Steven McBee jokes brother Cole was once the family’s version of Beth Dutton, while Jesse reminds him most of Kayce
Credit: Ralph Bavaro/Bravo via Getty; Paramount Network
NEED TO KNOW
- The McBee brothers say they understand why fans often draw parallels between their family and the Duttons from Yellowstone
- Steven McBee jokes that brother Jesse is most like Kayce Dutton, while Cole used to be the family’s answer to Beth Dutton
- The brothers say season 3 captures one of the most chaotic and emotionally intense periods their family has faced yet, all while staying completely authentic on-camera
The McBee brothers know exactly why fans compare their family to the Duttons on Yellowstone.
While speaking exclusively to PEOPLE ahead of season 3 of The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys, brothers Steven McBee Jr. and Cole McBee weighed in on the comparisons between their family's high-stakes Missouri farming empire and Taylor Sheridan's hit ranch drama.
The Bravo reality series follows the McBee family as they navigate mounting business pressures, personal drama and the ongoing question of who will ultimately take over their father Steve McBee Sr.'s sprawling cattle and farming operation.
Like the Duttons, the McBees are a tight-knit family constantly juggling loyalty, conflict and the future of their land.
“Everybody compares it to Yellowstone,” Cole tells PEOPLE. “You watch Yellowstone and you're like, ‘Man, how can this much crazy stuff happen?' Well, that's a TV show.”
Credit: PEACOCK
“This much stuff is going on in our day-to-day lives over a three and half month span,” he continues. “All of that happens in our real life. It isn't a movie set. It's our actual life.”
For Steven, one of the easiest comparisons to make is between his quieter brother Jesse and Luke Grimes' Kayce Dutton.
“Jesse and Kayce on Yellowstone are a lot alike,” Steven says. “They're both very quiet and low-key. Jesse's the exact same way.”
But it's Cole's Yellowstone counterpart that prompted the funniest comparison.
“I've always said Cole was our Beth Dutton [Kelly Reilly] of the family,” Steven jokes.
Cole immediately laughs at the comparison as Steven quickly clarifies that version of Cole may be in the past.
“Yeah, maybe Cole version one is a little more Beth,” he says. “Cole version two is a little closer to Rip [Cole Hauser] than he is Beth.”
The brothers say season 3 captures one of the most intense periods their family has faced yet, as business pressures and personal challenges collide in ways they never expected.
Credit: Danno Nell/Paramount Network
“There was just so much,” Steven says. “I feel like we've said this for two seasons in a row, but I truly mean it. With season 3, I did not think our lives could get any busier, more hectic or have more unexpected events happen.”
Though the stakes are high, the brothers say they've never felt pressure to hold back on-camera.
“Honestly, we really didn't,” Cole says when asked whether the family had conversations about what they felt comfortable sharing. “Everybody says we share too much. They've already told us, ‘You guys don't ever shut your mouths.' "
Steven says that level of honesty has always been intentional.
“When we got into reality TV, we sat down as a family and said if we're going to do this, we'd rather show who we are authentically — both our good sides and our bad sides — than try to curate a perfect image for TV,” he says.
“We'd rather be imperfectly authentic than curate a perfect image.”
And while that openness has led to criticism at times, Steven believes it's also the reason viewers continue to connect with the family.
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“I think that's why people connect to it,” he says. “It certainly creates some tough opinions online and some negative opinions, but we'd rather be authentic and showcase that we're human and that we do have flaws — very apparent flaws.”
The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys airs on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET.
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