Beth’s relationship with her mother is challenging, but it’s even more complex than you think.

THE BIG PICTURE
– Beth’s erratic behavior in Yellowstone can partially be traced back to her toxic relationship with her mother, Evelyn Dutton.
– Evelyn raised Beth to be just as tough as her brothers, believing it was necessary for survival in a male-dominated world.
– Despite their strained relationship, Evelyn’s teachings shaped the woman Beth became.

There’s no denying that Yellowstone’s Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) is quite a complicated character. Her viciousness, inability to hold a normal family conversation, and overall vengeful demeanor set her apart as one of the show’s most layered and controversial Duttons (which is saying something when you consider most of her kin are pretty devious themselves). But where does Beth’s erratic behavior come from? While many assume it stems from her soapy conflicts with Jamie (Wes Bentley), it actually goes back even further than that, all the way to her toxic relationship with her mother, Evelyn Dutton (Gretchen Mol).

Beth’s Relationship With Her Mother Is Revealed in Flashbacks on ‘Yellowstone’

Only appearing twice in the series via Season 1 flashbacks, Evelyn Dutton was a tough woman just like her daughter became. She didn’t mince words, did the same work as her husband (played by Josh Lucas in the ’90s flashbacks), and raised their children to be as tough as nails. The first time we ever see Evelyn (chronologically speaking, anyway) is on Christmas Day 1996, the first time Beth gets her period. While we don’t see much of Beth’s relationship with her mother prior to this event, it’s implied that they had a much softer and more traditional mother/daughter relationship beforehand. But that all changes here.

“I’m gonna tell you something my mother told me, and you’re not gonna like it,” Evelyn tells a young Beth (Kylie Rogers) in the flashback in “A Monster Is Among Us.” “I have to turn you into the man most men will never be, and I’m sorry in advance for doing it, because you’re going to hate it, sweetheart.” Evelyn’s monologue reveals that her mother did the same thing to her, and in turn, Evelyn was going to be sure that her own daughter could rival any of her brothers. Of course, the Dutton matriarch justifies her horrible comments and condescending attitude towards Beth as all being a part of this training and blames the need for it on the men of the world who will look at her differently because she’s a woman, seemingly ignorant to the fact that she’s doing the same to Beth.

“It was the best gift she ever gave me,” Evelyn further reveals. “And now I have to give it to you.” This “gift,” of course, is the rigorous and disciplined training Evelyn puts Beth through to become a mini-version of her, and in some ways, she becomes even worse. “My standard is my mother,” Beth eventually tells her father (Kevin Costner) decades later, emphasizing the fact that Beth traces all her own actions back to what Evelyn taught her. In some ways, Evelyn’s “gift” proves that she doesn’t hate her daughter, as she gives lip service to the fact that it’s seemingly out of love that she gets harder on Beth. Whether that’s true or just some warped justification for treating her child poorly is up for debate, but there seems to possibly be another reason for Evelyn’s actions.

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.