'Yellowstone' season 2: John Dutton's daughter Beth is fiercely loyal but dysfunctional and it's a flaw she wears proudly
Towards the end of the second episode of the second season of Paramount Network's flagship show 'Yellowstone', Beth Dutton (played by Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (played by Cole Hauser) have a heart to heart talk. They reminisce about meeting each other for the first time and how they have come a long way since that day. They also talk about John Dutton (played by Kevin Costner), reflecting upon him as a father.
At this point in the series, Rip is broken and while it is very out of character for him to say out loud his innermost thoughts, Beth gets it. We know this because, despite her attitude, it serves little in plugging the clearly visible emotional wounds within her which serve her both as a source of strength and weakness. She has emerged as one of the show's most fascinating characters and as we analyze her relations and her standing in the show we find that she is in many ways John's true likeness.
Earlier in the episode, John, in a bid to ensure that he successfully hands over the ranch to his son Kayce (played by Luke Grimes), asks [in a very John Dutton way, which is not exactly asking] Rip to stir up things at the ranch. So Rip, being a loyal faithful dog to Dutton Sr, goes straight to stir things up with Walker, who had almost quit working at Yellowstone. After a fistfight where Rip loses, Kayce announces "There is no fighting on this ranch. You wanna fight, come fight me" – in a way, finally announcing his arrival as the Dutton heir on the Yellowstone ranch.
But Kayce couldn't be any less certain about his role on the ranch. He has spent a long time away from the Dutton ranch and his father.
On the other hand, everything about the ranch comes almost naturally to Beth. She is ready to do anything it would take to save the ranch, live up to her father's expectation and pass on the legacy of Yellowstone. She is dedicated to not just the cause of the ranch but also shows fierce loyalty to her father, who is a driving force for her. Beth is also a favorite of John's – he loves her and is perhaps the only child he shows any amount of affection towards.
John's dearest, however, is driven by alcohol, rage, and substance. And when the manipulative Beth, who also isn't exactly fond of Jamie, isn't making sure daddy's business is working fluidly, she has an on-again-off-again affair with Rip.
Beth may be dysfunctional but she sports this flaw proudly. Having lost her mother to a freak accident at a young age and having to hear Jamie go on about it and blame her for their mother's death irritates her to no end. However, Beth subconsciously blames herself for the untimely passing of their mother.
That said, Beth is a force to reckon with. She has grown up with cowboys and men all around her all the time and she has learned to toughen up the right way. A powerful woman who isn't afraid to go after what she wants and do everything to get it is what makes Beth who she is. Foul-mouthed and unabashed, Reilly's portrayal of Beth is fascinating to watch. We miss her when she is not on the screen.