‘Yellowstone’ Cast Reflects On Jamie Dutton As A Great TV Villain: “Because He’s Not Just A Villain… I’ve Felt Such Compassion For Him”

Now that we've had a little time to digest the ending of Yellowstone, could one make an argument that Wes Bentley's Jamie Dutton is one of the best TV villains of all time? Or should Jamie Dutton be categorized as an anti-hero? Could his journey throughout the show allow for him to be considered both? Those are all questions worth pondering, and important ones to try and answer, because the list of TV's best anti-heroes and TV's best villains are very much different. As confusing as it might sound, some of the best shows of all time have both anti-heroes and villains present. Take Breaking Bad, for example. Even though Bryan Cranston's iconic role of Walter White featured some horrible acts, fans of the show were rooting for him. There was a revolving door of villains opposite of him, most notably drug lord Gus Fring, played by Giancarlo Esposito. So when you think of Yellowstone, the one obvious anti-hero was Kevin Costner's John Dutton. However, there was a multitude of other character's throughout the show's five season run that had flashes of anti-hero and villain characteristics. And as the show was close to reaching it's finish line, the one clear villain was Bentley's Jamie Dutton. Cast members Denim Richards, Ian Bohem and Jefferson White all sat down to talk about the finale on the latest episode of Stories from the Bunkhouse. Bohem, who plays the ranch hand Ryan in the show, spoke on how there was really only one way the series could come to a close - Jamie and Beth Dutton squaring off: "I think given what's happened as we reach the last episode of this season, the conflict between Beth and Jamie... I don't think you could have ended it another way. Even as much as we would have wanted to have a happier ending. I think it was in the stars early on. Maybe back when he committed the crimes against her when she was young." That comment sparked White, who played Jimmy, to commend the overall performance that Wes Bentley put forth in his portrayal of Jamie: "I think the last thing John Dutton would have wanted is his kids practically killing each other. I think it's like, I don't know when the appropriate time to do this is, but I think we could be remiss if we didn't take a moment to pour one out for Jamie Dutton (portrayed by) Wes Bentley. Perhaps one of the great villain performances of all time because he's not just a villain." Interesting point there by White - and that last part almost defines him as an anti-hero. The actor continued by providing his argument for Jamie being one of the best TV villains ever. Much of his reasoning leaned on the fact that Bentley's performance tugged at the heartstrings of viewers and showed he was a human just as often as he was a bad guy: "There's been so many times throughout the show that I've felt such compassion for him. When he started out in season one, it really felt like the question was, 'Is he a good guy? Is he a part of this family? Is he on the team?' I feel like he so deftly and nimbly navigated that line this whole time. All the way up to this year when he is crying about JD's death. I really feel such compassion for him. He's clearly so twisted up. His better angels lost their battle most of the time, but they were always there in the back." Often times, you can spot a great villain performance when the person behind the character manages to make you feel sympathy and compassion for them - even though you know they're the "bad guy" in the show. Like White stated, Wes Bentley did such a tremendous job with the complexity of Jamie Dutton that fans would be forced to internally tackle the fact that they were simultaneously rooting for and against him. Jamie Dutton didn't always stick out as the main villain of the show, but there's certainly an argument to be had that he's one of TV's best villains considering the arc that the character went on over five seasons. Fans of the show were obviously rooting for Costner's John Dutton, but even Jamie had his moments. And they ultimately both met the final fate that most villains have in common. You can hear more about Jamie Dutton and other performances from the western drama in the latest episodes of Stories from the Bunkhouse linked below: https://youtu.be/n1r7tRyErVA?si=lWXE6a1fnol_M1Ft&t=384