "Yellowstone" grow into a record-smashing ratings beast. The occasional victories and countless woes of the Dutton family make for great TV, made all the more captivating by the fact that the show's array of amazing actors includes names like Kevin Costner.
"Yellowstone" is full of tragic characters, but few of them have it as rough as Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly). The sole female Dutton of her generation has gone through a great many ordeals, and tends to hide her inner turmoil behind a cool and collected front whenever possible. However, she's also discovered a kindred spirit in the equally tormented Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser), and is on comparatively good terms with her father John (Costner), so at least she has something going for her.
The show has occasionally teased that Beth might find a closer connection with ranch hand Walker (Ryan Bingham) than Rip. Though this potential story angle has been more or less dormant since the Rip-Beth relationship took over, it once again raises its head in the penultimate episode of Season 4, in which John considers kicking Beth out from the ranch, and she deals with her emotional turmoil with a custom-delivered sad song and a good cry ... courtesy of Walker.
While the Dutton family's internal tensions are nothing new for the show, fans have plenty of opinions about Beth's connection with Walker.
Fans aren't impressed with Walker and Beth as a potential couple
Seeing as Beth and Rip tend to top "Yellowstone" couple rankings, it's not exactly a surprise that fans have been less than impressed with a potential Walker and Beth romance. In a "Yellowstone"-themed Reddit discussion, many fans were quick to shoot down the couple's relationship potential.
Redditor u/Jalynt13 noted that the pair aren't exactly bad together, but there's little in the way of romance between them. "I loved the scene where he helped her to overcome her fear of riding horses. A couple, no. I'm all about Beth and Rip," they wrote. Others agreed, and dismissed the Season 4 Episode 9 moment as a one-off. "I think it was probably a one-time thing. I like Walker. But them together? No way. She belongs with Rip," u/TruthExists777 opined.
Elsewhere, fans expressed relief about the apparent burial of the Walker-Beth angle by the time "Yellowstone" Season 4 ends. "The whole week i been stressing bout what happens to rip and beth if walker gets in the way or if beth leaves and just like that it's a nonissue god bless," @rainbowslinky tweeted after the finale.
The negative fan reactions seem to be largely directed toward the romance aspect, instead of the characters themselves. After all, fans have praised their previous interactions, such as the horse-riding tutorial scene the pair shares on Season 1. "@RyanBingham portrayal of Walker is superb – a fab character," @sockdolager81 tweeted. "His seas 1 segment of Horse Riding w/ Beth was esp. well done!"
Future seasons will show whether the show intends to address this plot point. Still, if fans have any say in the matter, Beth and Walker are better off as friends — especially since she marries Rip in the season finale.