What’s in a detail? Well, in the world of Yellowstone, sometimes one small decision can blow up into a firestorm that engulfs everything in its path.
One small decision can blow up into a firestorm that engulfs everything in its path. It’s like setting a match to a powder keg—you never quite know how much damage it’ll do until it’s too late. Taylor Sheridan’s decision to have Beth turn to Jamie for help with her pregnancy is one of those powder kegs, igniting fan outrage and creating a wedge between two beloved characters.
But what if Sheridan had flipped the script and had Beth turn to her older brother, Lee, instead?
The relationship between Beth and Jamie was forever altered by her pregnancy storyline—a plot thread that stirred up quite the hornet’s nest among fans. To paraphrase an old saying, it’s not always the big things that derail a show, but the little details.
Why didn’t Beth go to Lee? Fans weigh in on a missed opportunity in Yellowstone’s sibling drama
In Yellowstone, Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) found herself pregnant as a teenager. However, her brother Jamie (Wes Bentley) stepped in and made the decision for her, coercing her into having an ab*rtion and ultimately leaving her sterilized—without her ever being in the loop.
Fans have been voicing their discontent over Beth’s choice to go to Jamie and it’s a fair question. If Taylor Sheridan had made this one shift, he could’ve avoided much of the backlash surrounding Jamie’s treatment of Beth and still delivered the emotional weight needed for a solid sibling rivalry. But instead, he pulled the trigger on a plot that’s one of the most criticized arcs in Yellowstone’s storied history.
The burning question on every fan’s lips is simple: Why didn’t Beth go to Lee?
Lee, the oldest of the Dutton siblings, is often seen as the ‘missing link’ in Beth’s emotional support system. The guy had a stable relationship with their father, John, but his personality was more of a blank canvas. That could have made him the perfect person for Beth to turn to, especially considering her strained relationship with Jamie at the time.
But, as one fan pointed out, if Beth had gone to Lee, there’s a good chance he would’ve gone straight to John—and boom, the Dutton family drama would have taken a completely different turn. In hindsight, this may not have been ideal, but it’s certainly a better option than the emotional wreckage that came from Beth’s trust in Jamie.
Let’s see a few comments:
Had Beth gone to Lee for help with her abortion instead of Jamie, what changes?
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The fact that Beth chose to turn to Jamie, even with their complicated past, signals a trust between them that’s often overshadowed by the eventual betrayal. As one viewer pointed out, we don’t just go to anyone with a deeply personal secret—Beth went to Jamie because, at that moment, she felt safe with him.
Beth and Jamie’s relationship: What could’ve been?
Some fans have posited an interesting theory that Beth and Jamie, both being the ‘smart’ college-bound kids, would have had a different bond growing up. With Lee being tied up with ranch work and less in tune with the emotional pulse of the family, Jamie and Beth’s connection might have been more about intellect and shared experiences. This only made Jamie’s betrayal that much more bitter. They were once allies, but through a series of painful missteps, their relationship fell apart.
The fan added that Jamie’s betrayal made Beth’s hatred for him “entirely understandable”. She trusted him once, and the way he treated her in return shattered something deep within her. As the fan put it
Had Beth gone to Lee for help with her abortion instead of Jamie, what changes?
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Beth’s anger isn’t just directed at Jamie—it’s directed inward as well, which adds a layer of complexity to her character that many fans can empathize with. At the end of the day, Yellowstone is a story of family, and family means messy, complicated, and sometimes painful choices. But one change in the pregnancy plot could’ve altered the whole trajectory of the story, sparing Jamie the bulk of the backlash and keeping his sibling relationship with Beth at least somewhat intact.
Had Beth gone to Lee, Taylor Sheridan would have sidestepped the emotional landmine that became the crux of their rivalry, offering a more nuanced and less divisive sibling drama. Maybe, just maybe, a different path would have led to a healthier family dynamic!