Kelly Reilly may know how “Yellowstone” ends, but the actor who’s brought Beth Dutton to life on the hyper-popular Western show for five seasons and counting apparently wasn’t clued in early to her own character’s ending. Before news that the final batch of episodes (which is technically season 5b, despite a nearly two-year hiatus) will drop in November broke, Reilly spoke to TVLine about Beth’s future, which is undoubtedly up in the air after her and her brother Jamie (Wes Bentley) pretty much vowed to kill each other the last time we saw them.
“What would I hope for her? Peace, I think,” Reilly told TVLine, ahead of the final episodes filming. “I know the ending of the show, which I’ve known for six years,” she admitted. “We all knew what the ending would be.” In a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly, Reilly said that series creator Taylor Sheridan told her how the show as a whole would wrap up during filming on season 1. Still, that doesn’t stop the actor from dreaming of a happy ending for fiery Beth, a fan favorite character who sometimes seems to court chaos. “I certainly believe that she can find that,” Reilly told the outlet. “Whether or not that’s possible, I don’t know. She’s such a warrior, isn’t she? Her reason to be is to protect. Her reason to be is to fight.”
The actor noted that Beth has been close to finding happiness in the past, but it seems that the show — by virtue of essentially being a primetime soap about double-crosses, power grabs, and murder — always seems to have something else in mind. “I question potentially whether happiness is allowed,” Reilly admitted. “Over the seasons, we’ve been able to see where it might exist. But she’s taken out of it so quickly. Maybe there’s a future where she’s not sort of yanked out of her happiness.” If that future does exist, it might not be on “Yellowstone,” but on something that could come after. Despite the cast and crew verifying that the hit flagship series really is ending, it’s also been reported that Reilly and Cole Hauser, who plays Beth’s husband Rip Wheeler, are in talks to continue their characters’ stories.
Beth’s story might not end anytime soon
Reilly confirmed that something might be up Paramount’s sleeve in a recent interview, saying, “There’s potentially another chapter. It’s being talked about now.” She also noted that she’d be on board if Sheridan returned to write the show, adding, “He’s the one that’s written every single line I’ve ever said. [Beth] came from his imagination.” Reilly reassuringly noted that the pair are also “in agreement that there’s a shift that has to take place” so that the “Yellowstone” universe doesn’t start repeating itself. Maybe that means Beth could finally get a taste of the peace Reilly wants for her while still appearing in a future series in some capacity.
Reilly’s “if” here is also a big one: Sheridan is notoriously busy, and “Yellowstone” star Kevin Costner has said that he eventually left the series because the screenwriter, who was working on several other shows at the time, stopped turning in scripts (a network rep has disputed this claim). It would probably be wise for the chronic multitasker to focus on future incarnations of the show that’s already super-beloved rather than the half-dozen or more other plates he has spinning, and to keep Reilly involved in any future storyline. As for the idea that Beth Dutton could one day find peace? The actor said it will take work. “Peace requires some digging and some surrender and letting go of old pains and hurts,” she told TVLine. That doesn’t exactly sound like the Beth fans know and love, but it would be nice to see.
“Yellowstone” returns to Paramount Network on November 10, 2024.