Wes Bentley, the actor of Jamie Dutton, spoke to Entertainment Weekly about Yellowstone’s finale and what is to come. He speaks about the drama of his character’s family tree, possible deaths, and Jamie’s relationship with Beth.
Warning: ‘Yellowstone’ Season 3 Finale Spoilers Below!
The season 3 finale ends with the fate of multiple Dutton’s unknown. While no one is confirmed dead by the time the credits roll, Beth, John, and Kayce are all in grave danger.
Entertainment Weekly caught up with Bentley about the craziness of the season. By the episode’s end, Jamie is a lone ranger, as EW puts it, “Jamie is now on the lookout for himself and himself only.” Bentley thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of control by his character, saying it was “interesting to watch him let them try to play off their power moves.” He especially loved shooting the land sale scene, saying it was “one of my favorite shooting the whole series.”
Beth and Jamie’s Relationship
Two of the intriguing storylines during the series and its third season are Jamie’s family-line and his relationship with Beth. When asked about the relationship, Bentley says it is “broken.” He tells Entertainment Weekly, “There was always hope that they loved each other more than they hated each other.”
As for the revelation that Jamie made Beth get an abortion at a young age, Wes Bentley finds it “all very moving.” In his interview, he commends series creator, Taylor Sheridon, for writing the storyline in such a way that makes it difficult to “see him doing anything else, at least for a young man,” but finds the whole situation “unthinkable” and “inhumane.” “I thought it was a really good illustration of a man making a decision for a woman’s body. [Yellowstone] is showing in physical terms what that means,” Bentley explains.
Jamie’s True Family
The third season also strongly features an internal identity crisis of Jamie’s. After it is revealed that he was adopted by John, Jamie feels like less of a Dutton. He is angry with John for withholding the truth.
Bentley believes Jamie “finds family important,” so learning his biological family was full of abuse is harrowing. Jamie gets the news that his father killed his mother. The actor thinks that Jamie most likely hoped to connect with and seek answers from his biological family. Bentley figures Jamie wanted to bond with and “truly have a family connection that he felt was on a deeper level.” He understands though, that Jamie must feel frozen with frustration and shock by the news of his murderous father, saying, “but then to find out his [biological] dad is not a good guy, I mean, where do you go from there?”
Wes Bentley attempts to reason Jamie’s distress. Bentley himself credits his family for making him who he is. His family is a sort of blueprint, he says he gets his “spine” from his family. He tells EW, “I stand up because of my family, right? For Jamie, who is he now? He has no spine or legs to stand on.” Jamie has been left with a feeling of confusion and frustration after the announcement of his true identity.
Yellowstone Season Four
As for what is to come, Bentley appreciates how much was left unresolved at the third season’s end. While fans thought the ending had too many cliff-hangers, Bentley thinks the uncertainty leaves more room for new storylines and growth. “As an audience, it feels like the board got wiped and we can write some new things on that board,” he tells EW.
Bentley explains nearly anything could happen going forward, understanding the violent, dramatic nature is what makes the show so successful. “Outside of aliens landing, I don’t know where Taylor is going to go from here. He gave himself the ability to go from any angle now,” the actor tells EW. The next season is sure to have more twists in the story, though Bentley seems unsure with which paths series creator Taylor Sheridon will go down. “He gave himself the ability to go from any angle now. To restart or refresh, he definitely has left himself an open door for a lot of options.”
