Dutton Ranch Series Premiere Reboots Yellowstone — Review

Critic’s Rating: 4.6 / 5.0

4.6

Many people did not like Marshals, the first post-Yellowstone spin-off.

The show managed to unite critics and viewers, which is quite rare.

But I like it — because it feels like a natural development for Kayce, given his history and life priorities.

If Beth and Rip became law enforcement officers, then I’d join the panning camp. But if they continued being ranchers, that also feels like the natural development for the characters, Rip especially.

That’s why Dutton Ranch also wins, because it doesn’t seek to change the characters.

And the series premiere feels like a version of Yellowstone without John sitting idly thinking or Kayce popping out of nowhere to help fix a problem.

It is the best parts of Yellowstone and then some.

Now I’ll admit that I like Beth more than any other character in this entire universe, so I might be biased.

But the evidence is present in Dutton Ranch Season 1 Episode 1 when we reunite with the characters, and much hasn’t changed.

Beth has that deep “don’t cross me” look, while Rip has the same one, but it is occasionally broken by a smile.

Life seems to be going well for them on their new ranch in Montana. They’re doing what they love with whom they love, and their nuclear family has settled into itself.

But soon after, trouble follows when the ranch burns to the ground.

Almost immediately, we’re transported to Dutton Ranch in Rio Palma, Texas.

The pilot episode clocks in at nearly one hour as it introduces the characters and sets up the first stage of Beth and Rip’s new conflict.

Given the sheer number of new characters we need to know, it feels like the pilot episode is going through the motions quickly without letting scenes breathe.

That scene of Rob-Will (what a name!) waking up the foreman to kill him plays out too quickly; one barely has the time to register what is happening.

Soon after, Rip and Azul get into a conflict with Rob-Will and Chet. Elsewhere, Beth and Beulah also get into some issues of their own.

Finally, Carter also gets into a conflict that puts him on the same path as another member of the 10-P dynasty.

See what I’m trying to accomplish here?

Yellowstone thrived on controlled chaos. It was slow almost to soap levels, and that’s what made it interesting to watch.

It knew when to go all in and when to take a measured approach.

But aside from that pacing issue, the story is quite solid, albeit predictable at times.

The story of rich fucked up families is a television spectacle. It has made shows like Succession, The White Lotus, and even Yellowstone some of the most popular on television.

Of course, Dutton Ranch aims to keep this one feeling fresh by having a woman at the helm, which is a welcome change.

But rich men and women all have the same robotic, detached personality, so Beulah could really be anyone, and the difference would be minimal.

Meanwhile, the Jackson family hits the motherlode of rich-family stereotypes, with the errant son and the obedient one.

If these characters hadn’t benefited from strong actors portraying them, they would have felt clichéd — but they don’t.

Episode 2 is where the story breathes, and we take a step back to see how Beth and Rip found themselves in Texas.

The arcs that had been introduced also get an opportunity to grow, and that makes Dutton Ranch feel like Yellowstone.

The foreman’s murder no longer appears to be creative fodder; it feels consequential in a way that cannot be ignored.

The body was dumped on the Dutton Ranch, and Rip found it, making him part of the crime.

As a man who has been part of killing or dumping a man or two, it’s scarily easy for him to know what to do.

We might not be in Montana anymore, but Train Stations exist everywhere. The problem with this is that there is no jurisdictional gray area.

I liked that the writers make the victim human.

By introducing his wife (or baby mama), they reinforce that he was a human being with people who cared for him, and they won’t let it go.

It feels even more dangerous for anyone involved.

And there are a lot of people involved — from the perpetrators, to witnesses, and conspirators.

The series premiere makes this murder feel bigger, thereby amplifying the conflict between Dutton Ranch and 10-P.

And it’s not like this conflict needs more fuel — it has been running for generations, even before Beth and Rip bought the ranch.

10-P wanted total and absolute dominance even when reality would not allow them.

If they had cared to learn a little, that would have been the same thing that led to Yellowstone’s downfall.

The conflict extends beyond business and into family drama. Beth and Rip inherit all this.

But if there is one thing they know how to handle, it’s business and drama. Each one has their domain, but they are both experts in these areas.

By the end of the two-part premiere, the stage is set, and now the battles are ready. Dutton Ranch has set expectations about the showdown between the two ranches and it better meet them.

With Rip taking care of the body problem, I see how the writers can take an out to avoid a war in Rio Paloma, and that would be a misstep.

No uniting these families with a common enemy or goal. We need to see them get dirty with each other.

That also brings up the question of this story’s longevity. Marshals can go on longer than NCIS if the ratings keep steady, but Dutton Ranch needs to reinvent itself every season to keep us hooked.

They’ve successfully done it this season, but it remains to be seen what happens in future ones.

Gut Check

This premiere reminded me of why I binged multiple seasons of Yellowstone in one week — there is something charming about these characters and the setting that makes it easy to press “next episode.”

Intrusive Thoughts

• I have a feeling Ed Helms’ character is not just a vet.

• So no mention of Kayce and his new job. Do these show take place in different timelines??

• The auditions for this show must have been grueling because everyone here is an actor, even for the smallest characters.

• Someone help that boy Carter. He looks like a fish out of water in most situations.

Now it’s your turn to chime in. Are you a Dutton Ranch fanatic yet? Did you miss these characters as much as I did? What are your predictions for the season?