Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) did something in Yellowstone season 4 that looked unforgivable at the time, but season 5 redeemed her controversial moment. Beth engineers her fair share of controversy in Taylor Sheridanโs neo-Western series, but one moment stands out against the rest as the time that Bethโs mean streak went too far. Most of Bethโs controversial comments happen around a business table where they are ideally suited. Sometimes, John Duttonโs (Kevin Costner) daughter takes her antics home, prompting some of Bethโs most scrutinized Yellowstone scenes.
Yellowstone season 4 was hard on everyone, including Beth, at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Each member of the Dutton family was affected by the multi-target attack on the clan, orchestrated by Jamieโs (Wes Bentley) father and executed in the Yellowstone season 3 finale. Kayceโs (Luke Grimes) family fractures as Monica (Kelsey Asbille) and Tate (Brecken Merrill) process the trauma of Tateโs kidnapping. Likewise, Beth processes the grief of experiencing an explosion and simultaneously almost losing her father. A new but challenging opportunity finds Beth testing her resolve amid her grief.
Beth Was A Bad Parent To Carter In Yellowstone Season 4
Beth And Rip Unofficially Parent Carter In Yellowstone Season 4
As she waits to hear about her fatherโs condition, Beth Dutton meets a 14-year-old boy named Carter (Finn Little) outside Bozeman General Hospital. Carter asks Beth what happened to her face. He laughs when sheโs rude to him, eventually telling her that his dad is dying. Beth tells Carter her dad is dying, too, and the two form a bond. Beth accompanies Carter to say goodbye as his dad experiences brain death, and she takes the kid in a few days later when Donnie Haskell (Hugh Dillon) brings him to the ranch, saying that Carter claimed Beth was his guardian.
The moment when Beth takes in Carter shows her kindness. Still, Johnโs daughter has moments where she falters in her parenting, which is ultimately understandable. Beth was mean to Carter when he was down at vital times, which was unpleasant on the first watch, like in Yellowstone season 4, episode 7. Beth rejects Carterโs apology, saying, โI donโt want those f*cking things,โ when he brings her flowers. Beth doesnโt let up on the kid until Carter asks for a ride into town, saying he will take a chance on foster care over his current circumstances at the ranch.
Beth is unnecessarily cruel to Carter, but weโre also hard-pressed to expect much else from Beth in season 4, considering mothers and motherhood are touchy subjects.
Beth later makes Carter cry in Yellowstone season 4, episode 10. As Beth passes through the barn, Carter casually remarks, โMorning, mama.โ She responds, โHey, baby,โ automatically before doubling back and telling Carter not to call her that. Carter tells Beth he thought he could call her โmamaโ since she acts like his mom. Beth remarks that sheโs been acting like his friend and that his mother is dead, and he doesnโt get another. Beth is unnecessarily cruel to Carter, but weโre also hard-pressed to expect much else from Beth in season 4, considering mothers and motherhood are touchy subjects.
Whatโs worse, when Carter starts to cry in Yellowstone season 4, episode 10, Beth tells Carter to stop because crying doesnโt help. When looking at the previous episode, Beth Duttonโs comment is a bit hypocritical. In Yellowstone season 4, episode 9, โNo Such Thing as Fair,โ Beth asks Walker (Ryan Bingham) to play her a song. She requests a melancholy tune because she needs to cry, but sheโs incapable of crying for herself. Therefore, Beth clearly understands the power of a good tear session. Still, she acts like Carter is wrong to do the same in the next chapter.
Beth & Carterโs Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 12 Scene Redeemed Bethโs Parenting Failure
Beth Finally Acts Like Carterโs Mother In Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 12
In Yellowstone season 5, episode 12, Beth has a more nurturing moment with Carter that redeems her sometimes fiery demeanor from season 4. Carter witnesses a tragedy in the episode, and Beth comforts him while heโs crying in the barn. Earlier that morning, Carter was changing out the water bucket in an unruly steedโs pen when he got trapped, at risk of getting stomped or trampled by the horse. Colby Mayfield (Denim Richards) saves Carter but dies suddenly as the horse tramples the more senior ranch hand instead. Carter is understandably torn up about Colbyโs death, blaming himself.
In โCounting Coup,โ Beth is intuitively comforting and nurturing about Carterโs experience. She comes to sit with him on the floor and speaks softly before reaching out and tenderly grooming his hair, asking if heโs blaming himself for Colbyโs death. Bethโs demeanor contrasts her treatment of Carter in the past, evolving to comfort her symbolic son when he is grieving. While she couldnโt properly support him in Yellowstone season 4, Beth redeemed herself by finally treating Carter like her child in season 5. Beth doesnโt often show her unabashedly tender side, but Carter eventually draws it out.
The moment between Carter and Beth in the barn proves two things. First, Beth faltered as Carterโs mother figure. When Beth asks Carter if heโs staying at the house because she would want to be with her family, Carter says he doesnโt have a family. The moment when Beth corrects Carter, saying, โOf course you do,โ is a sweet exchange between them, but it shows that Carter feels he doesnโt have a family, doubtlessly in part due to Bethโs season 4 comments. It also indicates that Beth fully accepts Carter as family, whether she considers him a son or not.
Did Beth & Rip Officially Adopt Carter In Yellowstone?
Beth And Ripโs Yellowstone Spinoff Can Clarify Carterโs Murky Status
In Yellowstone season 5, episode 14, โLife Is a Promise,โ the series finale, Carter joins Beth and Rip (Cole Hauser) on their ranch in Dillon, Montana. The couple started anew after Kayce sold John Duttonโs ranch to Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) and the Broken Rock Tribe. As it became apparent that Johnโs children would surrender stewardship of the land, it was unclear whether Carter would stay with Beth and Rip in their new home. However, in their ending โLife Is a Promiseโ scene, Beth watches Rip and Carter at the new property, confirming they are a family.
Even if the couple sees the boy as their own or wants to take on his guardianship permanently, Beth and Rip officially adopting Carter in Yellowstone could be unlikely.
In season 4, Beth tells Rip she thinks Carter might be their kid. Beth and Ripโs Yellowstone spinoff can fully realize the intuitive bond Beth felt, continuing to build on her parenting evolution and explaining Carterโs adoptive status. Even if the couple sees the boy as their own or wants to take on his guardianship permanently, Beth and Rip officially adopting Carter in Yellowstone could be unlikely. After murdering his father for killing his mother and brother, Rip found asylum on the Yellowstone Ranch and was thereby undocumented. Carter could similarly fly under the radar in the Yellowstone spinoff.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ “๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐๐ & ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐จ.๐๐๐๐” ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง. ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง-๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐๐ฌ.