Dutton Ranch ended with violence and tragedy, just like the show that spun it. Actually, comparisons between Yellowstone and Season 1 of this new Beth and Rip show may be too apt, but we’ll get there.
A trailer for Episode 9 showed gunmen approaching the Dutton Ranch and Rip throwing bodies into a mineshaft he dubbed the new train station earlier in the season. It didn’t hint at the most shocking death, who was responsible and what Carter and Oreana’s future looks like.
That last part — about Carter and Oreana — may be the single most compelling reason to look forward to Season 2.
- Episode 9 of Dutton Ranch is called “El Padrino,” and it debuted on Paramount+ Friday morning (July 3).
- The Season 1 finale ends on a huge cliffhanger.
- Season 2 is confirmed although a timeline has not yet been revealed.
Yes, I’m stalling because no one deserves to have this episode ruined without opting in for it. So, here it comes: Spoiler Alert! This review will describe key events from Episode 9 of Dutton Ranch. The Dutton Rules podcast team will break down the finale next Tuesday (July 7) at 2PM CT.
Who Died During the Dutton Ranch Season 1 Finale?
The best Yellowstone universe villains have a short life span. Dan Jenkins (S1), the Beck Brothers (S2), Garrett Randall (S4), Sarah Atwood (S5) … very few made it to a second season. It’s a Dutton family tradition that they get the bad guy in the end.
The only thing that changed during the first season of Dutton Ranch is who did the killing.
Read More: Everything We Know About Dutton Ranch, Season 2
Rob Will (played by Jai Courtney) was a powerful villain and the smart money was on Rip killing him. Or, maybe Carter is forced to shoot him just to set up conflict with Oreana (his girlfriend, Rob Will’s daughter). There is no other character whose death could inspire development quite like Rob Will’s, and for this reason he had to go. Beulah, Oreana, Joaquin — each will be someone new to start Season 2 and that’s exciting.
In the end, Joaquin pulls the trigger per his father’s orders.
Mariano (played by Raul Max Trujillo) makes his modern day, on-screen Dutton Ranch debut, decades after being banished from the 10 Petal Ranch and becoming cartel leader in Mexico. He is quite literally “El Padrino” (the Godfather).
We experience Rob Will’s death through Oreana, who just had a touching father-daughter conversation with him. She’s in her bedroom when she hears gunshots, rushes down the steps and falls into a pool of blood and grief.
Beulah soon enters and looks on the verge of a second heart attack. As viewers, we feel for both of them but don’t experience the loss as deeply as they do because Rob Will was a jerk to everyone but Oreana. He had it coming, and his final pledge to be a good father did little to erase his evil deeds.
Dutton Ranch, Episode 9 Recap:
Episode 9 of Dutton Ranch wasted very little time. Beth and Rip begin with a theory that the smuggled cattle are carrying drugs so they set off to prove it. Rob Will proves to be but a minor impediment — actually he ends up helping Rip and Beth, who swipe his tally book and identify the cows they think might be drug mules.
With Everett’s help, they find 3.5 kilos of fentanyl, which Zachariah values at $2 million. The rest of the finale is about the fallout from this discovery.
Separately, Joaquin and Rob Will call Mariano to tell him about the problems Beth and Rip are creating. Beulah is doing her best to manage this disaster but has nothing to show for it. Everett dumps her in a scene that deserves far more attention than we have time for. Ed Harris and Annette Bening have both given inspired performances this season and their on screen time together has been magnetic.
Mariano instructs Beulah to reinstate Joaquin as the heir to the ranch and to fire Beth and Rip. She hesitates to do both but once the Godfather learns that they have his drugs he sends his goons to kill them.
“I’m not coming for the cattle Mr. Wheeler. I’m coming for the thieves,” he says during a tense phone call.
That doesn’t go well for Mariano. All but one of his men are killed (only Azul gets injured on the good guys’ team). The lone survivor is strung up for interrogation.
All of this was avoidable because by this point, Beulah had retrieved the fentanyl with plans to return it to Mariano. Believing he lost his men and his drugs, the cartel boss moves another chess piece.
What Happened To Carter On Dutton Ranch?
Carter had run off to Dwight White’s old ranch and is doing a good job of avoiding Beth and Rip, who are desperate for him to come home. Oreana figures out where he is and drives to see him, but she decides not to tell him her secret.
Earlier, Oreana learned that she was pregnant, presumably with Carter’s baby.
No one else knows or suspects this yet, but as viewers we can trace her behavior as she turns down a beer and suggests that she and Carter run off together that very night. They exchange a passionate kiss and she returns home to pack when Rob Will enters for a daddy/daughter talk and — well, we already talked about that.
Carter still believes she’s coming back for him however so he doesn’t hesitate to open the door later that night. Mariano’s men burst in, tie him up and toss him in the back of a van.
“They don’t want Carter, they want us,” Rip tells Beth.
“Then they’re gonna f—ing get us,” she says before the credits.
Dutton Ranch, Episode 9 Review:
In the end, absolutely nothing is resolved for the Duttons or the Jacksons. Ownership of both ranches is in question; Carter and Oreana’s future is more opaque then ever; Beulah has effectively lost two sons. It’s all reminiscent of Season 3 of Yellowstone, which ended with Beth, Kacey and John Dutton under attack or dying on the side of the road.
That’s no complaint. The Season 3 to Season 4 transition for Yellowstone was the show at its very best. This final episode was as thrilling as we hoped it would be. All this action was stuffed into 59 minutes of television (plus commercials) and nothing felt forced or overlooked.
Almost nothing. It’s not clear how the cartel determined Carter’s location, although it’s possible the sheriff tipped them off. Kidnappings are becoming an overused Yellowstone franchise trope, and it’s worth wondering how any time a teenager or 20-something on these shows has sex a baby gets made. Beth, Elizabeth and Alexandria on 1923, young Beulah, Oreana — it’s a remarkably fertile bunch.
The bigger issue is that after a full season it still feels like characters are in development. It’s very difficult to determine the good guys from the bad guys because nearly everyone is sympathetic to a certain degree. This complexity is an asset in the long run, but it does characters like Rob Will a disservice.
I wanted to feel some kind of way when he died but just couldn’t, because he remained a mystery until the very end.
Are we cheering for or against Beulah Jackson? What about Joaquin?
It’s really hard to love or hate any one character and it’s that passion that drives anticipation. Overall, this was a very good finale for a very strong first season but I’m hoping the new showrunner simplifies for Season 2.
Dutton Ranch: 10 Burning Questions Season 1 Must Answer
Just two episodes of Dutton Ranch Season 1 remain but we count at least 10 burning questions the show must answer to leave us satisfied. Is that even possible?
This list includes spoilers through Ep. 7, “Den of Sin.” We’ve ranked them from least to most important.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
‘Dutton Ranch’ Season 1 Pictures Reveal New Villains
Let’s start with the two people you’re tuning in to see before getting to a new nemesis, a Hollywood legend and an update on young Carter’s love life.
Scroll through these Dutton Ranch ahead of the season premiere. That’s on May 15 via Paramount+ and Paramount Network.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
