Why Was Beth’s Mother So Tough on Her in ‘Yellowstone’?
The strange relationship between John Dutton and his adult daughter has been a subject of controversy in the past. Many find it odd and even off-putting that Beth continues to call her father “daddy” well into her thirties and forties, depending on how old she actually is. Additionally, Beth’s frequent meltdowns concerning John’s love life––most notably against Summer Higgins (Piper Perabo), which is fair given they’re about the same age––point to the fact that Beth sees herself, in some ways, as her mother’s replacement within the family. While this, thankfully, doesn’t extend to anything romantic or incestuous (she’s got a husband of her own, after all), flashbacks to her teenage years seem to imply that she and John have always had a special bond.
The relationship between a father and a daughter is a wondrous thing, but for someone like Evelyn Dutton who can make a big deal out of nothing (such as Beth’s struggle to ride a horse), it’s possible that there was some jealousy involved. Admittedly, Yellowstone never reveals if Evelyn was ever jealous of her daughter. We never see that on screen, nor does anyone ever reference that as a possibility. However, Beth’s blind allegiance to her father and the strangeness surrounding their relationship is something that, if it had existed prior to Evelyn’s death, might also explain some of her mother’s irritation and harshness toward her. If Evelyn thought that John focused too much on Beth rather than her, well, that could’ve easily caused some real conflict within the Dutton household.