One of the most volatile characters in the Yellowstone universe is definitely Beth Dutton, played by Kelly Reilly. Throughout the show’s five-season run, which is set to come to an end this year, Beth gets herself into multiple conflicts that she either needs to get herself out of or turns to the people around her to get her out of it. Beth is a skilled strategist, businesswoman and fixer, making her a valuable asset to her family and the Dutton Ranch. However, there are two sides to Beth, as she is an incredibly difficult person to deal with. Her past traumas have molded her into an abrasive and unpredictable wild card in many situations.
When it comes to the various enemies the Duttons face, Beth is often in the middle of each and every battle, and, on more than one occasion, is the reason for victory. The only person Beth can’t seem to overcome is herself. Addicted to the adrenaline high of intense situations, Beth has a knack for getting into trouble; and when she does, it’s not something she can fix on her own. If ever emotionally compromised, she turns to Rip or her father for support. If legally compromised, she is forced to turn to Jamie (or force Jamie) to assist her. Early in season five, Beth finds herself in one of these situations.
Multiple Things Led to Beth’s Incarceration
It All Starts With Beth Winning a Lot
For starters, the events of Yellowstone season four have a huge effect on how many things play out in the fifth and final season. Fans are now seeing how Taylor Sheridan has planted seeds that have eventually led to the exclusion of John Dutton in the final episodes of the series. His attention to detail can’t be overstated, and Yellowstone is a better series than most because of it. When it comes to an episodic incident where Beth Dutton finds herself in jail, it works best because of where it’s set in the season and what proceeding events allow it to exist as an entertaining subplot. By the end of season four, there are multiple opposing forces hitting the Dutton family from all angles. At the end of season four, the Duttons learn the truth about who tried to have them killed at the end of season three. Market Equities tries new tactics to obtain the land for their development, and an imprisoned hitman admits to his role in a major hit. These big events take place simultaneously, and it’s Beth who takes care of all of them.
The big reveal is learning that Jamie’s biological father is the one behind the hit on the Duttons and that Jamie is considering moving against his adopted family once more. When Beth finds this out, she uses her previous blackmail tactic on Jamie to get him to kill his own father. This leads her to blackmailing Jamie further and really keeping a leash on him in the beginning of season five. Furthermore, Beth finds a loophole with her share of Scwartz & Meyers and decides to sell the company while she has the controlling interest. Doing this effectively chops the head off of Market Equities for the time being. On a high from her multiple wins, Beth also marries Rip spontaneously and finally becomes Mrs. Wheeler. Paying off huge set-ups that have been building over the course of seasons and setting up new plot threads going forward allows Beth’s jail subplot to exist perfectly in the middle of season five.
Beth Gets Into a Pretty Nasty Bar Fight
Her Legal Issues Could Have Been Much Worse
The reason the previous situations set up Beth’s incarceration so well is because they not only play a role in why she gets arrested but also in how she gets out of trouble. After effectively beating down on Market Equities, Beth is reeling with adrenaline and wants to celebrate that night. Joining the bunkhouse for a game of poker and hanging out with Rip, Beth suggests that there are more fun things to do with their night. After some convincing and obviously some demanding, Beth, Rip and the rest of the wranglers all go out into town for some drinks at a bar. Beth is a naturally domineering, territorial and jealous person to begin with, but being newly married to Rip probably heightens these traits. When Beth sees a woman flirting with Rip, that same woman makes the mistake of thinking she could take Rip from Beth that night and approaches her. What happens next is not surprising. Beth and the woman exchange punches until Beth ends the fight by breaking a bottle over the woman’s head.
The Dutton group is barely there long enough to have a good time before Beth has them all outside the bar being questioned by police. Beth is handcuffed and then officially arrested when the woman decides she wants to press charges. This situation doesn’t go away easily and Beth’s incarceration actually could have been much worse if she didn’t have such a tight grip on Jamie. If Beth hadn’t taken complete control of Jamie at the end of season four, there’s no telling whether Jamie would have worked as hard to get Beth out of her jam. Threatening him once again, Beth encourages Jamie to do everything he can to get her out of her predicament. While there was a moment where it looked like Beth was going to be in more trouble than she expected, Jamie flips the script on the woman from the bar. Claiming that Beth has just as much a right to press charges on her, the woman is pressured into dropping the whole thing. Beth gets out, but it isn’t without more complications than her jealousy was worth.
Beth Dutton Will Find Herself in More Trouble
But Yellowstone Continues to Reach Its Conclusion
As it stands, Yellowstone is about to come to an end. With just a few episodes left, all the biggest storylines are reaching their pinnacle. Beth finds more than one way to get herself into trouble, and it’s in her nature to cause havoc wherever it might harm her enemies. There’s still a little time left for another epic Beth Dutton situation to occur. However, with the series’ conclusion nearing, it’s safe to assume that all attention will be on wrapping up the overall story and concluding the arcs of each character. Considering that Beth gets herself into some of the most difficult situations, it might not end well for the fan-favorite character.
In retrospect, looking back on Beth Dutton’s jail subplot, it was probably one of the last times the show gets to play with an idea that is not directly connected to the main plot. Beth’s incarceration is one of those fun, drama-filled plot threads that shows get to do when they have more time to explore the world and the characters. While fans love to see Yellowstone reach its end and do so effectively, there’s always a lot of entertainment in unnecessary subplots. Beth’s time in jail will always be one of those underrated highlights of Yellowstone’s final season and for more reasons than one.
