Kelly Reilly Weighs In On Beth Dutton Making Carter Cry During The Yellowstone Season 4 Finale

Carter Yellowstone

With Season 5 of Yellowstone right around the corner, now is as good a time as any to reflect back on what happened in Season 4.

Although this past season didn’t have near the dramatic ending that Season 3 did, it appears that the whole episode was a buildup to Beth, as she’s finally met someone who can match her energy in Caroline Warner, the new Market Equities CEO who is ready to put Beth into the ground for good.

With that being said, there were several moments in the episode where we see both the humanity, and also wickedness that Beth can display at times.

And one of those scenes in general?

The scene where Carter refers to her as “mama.”

Kelly Reilly (Beth) recently sat down for an interview with Esquire, and discussed everything from Season Four, including that heartbreaking scene with Carter in the final episode.

Reilly was asked about how Beth responded “yeah, baby,” but then proceeded to stop herself, almost as if she was feeling like a fish out of water.

Completing against the nurturing, kind-hearted nature of Kelly Reilly herself, she admitted that the scene really had her shook, even though Finn Little (who plays Carter) was able to laugh it off right after they hear “cut.”

Here’s what she said:

“Firstly, Finn, who plays Carter, has this cherubic, angelic face. When his eyes are filling with tears and I’m being mean to him, it’s so upsetting and it’s so impossible because it’s the opposite of who I am.

Then as soon as we say cut, he’s just laughing and playing snowball fights and being a kid. And I’m distraught in the corner—the opposite of what we both were playing in the scene.”

I mean, that scene had A TON of Yellowstone fans pissed off at Beth.

But for Reilly, it cuts to the core of the character, Beth Dutton, whose own traumatic childhood overpowers her. It’s a defense mechanism… Beth thinks she’s actually protecting Carter, even though love is what he needs right now.

“I don’t think she ever had that, even when her mother was alive. So in that moment, I think she knows how to handle it. She’s about to go kill someone and ruin her life. She isn’t going to tell that kid, “I will be your mother,” even if her heart wants that more than anything, because she could abandon him again.

When I read it, and when I was playing it in my head, there was a few things happening, one of them being she was protecting him from her, and being truthful about the fact that you only get one. I’m not your mother, I’m your friend.”

Ultimately, taking a kid in off the street is a much more complicated endeavor, and Taylor Sheridan prides himself on pursing more authentic stories.

“It’s not like they’re writing on a fucking napkin going, “Here you are everyone, life’s neatly well done. You can’t have kids, here I’m going to give you one and have a little, happy family.” That’s not Yellowstone, and it’s not real life.

These are really complicated, difficult, flawed characters who have had despicable, awful, painful childhoods, trying to understand what a kid needs in that moment? We both took the scene as it was intended and written.

I think that it was powerful, because the payoff when one day that relationship may or may not become something really earned, is going to be stunning.”

You have to appreciate the rawness and reality of the situation, as Beth has encountered an uncharted territory for her as she’s reaching borderline motherhood, something she thought she’d never have.

It’s not so simple for her to say, “Oh man, I’m a mom to this boy.”

Not to mention, the Dutton’s are not necessarily a loving family, or have never really known how to display love in the correct way.

Yellowstone ain’t about happily ever afters like your basic TV show, and that’s why Taylor Sheridan is an absolute genius.

Will Beth soften up… only time will tell.

If you’re looking for the entire Yellowstone soundtrack, complete through every episode of Season 4, then look no further.

Our Yellowstone: The Soundtrack Playlist, featuring every song from every episode, updated in real time, every Sunday night.

Spotify

Apple Music

Shop the Yellowstone Collection from Whiskey Riff Shop

 

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