'Yellowstone' Season 4: Three reasons why Jamie Dutton did not plan the deadly attack on John, Beth and Kayce
Spoilers for 'Yellowstone' Season 3 Episode 10 'The World is Purple'
'Yellowstone' concluded its Season 3 after a rather slow run. The third season essentially saw the Dutton family confronted with the truth about themselves - each character had been either nursing secrets which when exposed, landed them in unknown waters. Throughout this season, the major characters were all driven by their secrets - either to protect them or grapple with reality upon their revelations.
In the finale episode, the Dutton family is brutally attacked and it would be a miracle if they survive. Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) was sent a bomb to her office. Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) was also attacked in his office by gunmen. And lastly, John Dutton (Kevin Costner) was caught on the side of the road and shot multiple times by gunmen. Towards the end of the episode, the fate of these characters is unknown (obviously) but it has left fans doing all the guesswork related to who is really behind the attacks.
It is Jamie Dutton's (Wes Bentley) mysterious past that upon exposure sends him hurrying to find out the truth about himself. And has left many fans to theorize that it could be him who planned it. "Jamie orchestrated the killings," one viewer said on Reddit. "Jamie joined forces with Roarke," another chimed in. And soon enough, more and more fans jumped on the bandwagon that it was indeed him.
But we're thinking it wasn't Jamie at all. Here's why.
It is out of character
If there is something we can all agree on, it is that Jamie is a sneaky, clever, conniving lawyer. Regardless of how the rest of the Duttons treat him, as a lawyer (and now the Attorney General), Jamie knows what he is doing. Why would he throw John and Beth under the bus during the meeting only to have them killed later on? Add to that the fact that the attacks seem to be a rushed job that seems to be more like Roarke Morris' (Josh Holloway) character. He was also warned by Willa Hayes (Karen Pittman) to resort to harsher methods to acquire the land.
Why will Jamie kill Kayce?
Jamie might not have a half-decent relationship with John or his sister Beth, but if there is anyone he can say is an ally, it is the youngest of the Dutton siblings, Kayce. He always treated Jamie with love and respect. Just before he found out she was pregnant, Jamie has a breakdown when John is blaming him for Beth's hysterectomy. It is actually Kayce who tries to help him and calm him down.
Jamie wants revenge
Midway through the season, it was revealed that Jamie is really John's adopted son. Many years ago his biological father had beat his mother to death and was then convicted of the charge. John then adopted Jamie. While this was a theory some of the fandom had already prescribed to, for many others, it clarified the tumultuous relationship he shared with his family.
And while it makes complete sense that Jamie wants to avenge all the wrong done to him over the years, this attack on the Duttons doesn't look like Jamie. Over the two brief conversations that Jamie has had with his biological father Garrett Randall (Will Patton), it is clear that he wants his revenge. But for revenge, he must have John Dutton alive. What good will it do to him if John is dead?
Season 4 is a long time away for us to find out about the truth. But all we can tell is that the long wait will be worth it for in the next season - it is payback time.