Unmissable Warning Signs from the Couples on Yellowstone

Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler’s love story began when they were teenagers, which resulted in an unplanned pregnancy. In Season 3 of “Yellowstone,” a flashback reveals that after discovering that she was pregnant, Beth asked her brother Jamie Dutton to help take her to a clinic for an abortion. One of the rules of the clinic was that the women had to be sterilized along with the abortion, and without telling Beth, Jamie agreed. She found out after the procedure had taken place, and although she was furious, Beth hid the pregnancy and abortion to protect Wheeler from her father’s anger.

Ahead of Season 5, Cole Hauser hinted to Entertainment Weekly that his character would find out about Beth’s secret. “In the beginning, there’s some wonderful moments between the two of us, some stuff that she’s going through in her past, that she’s having to acknowledge for the first time, and me trying to help her through that,” he shared. The actor added, “The war feels internal this year for her. [She’s] haunted by the past, afraid for the future, and fighting with all she has for the present moment.” However, the series ended without Beth ever revealing the abortion, and if there’s a possible “Yellowstone” spinoff centered around the troubled-yet-lovable couple, Wheeler just might find out.

Dawn Olivieri’s character, Sarah Atwood, appeared in Season 5 of “Yellowstone” as a Market Equities employee who wanted to take down the Duttons for their land. She caught Jamie Dutton’s eyes, and together, they plotted to overthrow the ranch’s patriarch, John Dutton. The two each had their agendas, with Jamie feeling like he would never get his father’s approval, and Atwood simply wanting to succeed for her company. Wes Bentley, who played Jamie, told Swooon ahead of Season 5 Part 2, “It’s interesting, the connection between Sarah and Jamie. I can’t tell, are these real feelings? Are they both using each other? Is one using the other? Is there something at play here?”

Jamie and Sarah did indeed have a romantic connection, but in the end, their need for revenge resulted in two tragic deaths. Atwood employed a hitman to have John killed, and she later ended up getting shot by hired gunmen herself. Although it’s unclear who wanted her dead, it’s not surprising that she had a few enemies. Olivieri told the New York Post of her character, “We all want to be touched in a loving way when we’re OK and safe, and when we’ve been treated right. And Sarah is not OK. She’s not right. So to her, power is love and the transaction is what feels like love: ‘You care about me if you win with me, or if you listen to everything I say.”

Mia and Jimmy Hurdstrom had all the makings of a good relationship in the beginning when the barrel racer caught the attention of the rodeo rider during Season 3 of Yellowstone. However, things took a toxic turn when Hurdstrom, played by Jefferson White, got severely hurt after being thrown off a bronco. Mia, portrayed by Eden Brolin, visited him in the hospital, and despite several broken bones, she seduced him while he could barely move.

That wasn’t the only red flag Mia displayed. After Hurdstrom promised John Dutton that he wouldn’t ride in rodeos again, his then-girlfriend pressured him into competing. “I don’t want to live the rest of my life in a wheelchair,” Hurdstrom told Mia when he was still not fully recovered. She answered, “When I saw you rodeo, I saw a really happy man. I saw a man who risked his life to do what he loved, and I fell in love with him. Be that man, and you can have me. But be this one and I’ll see you later.” The toxic ultimatum prompted Hurdstrom to attempt riding again, only to have the horse buck him off, which landed him in the hospital again. Unhappy that the ranch hand broke his promise, Dutton sent him off to Texas, and Mia ended the relationship, thinking that Hurdstrom cared more about his Yellowstone family than her.