‘Dutton Ranch’ Season 1 Review: Stale But Comfort Viewing

While Taylor Sheridan is no longer involved with the Yellowstone franchise on a ground level, his influence can still be felt across Dutton Ranch, the latest spin-off in the Paramount+ franchise.

Dutton Ranch continues the story of Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, newly weds who move to Texas after the dissolving of the Yellowstone Ranch in Montana, eager to build their own legacy whilst honoring John Dutton’s (Kevin Costner). Over the course of the nine episode debut season, Beth, Rip, and adoptive son Carter (Finn Little) struggle to find their place in the community, whilst bumping heads (and other anatomical objects…) with the Jackson family, led by matriarch Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening). The synopsis for the series reads as follows:

“In season one, as Beth and Rip fight to build a future together – far from the ghosts of Montana – they collide with brutal new realities and a ruthless rival ranch that will stop at nothing to protect its empire. In South Texas, blood runs deeper, forgiveness is fleeting, and the cost of survival might just be your soul.”

The show, showrun by Chad Feehan in it’s first season, works best when it highlights these performances and their dynamics between one another. For me, the clear winner here is Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler, who by the books isn’t the greatest performance of the show, but he fits the character like a glove and his nonchalant performance is striking in more than one way. Rip has always been a highlight in this universe, but when the character is at odds with another (see his rivalry with Rob Will Jackson, as played by Jai Courtney, or his strained relationship with son figure Carter).

While the plot is about what we expect from these shows and elements of a mystery keep the viewer intrigued, its hard to argue that the story is becoming stale. At this point, the story of protecting Dutton ranches spans nearly ten seasons and after that much repetition, even the most stable of franchises will start to crack at the seems.

Dutton Ranch is interesting because its one of the seasons in this universe that actually has an antagonistic force beyond family squabbles. That force is part of the mystery, and what happens next is what really drives any meaningful discussion of the series. Despite all this, it remains a staple of TV and viewers will find comfort in that cheesy western spirit that these shows seem ripe with.

At this point in the show and the exploration between relationships between Rip, Beth, and Carter, you would think we would be past the whole daddy problems arguments, or the struggle of love gimmicks, and move onto something… more? This is where the show is at it’s most generic and frankly it’s most insufferable.

Dutton Ranch is many things, but it at the very least is engaging television, making for strong enjoyable television at its peak, and mediocre intrigue at its worst. The performances give the show what it needs to rise above the other spinoffs as a solid continuation of Yellowstone.

Dutton Ranch stars Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton, Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler, Finn Little as Carter, Ed Harris as Everett McKinney, Annette Bening as Beulah Jackson, Juan Pablo Raba as Joaquin “Kino” Jackson Reyes, Jai Courtney as Rob-Will Jackson, Natalie Alyn Lind as Oreana Lynn Jackson, and J. R. Villarreal as Azul Ramos. The series is now streaming all nine episodes on Paramount+ worldwide. Watch it below:

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