“Honored to be counted among you.” In her first Yellowstone-centric post in months, Beth Dutton’s Kelly Reilly is celebrating her Gracie Awards win.
With so much troubling press surrounding the show, it’s lovely to see fan favorites celebrating the positive. And there’s none more beloved than Kelly Reilly. As the indominable Dutton daughter, Reilly elevated Yellowstone as both a drama and ensemble piece – and then some.
The modern western was, remember, pitched critically and commercially as a Kevin Costner project. But it would be Reilly’s powerful performance that came to define the show. Beth Dutton spawned the series’ most quoted lines and re-watched moments. She’s a one-of-a-kind tour de’ force, and the biggest loss of Paramount Network’s flagship series ending prematurely.
So when Reilly posted a celebratory message and photo of her Beth to Instagram this week, it was a breath of fresh air. “Thank you [Alliance For Women In Media] for this,” she writes. “Honored to be counted among you.”
Reilly won the award during the 48th Annual Gracie Awards earlier this year. “Today (and always!) we’re celebrating Kelly Reilly for winning The Gracies,” Yellowstone posted to their Facebook page back in March.
It’s a fantastic award to receive, too. As founding organization Alliance For Women In Media cites, “The Gracie Awards recognize exemplary programming created by women, for women and about women in all facets of media and entertainment. They also acknowledge the individuals who have made inspirational contributions to the industry.”
Named after the late Gracie Allen, the Gracie Awards also acknowledge outstanding team leadership and individual achievement. In kind, The Gracies focus on women who are making positive change and who further the discussion of what a fulfilling career in media looks like.
And after covering this show for years with Paramount, I can say that is absolutely Kelly Reilly.
‘Will ‘Yellowstone’s end cost us Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton?’
Yet as she won her Gracie, Yellowstone was already in the midst of a shakeup that would, unfortunately, spell its end. Now, the question becomes, will Yellowstone‘s end cost us Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton?
Season 5’s first half has aired. That long-toted second half, however, has yet to be able to film. But in the episodes we’ve seen so far, Yellowstone took Reilly’s on-screen husband, Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) to Texas to babysit his boss’ and he father’s (Kevin Costner’s John Dutton) cattle. Along for the ride are Teeter (Jen Landon), Ryan (Ian Bohen), Jake (Jake Ream), and Walker (Ryan Bingham).
In all likelihood, this was a direct set-up of the Yellowstone sequel; something that’s been in the works for as long as this behind-the-scenes drama has been playing out. And as Season 5 dragged out this Texas storyline, franchise mastermind Taylor Sheridan was hand-picking the team he wanted to continue on this legacy. He’s a master at playing the long game.
If anyone could carry on this brand in the absence of John and Beth, it’s Hauser’s Rip. But do audiences want to see these characters without their Dutton connections? It’s going to be a stretch, in the least.
‘That forever kind of love’
I can’t speak for fans, but personally, I sincerely hope that Kelly Reilly continues to be a part of this sequel. Beth and Rip have that forever kind of love, right? So who’s to say the Dutton daughter won’t be coming down to Texas to check up on her husband and cattle? Or perhaps we’ll be treated to visits to the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch? Beth was given a direct connection to the 6666 (Four Sixes) storyline in Season 5, after all.
It’s disappointing to have Yellowstone close with such negative press surrounding Costner and Sheridan, but Season 5’s first half did take John, Beth, and Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) to their brink. It’s hard to imagine any further seasons with this family as the focus topping this storyline, let alone bringing truly fresh drama to the table, in kind.
So here’s to hoping Kelly Reilly can continue as her force of nature, despite what’s playing out behind-the-scenes.