I think it’s safe to say that Yellowstone fans had a lot of opinions about Season 4 of the western drama, and one character who has often been found on the receiving end of opinions is Eden Brolin’s Mia. In her case, the opinions tend to skew a bit negative, given Mia’s role in Jimmy bucking all good sense by getting back on a horse, and brutally falling off of it soon after, in Season 3’s finale. And even if he might not agree with harshness directed at any of his co-stars, Yellowstone’s Jefferson White can understand why fans take issue with Mia’s position.
Jefferson White spoke with CinemaBlend to promote the recently released Season 4 Blu-rays and DVDs, and after he talked about his biggest personal takeaways from the season, I asked how he felt about the backlash-y opinions against Mia, and here’s how he started his answer:
You know, it's interesting. I think it speaks to how good an actor Eden Brolin is, who plays Mia. And it really also speaks to, I think, Taylor has created a very difficult situation for Jimmy, right? Jimmy's boss - John Dutton, Kevin Costner - has paid his medical bills and given him this ultimatum, and it puts Jimmy in the position of having to choose between what he wants to do with his life, like his greatest dream, and his responsibility to his employer. You know, Mia says to Jimmy, 'Don't be another one of that rich man's cattle,' and I think that represents a decision that we're all faced with all the time: choosing between what we want to do - our own desires, our dreams, our hopes for ourselves - and the necessity of employment. The necessity of paying the bills and keeping a roof over our heads.
To White’s point, if Mia was portrayed by an actress whose portrayal came across as hollow or overly performative, the character would probably just feel like more of a tropey narrative hurdle than a human being worthy of social media ire. However, Eden Brolin makes Mia feel real, and it was clear at times why Jimmy was so enamored with her. Her confidence and shit-talking had a way of making Jimmy want to meet her expectations, even if it almost killed him.
To be sure, though, it’s not as if Mia was trying to talk Jimmy into something he had no interest in. By trying to get him back on the horse, despite any and all reasons not to, she was boosting his own ambitions as much as she was factoring in her own. And Jefferson White says that Mia is basically doing what anyone would do in trying to coax Jimmy through the difficult “rodeo success or Dutton loyalty?” decision, even if neither one of them were on the safest side of things. White continued:
So I think if people get mad at Mia, it's in part because she's just articulating this incredibly difficult position that Jimmy finds himself in, that we all find ourselves in. Which is: how do you choose? How do you choose between what you want your dream your greatest aspiration? For Jimmy in Season 3, it was to be a rodeo star, and when your boss tells you you can't... If your boss told you you couldn't do what you dream of doing anymore, it makes a difficult decision. And unfortunately, Eden Brolin in that conversation is going up against Kevin Costner, which is a hard fight to win, but she holds her own. Eden Brolin is an incredible actor, and I think the arguments she makes are incredibly compelling.
Yeahhhh, even if Jimmy himself wasn't directly part of this, the basic argument still comes down to "Kevin Costner's John Dutton vs. Eden Brolin's Mia," and no one is sillly enough to think Costner's John is going to lose out on that one. His ranch, his rules, his Jimmy. Wait, no, that's maybe taking it a little too far. Especially since John ended up setting Jimmy free from situational debt, allowing him to continue his current relationship with Kathryn Kelly's Emily.
Fans can relive Jimmy’s injuries, recovery, and his evolution into Genuine Cowboy Man by picking up Yellowstone Season 4 on Blu-ray and DVD. The set features a ranch-ful of featurettes and extras amounting to over four hours, so even when the episodes are over, there will still be plenty of behind-the-scenes magic to uncover, from the “Behind the Story” segments to the always hilarious “Stories from the Bunkhouse” conversations with White, Denim Richards and Ian Bohen. And don’t miss the flashback-focused extra where Tim McGraw makes a shocking reveal about the Dutton family.
Yellowstone’s first three seasons are also available to stream with a Peacock subscription, with Season 4 making its streaming debut on March 28. While waiting on more information about Season 5, head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows will be popping up soon.
