Kelly Reilly’s Yellowstone spinoff should drop Taylor Sheridan — Beth needs a fresh voice that moves past whiskey, trauma, and tired one-liners.

If Kelly Reilly’s Beth and Rip spinoff wants to actually work, it needs to leave Taylor Sheridan in the dust. I know, I know, he created Yellowstone, but somewhere between all those cowboy standoffs and overcooked monologues, he lost the plot, especially when it came to Beth. It was as if she got stuck in a loop of snarling one-liners and trauma flashbacks.

Frankly, give Beth a fresh writer who actually understands women beyond the whiskey-and-wounds trope. Reilly deserves better. Rip deserves better. And we, the fans definitely deserve a spinoff that doesn’t feel like a rerun.

Time to let Beth breathe without Taylor Sheridan’s chokehold

Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton in Yellowstone | Credits: Paramount Network

Let’s just rip the Band-Aid off: if the upcoming Beth and Rip spinoff wants to be more than a moody montage of bar fights and whiskey-soaked zingers, it HAS to cut Taylor Sheridan loose. Yes, he gave us the original Yellowstone, but somewhere along the way, he stopped writing Beth Dutton as a character and started writing her as a Tumblr quote machine.

Beth was never subtle. That’s fine. But she didn’t need to become a walking cartoon. Sheridan turned what could’ve been one of TV’s richest female leads into a “business genius” with no clear job, no arc, and no room to breathe. Just trauma, monologues, and rinse-repeat rage.

The problem: That’s not complexity. That’s repetition.

And it didn’t have to be this way. Look at Succession’s Shiv Roy – just as ruthless, but written with layers. Shiv falters. She fails. She second-guesses. Meanwhile, Beth yells, seduces, or explodes – pick one. Her trauma is glamorized. Her marriage to Rip is over-romanticized. Her feud with Jamie feels stuck in a loop.

And like I said before, Kelly Reilly deserves way better. The woman can act. Her subtle work in flashbacks hints at a version of Beth that could’ve been wounded, but evolving. Reilly herself admitted she often didn’t know where Sheridan was taking Beth and sometimes “wished for something else” for her character (via Insider).

Honestly, same.

Now that Yellowstone has ended and Paramount has confirmed the new spinoff for 2025, it’s a golden chance to hit reset. Let Beth grow. Let Rip really challenge her. Bring in a writer who sees women as people, not poetic wreckage in designer boots.

Because if this new chapter keeps TS at the wheel, it’ll just be more smoke, less fire. Again.

Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler deserve more than just flashbacks

Cole Hauser’s Rip with Kelly Reilly’s Beth Dutton in Yellowstone | Credits: Paramount Network

Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip are finally riding off into their own series, and I feel, it’s about time. After stealing every scene in Yellowstone with their explosive chemistry and decades-deep backstory, these two have earned their own spotlight. Paramount confirmed the spin-off ahead of the Yellowstone finale, with Taylor Sheridan (yes, still him) attached to write.

Now, I love a good cattle war as much as the next fan, but the real drama has always been Beth and Rip. Their romance started in the ashes of trauma – teenage heartbreak, secrets, and that gut-wrenching sterilization twist involving Jamie. It’s gritty, it’s tragic, and it’s begging for deeper exploration.

Sure, we’ll likely follow present-day Beth and Rip in the new series, but flashbacks NEED to be part of the deal. Their past holds the kind of emotional weight most shows dream of. And if done right, this spinoff could be pure gold.

Beth and Rip spinoff is set to premiere in November 2025. Watch Yellowstone on Peacock & Apple TV now.