In the rugged terrain of Yellowstone, where moral lines are as blurred as the Montana skyline, Taylor Sheridan faces a heated debate. Fans are rallying around Jamie Dutton, defending him against the creator’s attempts to paint him as the villain. With Jamie’s character taking a darker turn, a recent revelation adds a new layer of complexity.
While Sheridan tries to shift the narrative to make Jamie the scapegoat, viewers argue that his actions are far from unforgivable. Let’s uncover the heated debate drama!
A complex anti-hero: Yellowstone fans root for Jamie Dutton despite show creator’s efforts
Jamie Dutton, Yellowstone‘s resident punching bag, might be villainous, but according to fans, he’s far from the real monster. Show creator Taylor Sheridan throws shade Jamie’s way, but viewers just aren’t buying it.
Take Beth, for example. Fans point to her as the true villain. Remember when she tricked Jamie into getting sterilized? Yeah, that wasn’t exactly a sisterly move. “It’s probably for the best that Beth can’t have children,” is the emotion many fans resonate with given her general terribleness towards everyone, including kids.
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Jamie, on the other hand, gets a surprising amount of sympathy. Sure, he’s messed up—like trying to impeach his own dad, the Montana Governor. But fans understand why. He’s constantly belittled by his family, used as a pawn, and just wants a shred of respect from John and Beth. Not gonna lie, Wes Bentley portrays Jamie’s character with such depth that fans can’t help but feel for the guy, even when he does things that are likely considered awful.
Show creator Sheridan himself admits Jamie’s complexity. While acknowledging his villainous acts, he highlights Bentley’s spectacular portrayal, which allows fans to understand Jamie’s motivations. He spilled the beans in an interview with the New York Times:
Is Jamie evil? In a lesser actor’s hands the answer would be easy, but Wes has crafted a vulnerable, honest, and emotional character who allows the audience to understand the motivation behind his actions, even if there is no questioning the act itself.
In fact, even director Stephen Kay echoes the sentiment, praising Wes Bentley’s ability to make us loathe and love his character at the same time. He even compares Jamie to The Godfather‘s Fredo, another fan-favorite complex character who elicits a mix of emotions.
So, is Jamie truly despicable? Diehard Yellowstone fans are going to disagree big time. They simply see a troubled man, manipulated and ostracized by his very own family. Jamie might’ve done some not-so-noble actions, but the character’s got such sensitivity and nuance, which makes fans believe whatever he did wasn’t wrong.
Team Jamie: Fans defend Jamie Dutton that he did nothing wrong
Taylor Sheridan might be aiming his writer’s chair at making Jamie Dutton the most hated character in the Yellowstone universe, but fans are having none of it. A chorus of ‘Team Jamie’ has sprung up on Reddit, with viewers defending his actions and pointing out the years of emotional abuse he’s endured at the hands of his own father, John Dutton.
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With fans supporting Jamie’s character oh-so-much, it looks like Sheridan’s plan to make Jamie the bad guy in the show may not have worked. In contrast, he ended up becoming a complicated and strangely well-supported character that fans are seriously empathetic toward.
Watch Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone on Peacock.
