Beth Dutton is one of the main characters on the hit TV show Yellowstone. She is the only daughter of John Dutton, the patriarch of the Dutton family who own the largest ranch in the United States. Beth is a force to be reckoned with – she’s smart, calculating, and ruthless in her efforts to protect her family’s ranch and legacy. However, Beth also has some deep-rooted issues that cause problems for herself and her loved ones throughout the show’s four seasons so far.
Quick Answers
Some quick answers to what Beth’s main problems are on Yellowstone:
- Alcoholism and substance abuse issues
- Trouble with romantic relationships & intimacy
- Deep-seated anger, resentment, and trust issues
- Tendency to self-sabotage
- Ruthless behavior and tactics, even towards loved ones
These issues often stem from childhood trauma and adversity Beth faced growing up as a Dutton. Her experiences have shaped her into the complicated character she is today.
Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
One of Beth’s most apparent struggles on the show is alcoholism and substance abuse. She’s frequently seen consuming alcohol excessively or popping pills. Beth uses substances to cope with underlying pain and trauma.
In a flashback scene, a teenage Beth had a traumatic experience when she got pregnant and her father forced her to get an abortion. After this experience, she turned to alcohol and drugs as a means of escaping her emotions. This is likely what triggered her substance abuse issues.
Beth’s substance abuse causes problems in her life. For example, she often makes reckless decisions while intoxicated like spontaneously getting married in one episode. Her loved ones also express concern about her drinking and drug use.
In later seasons, Beth seems to curb her substance abuse slightly as she takes on more responsibility on the ranch. However, alcoholism remains an ongoing battle for her character.
Relationship Struggles
Another major issue Beth faces is difficulty with romantic relationships and intimacy. Throughout the show, she engages in several passionate but ultimately failed romances.
In a season one storyline, Beth had an intense fling with a rodeo cowboy named Rip Wheeler. Although they shared an undeniable connection, she ultimately pushed him away and broke his heart. Their complex history and unresolved feelings carry over into later seasons as well.
Beth also had a tumultuous relationship with a businessman named Bob in season two. She seemed to genuinely care for him, but sabotaged the relationship out of distrust and her own self-destructive tendencies.
Beth’s inability to fully commit or open herself up in relationships likely stems from past hurts and insecurities. Her fear of abandonment causes her to lash out and end relationships before she gets too close or vulnerable with someone.
Trouble Letting People In
Specifically, Beth seems to struggle with letting people in fully and trusting them. This surfaces in her romantic entanglements, but also in her familial relationships.
Although fiercely loyal to her father John Dutton, Beth keeps him at a distance emotionally. Their relationship is further complicated by the trauma of her forced abortion as a teen. This caused deep resentment between Beth and John for many years.
Beth’s brother Jamie is another person she holds at arm’s length, refusing to reconcile with him despite his efforts. Their rivalry traces back to childhood hurts and betrayals.
Until Beth is able to work through her trust issues and past hurts, she may continue to self-sabotage new relationships and push away the people who care about her most.
Anger and Resentment
Hand in hand with her trust issues, Beth also harbors intense anger and resentment that impact her life and relationships.
She often expresses bitterness about her upbringing on the ranch and the expectations placed on her as John Dutton’s daughter. Beth feels deep resentment towards Jamie since she perceives he had an easier childhood than her.
Her anger comes out through sarcastic digs and insults hurled at both loved ones and enemies alike. When Beth feels threatened or hurt, she lashes out on the offensive as a coping mechanism.
Beth also can’t seem to let go of past slights or betrayals. For instance, she spends years plotting revenge against two men who assaulted her in college. She also harbors resentment towards Jamie for past events against her family.
Until Beth can find a way to healthily process and release her anger, it will continue boiling over in hurtful and toxic ways in her life.
Self-Sabotage
Beth engages in a lot of self-destructive behaviors that sabotage her own happiness and interests at times. Her alcoholism is one form of self-sabotage, but far from the only one.
As mentioned, she undermines her own relationships and pushes away people like Rip who genuinely care for her. Beth also makes impulsive decisions like suddenly getting married without any regard for consequences.
She also can appear to intentionally provoke people against her. In business dealings, Beth deliberately insults and belittles potential partners as if trying to test their limits.
In essence, Beth’s own worst enemy is often herself. Until she addresses her inner demons, she will likely continue this dysfunctional pattern of self-sabotage.
Ruthlessness
Finally, Beth’s tendency towards ruthlessness and sometimes unethical behavior causes problems on Yellowstone.
She frequently resorts to threats, bribery, blackmail, and violence to accomplish her family’s business objectives. Beth justifies it as protecting the ranch, but her tactics disturb her loved ones at times.
Beth has ordered hits on people who cross her family. She underway cutthroat business deals without regard for who gets hurt. She also manipulates people through unscrupulous means if it serves her purposes.
While Beth’s protectiveness of her family is understandable, her complete lack of boundaries is concerning. She is so convinced of the righteousness of her cause that she’ll go to any lengths to serve it regardless of morality or collateral damage.
Hurting Loved Ones
Most tragic, Beth sometimes turns her ruthless behavior on her own inner circle. For instance, she blackmails Jamie using an adoption secret from his past, damaging their sibling relationship.
She also angrily rejects Rip multiple times, hurting someone who genuinely cares for and protects her. Beth lets her anger override how her actions affect those closest to her.
For Beth to find true happiness and redemption, she will need to temper her inner darkness and treat friends and family with more care and empathy.
Origins in Her Upbringing
Most of Beth’s issues seem to originate in her upbringing within the dysfunctional Dutton family on Yellowstone ranch.
As the only daughter, Beth faced huge pressure to conform to the family’s expectations for her. She rebelled hard in her teen years as seen through flashbacks of her drinking, partying, and spiral into addiction.
Her father John’s controlling nature also clearly contributed to Beth’s problems. Forcing her to get an abortion against her will left deep psychological scars. It understandably fueled Beth’s resentment and mistrust of him for many years.
The combative nature of the Dutton family shaped Beth’s ruthlessness and penchant for violence as means of solving problems and getting retribution. She absorbed these dysfunctional values growing up in the high-stakes ranch environment.
Despite her deep flaws, Beth remains fiercely loyal to her family legacy on Yellowstone. But until she comes to terms with the past, she’ll likely keep repeating destructive patterns that bring misery to both herself and her loved ones.
Possibilities for Redemption and Change
While Beth faces significant struggles, there are glimmers of hope that she can transcend her issues over the course of Yellowstone.
In season three, Beth makes efforts to curb her drinking and achieve more stability in partnership with Rip. She shows nascent self-awareness of her addictions and self-sabotage, marking early steps to overcoming them.
Beth also demonstrates her capacity for care, empathy and sacrifice in her unconditional love for young Carter, an orphan taken in by the Duttons. She bonds closely with the boy, and this relationship could be healing for her.
With her father John’s sudden decision to run for governor in season four, Beth could be forced to confront her demons more directly. The public scrutiny of politics combined with the high stakes for her family’s ranch may prompt an awakening.
Beth is deeply protective of her father and the family legacy. For their sake and her own, she may finally have to face her pain and change her patterns. If Beth can make peace with the past and soften her sharp edges, redemption could be within reach.
Conclusion
In summary, Beth Dutton’s central issues on Yellowstone stem from substance abuse, relationship struggles, deep-seated anger and resentment, self-sabotage, and ruthless behavior. Many of these patterns connect back to the childhood trauma and dysfunctional family dynamics she experienced growing up on the ranch.
While Beth’s story is still unfolding and her problems run deep, she is an incredibly compelling character. As one of the show’s leads, her journey will continue to drive much of the drama and intrigue. Fans remain invested in her redemption arc and the possibility that Beth may finally overcome her demons to achieve happiness and wholeness.