There are plenty of iconic sibling rivalries on-screen. From Lisa & Bart Simpson of The Simpsons to Haley & Alex Dunphy of Modern Family, the list is unlimited.
The above two examples are sibling rivalries that were laughter-inducing to watch. But some are dramatic and heart-wrenching, like Beth and Jamie Dutton in Yellowstone.
Initially, viewers couldn’t figure out why Beth hated her brother with a passion. After all, she got into a physical fight with him at their father’s ranch. Plenty of theories were flying around until the shocking answer was finally revealed.
Beth Dutton hates Jamie Dutton because he took her to a Native American clinic when she revealed that she was pregnant by her boyfriend, Rip. There, he didn’t inform her that the abortion would result in sterilization. Also, he didn’t take her to Planned Parenthood to protect the family’s honor.
Why Can’t Beth Dutton Tolerate Jamie Dutton?
Yellowstone viewers initially surmised that Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) hated her brother Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) because of their mother’s tragic death. But that didn’t turn out to be the reason. It was because he had sterilized her without her permission.
In the episode titled, ‘Cowboys and Dreamers,’ a flashback showed young Beth holding a positive pregnancy test and crying. Her boyfriend, Rip (Kyle Red Silverstein), had got her pregnant.
So she went to her brother Jamie Dutton, who would soon be off to college, for help with getting an abortion. He was incensed upon hearing this and demanded the name of the father. But Beth refused to name Rip, further angering her brother.
However, Jamie still helped Beth. But he took her to a clinic on a Native American reservation instead of a Planned Parenthood because he was afraid of word getting out and their family getting shamed for it.
The lady at the reception of the clinic informed Jamie that they had a requirement at their clinic- a patient receiving an abortion would be sterilized as well. Jamie agreed to it and went to get Beth. However, he didn’t inform her about the required sterilization.
Yellowstone referenced a dark period in history with this storyline. In the 1960s and 1970s, a forced sterilization campaign was carried out by the Indian Health Service without the consent of the Native American women being operated on.
Over time, Beth learned that her brother had betrayed her trust and made a decision about her life that wasn’t his to take. This filled her with anger, and she could never let it go.
Yellowstone Fans Divided On The Beth And Jamie Dutton Rivalry
When the ‘Cowboys and Dreamers’ episode aired, most viewers sympathized with Beth and agreed that she had been betrayed by the one person she had decided to trust in a vulnerable moment. One fan, @BakaleMarijo, said:
“It wasn’t an issue with the abortion; it was the reprehensible policy of sterilization with any abortion on the reservation. The receptionist told Jamie, and he didn’t tell Beth. Every time someone trusted him, he’s failed them!”
Another viewer and Twitter/ X user, @NotoriousSammyC, wrote, “Jamie tricked Beth into a Sterilization SMH.” However, not everyone was so quick to blame only the elder Dutton brother.
Some thought that no matter what, Beth would have had the abortion on that day itself because she was scared and desperate. X/ Twitter user @SolidBlueAZ opined:
“Terrified and scared, Beth put this on Jamie to fix. Jamie felt he had to protect the family’s reputation, as John had drilled into him. Beth would’ve had the sterilization anyway, even if she was told. She was that scared and desperate. She shouldn’t have done this to Jamie!”
Another user, @ShannyThorpe, remarked that the clinic should have told Beth directly rather than talking only to Jamie. They said:
“It’s not Jamie’s fault they didn’t say anything to her, and it’s also unknown if he actually knew what sterilization for a woman entailed. The clinic is more at fault for not informing Beth what was being done to her.”
Yellowstone is available to watch on the Paramount Network.
So, which side are you on regarding the debate? Do you think that Jamie is at fault for not telling Beth about the sterilization? Or do you think Beth would have undergone the abortion even if she knew of the consequences?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
