The Dutton family is never at peace in Yellowstone. With John Dutton (Kevin Costner), Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes), Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), and Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) constantly at odds, they work in tandem to boost their family’s prestige while always arguing among themselves. As the owners of the largest ranch in Montana, they also keep numerous secrets that could otherwise damage their family’s reputation.
While their secrets often leak, there are some that the family has kept close to their chests. They use every secret against each other and plot how best to use every piece of intelligence against their relatives. Beth and Jamie are the epitome of that philosophy, as both often scheme against the other to gain ground in the race to become more powerful.
Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on April 7, 2025: The Yellowstone franchise is at a turning point as Taylor Sheridan and his team begin a new chapter of the Dutton family saga. The flagship series came to an end late last year and more recently, the prequel series 1923 wrapped up after its second season. As fans eagerly await the next round of spinoffs, some mysteries from the original Yellowstone need to be explored in greater depth. This article has been updated to include additional information and to adhere to CBR’s current formatting guidelines.
Beth and Jamie Keep Many Secrets in Yellowstone
Each of the Dutton Children Is Always Trying to One-Up the Other
Yellowstone’s concept revolves around a family desperately trying to survive as wealthy leaders in Montana. Every Yellowstone spinoff builds off of its connection to the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch and the various communities that surround it. The original show involves constant backstabbing, political intrigue, and an insatiable greed for power. While Jamie and Beth are not particularly like their father, John Dutton, they still share some of his innate need for control and influence.
As a result, both siblings have cultivated numerous secrets throughout the show. Their personal relationships — including Jamie’s son and the extent of Beth’s relationship with Rip — have been relegated to a state of secrecy. To make matters worse, both are always working to uncover the other’s secrets to gain control over their rival sibling. While they do have some secrets that they have kept to themselves, Jamie and Beth generally know everything about the other’s various lies and cover-ups.
Jamie Ensured Beth Would Be Forcibly Sterilized
Jamie Wanted to Hurt Beth—and Keep Her From Causing More Trouble For the Family
The biggest reason for the rivalry between Jamie and Beth is that Jamie had Beth sterilized when she was just a teenager. After Rip impregnated Beth, she was desperate to find a way to safely abort the baby without revealing the truth to her father. After all, the Duttons commit horrible actions regularly. John had already proven that he could force his relatives out of the household if they refused abortions — as he did with Kayce — and Beth was desperate for a way to solve her pregnancy to avoid facing his reaction. If she hadn’t, John very well could have killed Rip.
Beth confided to Jamie about her pregnancy. He immediately searched for a safe place to abort the child. He believed that the Broken Rock reservation had the only abortion clinic that would never recognize Beth’s identity, so he took her there. While it seemed like the behavior of a brother who wanted nothing better than to protect his sister, he was actually keeping a massive secret from her: The Broken Rock clinic demanded that she be sterilized. Beth was devastated when she learned about his duplicity. Because Jamie took her bodily autonomy from her, Beth has never been able to forgive him.
Beth Knows Jamie Killed His Biological Father
Jamie Wanted to Establish His Place in the Family
Beth is not the only relative Jamie’s actions have hurt over the years. After all, Jamie killed his biological father, Garrett Randall. The Duttons adopted Jamie after Garrett murdered his wife in a fit of rage. Garrett was sentenced to a 30-year prison term, meaning that he could not see his own son for decades. When he finally became acquainted with Jamie, it created a crisis of confidence for the younger man. Garrett spent his entire time on the show working to poison Jamie against the Duttons, which eventually drove Jamie to choose between his biological father and his adopted family.
Jamie murdered his own father and buried his body at the train station, where the Dutton family often bury their enemies. The decision was meant to help Jamie reconcile his life as a Dutton, but his plan quickly backfired. Beth discovered his secret and had photographic evidence of him burying Garrett. Driven by a desire to control her brother, Beth declared that Jamie would be the Dutton family slave. The blackmail meant that he could never disobey her orders, or else she would leak the pictures to the police, and he would be imprisoned for the rest of his life. The Dutton family’s secrets are generally terrible, but Jamie’s murdering his father is an especially heinous one. The secret is so horrific that Jamie agrees to be Beth’s slave — though he would eventually turn against his sister. He spent much of the first half of Yellowstone season 5 obeying her every directive. All the while, he raged over the control that she maintained over his life. It eventually came to a boiling point, and he finally turned against the Duttons in Yellowstone season 5, episode 8.
Beth and Jamie Hate Each Other
They are Embroiled in the Dutton Family’s Drama
The secrets have been enough to fuel a harsh rivalry between the siblings, who are now determined to go to war with one another. In Yellowstone season 5, episode 4, Beth outright threatens to murder Jamie’s son, stating, “I’m going to rob you a fatherhood… he is as good as gone.” The threat was made shortly after learning that Jamie had a son in the first place, and it is hardly the reaction of a loving sister. She is terrified of the threat that Jamie poses to their family, and her continued disdain for him ultimately roots back to his behavior at the Broken Rock abortion clinic.
After all the years of conflict, Jamie nurses a similar hatred for his adoptive sister. He has been planning to lead an impeachment inquiry against John Dutton, which puts him at odds with his family. In all likelihood, he hopes to replace Jon, which means that he will likely never find a place in the family’s ranks again. Yellowstone season 5, episode 8 saw Jamie finally take a stand against her, proving that her blustering threat was secretly nothing but a bluff. If she ever moves against him, he can expose the Dutton family’s many crimes. Considering the brutal actions that all of Yellowstone’s characters are known for, the threat can destroy the family.
Beth Finally Kills Jamie in the Yellowstone Finale
Beth and Jamie’s Story Comes to a Violent End in Yellowstone Season 5B
Beth and Jamie’s turbulent relationship comes to a bloody end in the violent final episodes of Yellowstone. Season 5B kicks off with the horrifyingoff-screen death of John Dutton, who is murdered by a contract killer hired by Sarah Atwood. Beth correctly ascertains that Sarah must be working with Jamie and blames her adopted brother for the death of their father. Now, she vows to bring Jamie to justice for his crimes against the family—finally setting up the chance for Beth to kill her brother after all these years. She even promises that her face will be the final thing he ever sees.
Beth makes good on her promise in the series finale of Yellowstone, traveling to Jamie’s house alone in hopes that everything will work out according to her plan. Not long after her departure, Rip figures out where she’s gone and chases after her, desperate to reach her before Jamie has the chance to kill her himself. Beth confronts Jamie in his home, taunting and provoking him until he finally lashes out at her. Though Beth has always been able to put up a good fight, she quickly acquiesces to Jamie’s greater physical strength. Just when it seems that she is about to lose her life, Rip arrives and gives Jamie a good beating. He doesn’t kill his conniving brother-in-law, however, leaving this final task to his wife. True to her word, Beth stabs Jamie in the heart and forces him to look her in the eyes as he dies. After decades of animosity between the two estranged siblings, Beth finally gets her revenge on Jamie for all the harm and trauma he caused her, bringing a violent end to their long-running rivalry.
Beth and Jamie’s relationship is undoubtedly one of the most interesting in the Yellowstone franchise. The two rival siblings agree on nothing except that they cannot coexist. In the end, Beth emerges victorious, killing Jamie and saving her family from his wicked schemes.