She may not be a physical presence on the show, but the weight of Evelyn Dutton's life — and death — is felt throughout the Yellowstone series. While viewers have seen their fair share of loss, it's rare that a deceased character is so entirely and deeply woven into the fabric of every member of the fictional Dutton family.
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Now, halfway through season 5 (with the second and final installment premiering this November), we should have moved far past the untimely death of the ranch's matriarch. Yet her memory endures, and her legacy continues to shape the destiny of the ranch and the family she left behind.
She also left a lot of unanswered questions. Who was Evelyn Dutton — and what secrets did she take to the grave? Let's take a closer look at the character no one can seem to let go of.
Who Is Evelyn Dutton?
Evelyn Dutton was the matriarch of the Dutton family and the loving wife of John Dutton (Kevin Costner). Not much is known about her past and her life before meeting John and moving to his family's ranch, but we can assume she also grew up in the Bozeman, Montana, area.
Her official title and job on the ranch were also never mentioned, but from the small appearances we do see of her, it's clear that Evelyn was no stranger to horse riding. We also know that she and John had a seemingly loving and strong marriage before she passed away.
Fans will remember Beth Dutton's infamous take on their relationship: "My mother was the spine of this family. She was the center. And the best of him died with her." Even John Dutton acknowledged his shortcomings as a single father, telling his son, Kayce Dutton, "I'm half the man without her. It's not an excuse, but I was just a better father when she was with me."
Who Plays Evelyn Dutton?
The character of Evelyn Dutton is brought to life by longtime actress Gretchen Mol. While her Yellowstone appearance was definitely iconic, it's nowhere near her most important role to date. You'll likely recognize her as Gillian Darmody from the crime drama Broadway Empire or from films such as The Thirteenth Floor, 3:10 to Yuma and Manchester by the Sea. She currently plays Linda Mason in the hit drama Perry Mason.
Even though her work on Yellowstone has been minor, Mol told TVInsider that she would be more than willing to come back to the series and continue to shed some light on who Evelyn Dutton was.
"I got this call [asking], 'Do you want to be involved in this show with Taylor Sheridan?' I had just watched Wind River, and it was really me just wanting to be a part of whatever he was creating because I knew there'd be good characters."
Who Are Evelyn Dutton's Kids?
As it stands, Evelyn was the mother of four children: Lee (Dave Annable), Jamie (Wes Bentley), Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Kayce (Luke Grimes). It is important to note that she's the biological mother to only three of her four kids, as she and John Dutton adopted Jamie when he was just a baby.
Who Was Evelyn Dutton's Favorite Child?
While the flashbacks to Evelyn's life are few and far between, one dynamic is super clear: She had a special bond with her youngest, Kayce.
We never see her explicitly say that he is her favorite child, but the scene in which she dies makes it crystal clear by telling Beth to go get help and wanting Kayce to stay by her side. Many Yellowstone fans agree, and one Redditor was quick to remind everyone that Beth pointed out where Kayce stood in the family hierarchy
"I still think Kayce is John's favorite. He's the youngest of the family, and he's Evelyn's favorite. When John was trying to cremate Lee's body to save Kayce, Beth said it's not even a question, he was always her favorite."
What Happened To Evelyn Dutton?
When the show first premiered, there was a lot of buildup to learning about what happened to Evelyn. Finally, we see in a flashback from 1997 that she was out riding with Beth and Kayce when her horse got spooked. She was bucked off, and the horse fell over, crushing her.
Whether Beth's hesitation with riding her horse is what caused Evelyn's horse to jump isn't entirely clear. But we know that Evelyn sure felt that way, because afterward — in her dying breath — she said: "She did this. Let her undo it."
By the time John Dutton made it over to his wife and son, it was too late. She had passed away, leaving behind four children and a devastated husband.
Is Yellowstone Ending After Season 5?
Rumors had circled the internet suggesting that season 5 will be the last of Yellowstone ever since talk of Costner's scheduling conflicts arose at the start of the year. It's now been confirmed that not only will season 5 be Costner's last, but the series will end as well. A new sequel is in the works starring Matthew McConaughey and will air in December. And word is that many of the original Yellowstone cast members will be involved, reprising their characters as the story goes on.
Will We See Evelyn Again?
At this point, it's unclear whether Evelyn will make any more appearances in flashback episodes alongside Josh Lucas as Young John. It seems likely that Lucas will most likely be returning for the second set of season 5 episodes, since there were some storylines that didn't get wrapped up in his flashbacks. As for whether we'll get any more glimpses of the love of his life, we'll have to see what Taylor Sheridan has up his sleeve — for what we can only assume will be an epic ending to kick off the new sequel series.
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