This article contains spoilers for season five of Yellowstone
Wes Bentley is Yellowstone‘s Jamie Dutton, and with the conclusion of the midseason finale of season five, he’s got murder on the brain.
Of course, with a train station that the Dutton family frequents, murder isn’t unheard of at the Yellowstone. In fact, fans saw Jamie take the life of his biological father at the end of season four, and it was an intense moment to say the least. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Bentley shared a lot of insight into what Jamie has been up against as a character, where his storyline is likely headed, and even talked about what he and Kelly Reilly go through to prepare for their intense scenes.
When asked if he thinks Jame is truly capable of killing Beth, Bentley says he believes he has to be. There are no choices now, there is only life or death, and he’s not ready to die.
“I think he has to. There’s an element of: This has to happen now because the play that’s been made only allows for that. He knows this. They’re gonna kill him now like he thought they would if he played the impeachment game. He’s a chess player. He’s three steps ahead. He’s thought it through a hundred times. When he says, “It’s over, Beth,” and she says, “No, it’s not,” that’s his cue. “Oh, you’re gonna try and kill me now.” So my move has to be asking for help killing her. I don’t know if he could do it with his own hands. He did kill his own [birth] father, but Beth is closer to him than his father. You know, they have a close relationship. Part of the pain and hate between them comes from the loss of that wonderful relationship they had before.”
Part of the catalyst for the new version of Jamie is the love lost between himself and Beth. While Beth has felt nothing but disdain for her brother for years, Jamie used to hold a candle for their relationship, believing that there would be a day when they’d find common ground to stand upon again.
After everything that happened in the fourth season, Bentley said that Jamie had lost all hope in a future where the two could be anything but enemies. The loss of that hope also extinguished something in Jamie, and we’ve seen a different side of him since; while some would say he’s grown more confident, it’s also painfully apparent that he’s missing something; a light within him is far dimmer.
We’ll have to wait to see who lives and who dies when season five returns this summer, but no matter what happens from here, the battle lines are drawn, and the Dutton family war is just beginning.