Kelly Reilly talks vulnerable bond between Beth and Rip in ‘Yellowstone’ as she declares war on Jamie

Yellowstone‘s highly anticipated fifth season just premiered to excited audiences worldwide, and fans can’t stop talking about the ups and downs the Dutton family have dealt with within a two-hour timespan. From John Dutton’s swearing-in as governor to the devastating loss the family has already endured, a lot is going on.

Of course, Beth Dutton was no stranger to the episode’s challenges, but she also got a few moments of joy and some sweet time with her husband, Rip Wheeler. Speaking to Deadline as the two-hour television event aired, Kelly Reilly had a lot to say about her character’s journey.

Reilly says the flashbacks between Beth and Rip are important because they give insight into why Beth seems so guarded against her husband and why she feels like she’s not deserving of his love.

“I think, for me, Beth is very haunted by her past and there seems to be a lot of that rising up in her this season, which I’ve actually enjoyed because you get to see a side of Beth that understands consequence. Most of the time she doesn’t. She’s fearless and reckless. But with Rip, I think she understands her behavior. I think she gives herself a very hard time when things come down to the crunch with people she loves. I think she feels things incredibly deeply and feels she wronged him. I think it haunts her.”

She also touched on the fact that Beth is still angry, and rightfully so, but that it’s becoming evident to her that it’s a bit misguided. Of course, Beth still beats herself up as Rip begs her to find someone else for fighting with, noting that she can’t keep being herself. Reilly says that, to an extent, he’s right.

“I think there’s truth to that. I think she doesn’t know any other way. She’s had to fight her whole life and I think that is in her DNA. I don’t think she’s someone who spends too much time in wellness, thinking how can she live peacefully or happily when she’s consumed with her mission to save her father’s ranch. I always ask myself, why does she feel like she has to do this? It feels like some sort of penance that she puts on herself because she took his wife from her. And in that terrible accident, I think she carries a tremendous amount of shame and guilt and responsibility. And so it’s almost like she’s dedicated her life to serving him and making him happy.”

It’s evident in each new episode, in each scene Rip and Beth share, that she’s given herself to making Rip happy. She does it out of love, of course, but she also feels like she’s robbed him of something important — something he needs to be part of this relationship with her.