“Yellowstone” season 5 will be the last we’ll see of the Dutton family in its current form. The series, part of the prolific Taylor Sheridan’s cowboy-verse (that is not a official term, but I think it suits) that includes “1883,” “1923,” and the upcoming “Lawman: Bass Reeves,” is coming to an end. That means fans will likely have to say goodbye to one of their favorite characters, Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly).
Beth Dutton is the daughter of John Dutton III (Kevin Costner), who runs the Yellowstone ranch in Montana. She had a rough time as a child, watching her difficult mother die in front of her. Now she’s a financier, protector of her father, and in a relationship with ranch foreman Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser).
That on-again off-again romance between Beth and Rip was the backdrop to a scene in season 1, episode 2, “Kill the Messenger,” which looked pretty scary to the audience and was especially intense for Reilly as well. The production actually threw her to the wolves, and that’s not just a euphemism. The wolves in this case were very real.
Running with the spicy doggos
In the episode, Beth and Rip are out on a date, getting drunk outside in the evening on the ranch. While they’re there, a wolf pack sets in to eat an elk. Instead of just watching the grisly scene, Beth gets out of the car she and Rip are in and runs right at the wolves while yelling at them. I mean, sure. Seems logical to me. No notes on this dating choice.
According to Yahoo! Life, the production crew on “Yellowstone” didn’t tell Reilly to imagine some wolves and then put them in during post-production. No, these wolves were real. Reilly found out and asked the crew about whether this was a good idea — the whole “running at wolves while yelling” thing. Reilly explained, “The crew said, don’t worry. We’ve got these invisible pieces of cord so if they do run at you, that will trip them.” Oh, well, okay then. Completely safe.
I’m mostly kidding. Animal handlers on sets are experts, but as a human facing a pack of wolves, that fact probably goes right out the window once the lizard brain kicks in. The scene obviously worked, and if any “Yellowstone” scene is indicative of Beth’s character, it’s that one.
“Yellowstone” and its prequels “1883” and “1923” are currently streaming on Paramount+. The first season of “Yellowstone” is now being broadcast on CBS as a way for the network to stay afloat amid the actors strike. “Lawman: Bass Reeves” will begin streaming on Paramount+ on November 5, 2023.
