Now five-and-a-half seasons into its blockbuster small-screen run, it’s no clearer to viewers how things will ultimately play out for the Dutton family on “Yellowstone.” As rumors abound that the series will likely be winding down sooner rather than later, fans can no doubt expect creator Taylor Sheridan to ramp things up considerably when the show finally returns from its mid-season hiatus.
And yes, we can absolutely expect Jamie Dutton to be a major player in any shenanigans regarding the Dutton’s coveted ranching lands. Played by Wes Bentley, the adopted Dutton sibling has continued to make himself a thorn in the side of his family of late, with relationships therein deteriorating across the board with each passing season.
As Jamie continues his descent into full-blown villainy, he’s become one of the most dangerous players in the “Yellowstone” landscape. He’s also become one of the most confounding, with many fans struggling to understand anything he does. This includes Redditor u/Catforprez who opened a recent thread by asking, “Why doesn’t Jamie just leave?”
The user went on to question whether Jamie might be better off putting his political aspirations aside to escape his toxic family. And if you’ve been watching “Yellowstone” over its first five-and-a-half seasons, it’s easy enough to see the logic in that post. That user was far from the only one at wit’s end over Jamie Dutton. For example, u/Lukerade also commented, “Jamie’s character is so confusing he’s constantly teetering between the family and his other interests.”
Some Yellowstone fans think Jamie is just a poorly written character
There are actually several Reddit threads dedicated to exploring the twisted psyche of Jamie Dutton. And u/Appropriate_Box7749 took to one thread to question the character’s dramatic changes from the early days of “Yellowstone,” posting, “Jamie started the series as this tough ruthless pit bull lawyer. Now he reminds me of Reek from ‘Game of Thrones,’ all cowering and wimpery.” They went on to say they’re hoping Jamie’s arc pays off because, “Right now it makes no sense.”
Still, in the eyes of some “Yellowstone” fans, Jamie’s issues stem largely from questionable writing. User u/kikijane711 was beating that particular drum with their comment, “It’s the jump logic, inconsistent character writing.” Elsewhere, u/House_Strong13 offered a harsher read Jamie, posting, “I just think it is s****y writing for the character.”
A few Jamie defenders did chime in on the threads, with u/UnruffledRuffled dropping by to say, “He is actually so smart but he has no backbone and just becomes what other ppl want because he doesn’t know who he is and just wants to be appreciated.” And u/Ronniebbb was quick to agree with that psycho-analytical read, adding, “Emotionally abused ppl tend to cling to anything they see as love or acceptance.”
There is, of course, still time to change the confounding narrative around Jamie. But it seems Taylor Sheridan and the “Yellowstone” crew have some serious work to do in helping fans of the show understand what really makes the man tick.