Lee Dutton appears in the first episode of Yellowstone and that’s it. That character is easily lovable and fans immediately took to him. As the oldest son of John Dutton (Kevin Costner), Lee is set to inherit the ranch and all that goes with it. However, things didn’t quite work out that way for the oldest Dutton sibling.
In the Yellowstone pilot, Lee Dutton (Dave Annable) and his family are seen battling the Native American people on a nearby reservation. After the Dutton’s cattle wandered onto reservation land, the Native Americans tried to keep the livestock. However, the Duttons weren’t going to let that happen. The groups had a standoff that ultimately led to violence and heartbreak.
What Happened To Lee Dutton On Yellowstone?
During the battle, Yellowstone fans watched Lee Dutton get shot by a resident of the reservation. The shooting happened right in front of Lee’s younger brother, Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes). Kayce immediately went to help his brother and found that the shooter was none other than his own brother-in-law. Kayce then shot and killed his wife’s brother and tried to save Lee.
Sadly, Lee died in the battle over the animals, and Kayce brought his body home to the ranch. John was devastated and took Lee’s body to find its final resting spot on their property. The Dutton family had a funeral and the entire episode was heartbreaking. Of course, this led to some big questions about who would take over the ranch as Kayce had no interest in running his family’s business. Meanwhile, the family’s lone daughter, Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) didn’t want the ranch either.
Lee’s death has been largely avoided by the Dutton family
Over the years since Lee Dutton’s death, the character has barely been mentioned. John has mourned the loss of his son from time to time. However, Lee’s legacy has seemingly been forgotten. While it’s understandable that the character had to die to move the storyline along, it seems wasted not to have more content revolving around him.
A younger version of Lee has been seen in flashbacks. However, fans would likely love to see more flashbacks involving a grown Lee and what he was doing on the Yellowstone ranch before his death. Did Lee have a girlfriend or possibly any secrets that the family didn’t know?
Perhaps Yellowstone will give viewers more Lee Dutton content in the future. However, many fans would like to see the family acknowledge Lee’s life and death a bit more on the show.
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