Fans of Yellowstone tune into the series for many reasons, one of which is the multifaceted characters that bring the layered story to life. One of those characters joined the series in season four, and her name is Summer Higgins.
When we first meet Summer in season four, it was clear that she wasn’t just a passing character, and would impact the Dutton family in more ways than one. So just who is Summer Higgins, which actor plays the controversial character, and why is she stuck in such an unfortunate place with Beth Dutton? Let’s find out.
Who is Summer Higgins on Yellowstone
Summer Higgins first made her Yellowstone debut in the season four episode “Under a Blanket of Red”. As part of a group of protesters, Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) first encounters Summer before John (Kevin Costner) arrived on the scene to try to get a handle on the situation. After meeting Summer and learning that she was “in charge” of the protest and that this wasn’t her first rodeo, he tells the Livestock Agents to press charges against her. What fans didn’t see coming is that John would be the one to get her out of jail.
By bailing her out and bringing her to the ranch, John hoped Summer would see that things weren’t as awful as she might believe. Things, of course, get out of hand in more ways than one. When Summer and John shared some adult time, Beth is enraged and makes it her goal to ruin Summer’s life.
When Summer is given a hefty sentence after being arrested yet again, Yellowstone fans thought they had seen the last of her for a little while. That is until John Dutton became Governor of Montana. Out of jail once more, having served a year of her sentence, Summer returns to the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch in episode five, and things get bloody rather quickly. So what happened with Summer’s reappearance, and how will it play into the family’s future? Only time will tell.
Who plays Summer Higgins on Yellowstone
Piper Perabo brings Summer Higgins to life in Yellowstone. Perabo has played beloved, sultry, and influential characters ranging from Nora in Cheaper by the Dozen to Julia McCullough in The Prestige, and her latest role as Summer channels pieces of some of her most beloved parts along the way. She’s feisty, strong, opinionated, tough, and vulnerable, but we have only begun to scratch that surface with her after the happenings in the most recent episode of Yellowstone.
Perabo is also a supporter of several charitable organizations and voter education campaigns, even working with Yellowstone co-star Mo Brings Plenty on a Ride for Early Voting campaign in November. She often uses her social media platforms to educate her followers; much like her character in Yellowstone, she cares deeply about the world around her and wishes to bring knowledge to those looking for it.
Why does Beth hate Summer
While the fifth episode of season five certainly brought clarity between Summer Higgins and Beth Dutton, the two have had a strictly hate-hate relationship up until that point. When Beth first saw Summer in her kitchen back in season four, she was sure she had broken into their home. Beth soon found out that she was invited in as her father’s company, which only made matters worse.
Summer found it odd that Beth was jealous of a woman her father was spending time with, and Beth found it strange that Summer dared to utter her name at all. You don’t mess with Beth Dutton, but that’s not something Summer learned the easy way. The two have been at war since their first unfortunate meeting, and things came to a head in episode five of season five.
When John asked Beth to zip it at the dinner table because Kayce and his family were there and still suffering through their tragedy, she took a few stiff drinks and made her way to the table she hates. Beth quickly asked Summer to join her for a walk, and things got heated as the pair began fighting in the yard.
When Rip (Cole Hauser), Beth’s husband and everyone’s favorite cowboy, came outside to see what was going on, he scolded the women for their behavior, telling them to get it together and handle this the right way. That led to the women hitting one another until one bowed out, and we’ll let you guess who that was. It also led to Beth extending a hand to Summer and an area of common ground to stand upon.
In a few scenes after their big fight, the two appeared to chat about mundane things, nothing too emotionally charged, but it was more than they’d shared before. So why did Beth hate Summer so much? The reasoning is both simple and complex at once: Beth was unsure of what Summer’s intentions were with her father, and fans know that nothing matters to Beth more than protecting John Dutton.
As season five continues, we’ll undeniably see more interactions with these two, and we can’t wait. Summer might not have started as someone we thought we’d be rooting for, but Perabo has made it happen. You can see what’s next for Summer as Paramount airs new episodes of Yellowstone on Sunday nights.