The last we saw of Kelly Reilly’s Beth and Cole Hauser’s Rip in the series finale of “Yellowstone,” they had just settled into their new home, a ranch in the quiet outpost of Dillon, Montana. For one perfect, sun-dappled moment, it appeared as if Beth and Rip and their teenage ward Carter (Finn Little) might be able to shake off the ghosts and the pain of the past, and find something approaching tranquility.
Fat. Chance.
Cut to the premiere of the spinoff/sequel series “Dutton Ranch.” Before we even get to the obligatory title card sequence with beautifully atmospheric, neo-Western imagery set against the typically rousing theme from Taylor Sheridan Universe stalwarts Brian Tyler and Breton Vivian, Beth and Rip’s dreams of an idyllic life are shattered. I’ll not reveal the circumstances, other than to say that Beth sizes up the situation and says, “We start again,” and the next stop is Rio Paloma, in South Texas, with a new home for Beth, Rip, and Carter. They purchase a legacy property from a family and rename it Dutton Ranch.
Beth, Rip, and Carter quickly learn that while the tragic and blood-spattered events of Yellowstone are in the rearview mirror, they’ve somehow managed to take root in ANOTHER hotbed of conflict. This is a place where disputes are settled with fisticuffs and guns, where racism and class warfare often bubble to the surface, where revenge and subterfuge are the order of the day, and where the bond of family and friendship is strong. And oh yeah, a potential formidable enemy lives just down the road, and will stop at nothing if you get in their way. It’s as if everyone in this (fictional) town has been waiting their whole lives for the Dutton-Wheelers to show up just so they can ratchet up the conflicts.
(In classic “Yellowstone” franchise fashion, characters occasionally pause amidst the chaos to wax poetic, e.g., Beth saying of Texas, “Sky doesn’t stop here. It’s like you can see forever,” and Rip replying, “Well, baby, if you look hard enough, maybe you can.” Now let’s get back to the action!)
With Chad Feehan serving as creator and showrunner (yet reportedly exiting before the show’s premiere), “Dutton Ranch” exists within a smaller world than “Yellowstone”; I don’t think anybody in this series is going to run for governor. Still, like its predecessor, this is a satisfying mix of intrigue, action, and modern Western soap opera, set against the backdrop of the breathtaking yet unforgiving South Texas plains. Reilly and Hauser pick up where they left off and continue their run as one of the strongest, sexiest, most badass TV couples of the decade. They’re joined by an outstanding cast of series regulars, led by two treasured veteran stars in Annette Bening and Ed Harris.
The quality of the writing and the acting is such that it takes only one or two scenes to become familiar with a wide range of characters—some world-weary but warmhearted, some with evil intentions oozing from their pores, others a bit more…complicated. Each episode is like a well-marbled ribeye with plenty of meat on the bone; in fact, one memorable sequence actually revolves around a perfectly grilled steak, and Beth uses her wiles to make sure that particular steak gets put in front of the right man.
As the setbacks and conflicts pile up, Rip exclaims, “What the f— is going on around here?” Rip, we hear ya. “Dutton Ranch” plays like a game of high-stakes Whac-A-Mole for Rip and Beth, with a fresh challenge or obstacle popping up with nearly every sunrise.
Bening plays Beulah Jackson, a kind of Texas counterpart to the late John Dutton; Beulah is the matriarch of the largest and most powerful family ranch in the area, and she rules with an iron fist. (It takes a while to buy into Bening playing such a ruthless character, especially because she’s wearing glasses that make it look like her most dangerous activity is needlepointing after two glasses of Chablis. But we’re talking about a world-class actor. She brings it.)
Harris’ Everett McKinney—now there’s an All-American name—is a Vietnam veteran who is literally a veterinarian, and looks like he might become a kind of father figure to Beth. There’s a scene where Beulah and Everett sit on a porch and talk about things that were and things that never will be, and Bening and Harris are simply and quietly masterful together.
Other notables include J. R. Villarreal as Azul, a veteran ranch hand who quickly earns Rip’s trust; Jai Courtney and Juan Pablo Raba as Beulah’s sons, and they’re both big trouble in very different ways; and Natalie Alyn Lind as a local girl with a rebellious streak who casts an immediate spell on Carter, who is in WAY over his head.
“Dutton Ranch” hits the ground running and sets up a half-dozen storylines with long-term potential, while creating a whole new branch of the Yellowstone tree. Mostly, though, it’s the continuing story of Rip and Beth, with Hauser and Reilly shining in career-defining roles.
Premieres on May 15 with a two-episode debut, with new episodes releasing weekly on Fridays. Four episodes of the nine-episode season were made available for critics.