Beth Dutton is a badass, that much is certain. We’ve known it since the first episode of Yellowstone, but there is one scene in particular that defines her.
Pretty much everyone in the Dutton family is a badass (apart from Jamie, who, let’s just say, is very obviously not the pride of the Dutton bloodline). None of the clan are quite as wily as Beth Dutton, though, and there is no scene that highlights her badassery quite as much as the moment she comes to Monica’s rescue in season 2 episode 9.
Yellowstone is full of overly-dramatic, soap opera moments. It’s the main reason I fell in love with the show, and the Yellowstone cast all seem to thrive on this chaotic energy. But what Kelly Reilly does in the infamous boutique scene is nothing short of spectacular, and I don’t know whether to be impressed or uncomfortable.
In the episode, titled ‘Enemies by Monday’, Monica (the wife of Kayce Dutton) is shopping in a local boutique where she’s framed for shoplifting by the store’s owner, Veronique. It’s all because she doesn’t trust Native Americans, and is especially jealous of Monica’s youth. But, as difficult as this scene is to watch, it does allow Beth Dutton a chance to shine.
Knowing she’s in trouble, Monica recruits her feisty sister-in-law and asks her to come and help. Beth regularly goes above and beyond to support her family, and she doesn’t disappoint on this occasion.
Bursting through the door of the boutique in a blaze of leopard print and bruises, Beth finds Monica stripped down to her underwear as part of a questionable strip search by the local authorities. Beth puts a stop to the harrowing ordeal and confronts Veronique.
The ensuing shift of power delivers some of the best Beth Dutton quotes, as she quite literally strips Veronique down and makes her feel as small as she made Monica. Glass gets smashed, insecurities are poked, and Beth clearly relishes every second of it.
Fans of the show have celebrated this epic moment from their favorite Yellowstone character, and rightly so. It’s a scene that adds some much-needed depth to Beth and shows that she will stop at nothing to protect those closest to her — something that I fear will become even more apparent when Yellowstone season 5 part 2 arrives.
While this scene does demonstrate Beth’s innate strength and, on the surface seems like a cool moment, it is also indicative of Taylor Sheridan’s biggest weakness as a writer: women. Throughout the course of the Yellowstone timeline, Sheridan has used his female characters in ways that just don’t feel right; whether it be needless nudity or gratuitous catfighting.
The boutique scene essentially has three women on very different scales of the food chain, bullying each other. While I want to give Sheridan the benefit of the doubt and say that this is all for character development and deconstructing the way women treat one another, I have a bad feeling that the overriding thought in his head when writing this was simply: “How can I make this as dramatic and scandalous as possible?”
Still, even the best TV series have their flaws, like The Sopranos ending on a black screen, or Game of Thrones putting Bran on the Iron Throne. If you want to revel in happier cowboy times, check out our guides on the Yellowstone 6666 release date or the Yellowstone 1923 season 2 release date. Or, see which Yellowstone characters we think are most likely to die in the final season.