At the end of the series Yellowstone, fans were hopeful for a spin-off with Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser), since they had a happy-ish ending. As we open on Dutton Ranch, that seemed to be the case until a fire broke out and destroyed their home. If there was one thing I was wondering about this new series, it was how they would make it feel fresh. For five seasons, we saw the family battle antagonists in Montana. Would it be the same? The fire answered that question and moved them to Rio Paloma, Texas.
In Texas, we’re introduced to the Jackson family and Rob-Will (Jai Courtney), who, size-wise, looks like a formidable foe for Rip, which most likely foreshadows a rivalry. Rob-Will sets the tone for this new show that murder and dead bodies disappearing don’t just happen in Yellowstone. To keep him from getting into more trouble, a family fixer, Joaquin (Juan Pablo Raba), manages to send him off to rehab.
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Of course, if there’s an antagonist for Rip, we have to have one for Beth, which is Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening). As Beth is trying to get the family situated in Texas and make a business deal for their newly acquired cattle, her first interaction with Beulah was probably the highlight of the episode. Both women hold their own, and you can see they’re cut from the same cloth, yet neither will back down.
As much as we like seeing the bitchy side of Beth, there’s a very tender side to her too, which brings in Everett McKinney (Ed Harris), the town veterinarian. After a chance encounter at a local bar, Everett has to put down a horse that Beth wants to save, and the two bond from there. The best thing about Taylor Sheridan is that he’s able to create characters for the older generation of brilliant actors, from Kevin Costner, Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, and Sam Elliott. It’s clear that Everett has lived in the town for a long time and will guide Beth and Rip, as they settle into their new home.
Finally, we can’t forget about their foster/adopted son Carter (Finn Little), all grown up. In Yellowstone, he was a minor character, but now he is becoming more integral to Dutton Ranch. As Carter navigates high school, he meets Oreana (Natalie Alyn Lind) and tries to rescue her, a “damsel in distress,” at a local rodeo, which lands him in jail. Luckily, he’s bailed out by her, which sets up a possible love interest for him, but just like their first encounter, there’s potential trouble.
Dutton Ranch, much like Yellowstone, has a cast of supporting characters who won’t go to waste, and we’ll get to know their backstories, and some of them may fit in with the town of Rio Paloma. Some of the best episodes of Yellowstone centered around the cowboys in the bunkhouse. I look forward to seeing how it plays out for those characters.
In a previous review, I talked about the show Marshals and how it veered from the heart of what Yellowstone was. That show also airs on CBS and is a procedural, which means you can’t take as many liberties as you can with streaming and Paramount+. Beth and Rip are beloved, and so far they are continuing the Yellowstone universe beautifully.
