“We’re free now, baby.” Are they, though? Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler return in Dutton Ranch, a nine-episode Yellowstone sequel/spin-off for Paramount+. Created and co-written by Chad Feehan (Lawman: Bass Reeves), Dutton Ranch is the latest franchisee of the Sheridan-O-Verse; like the recent Marshals, it carries the “based on characters created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson” tag. Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, and with Finn Little as Beth and Rip’s adopted son Carter, are joined in this new adventure by Annette Bening, Ed Harris, Jai Courtney, Natalie Alyn Lind, and JR Villarreal.  

DUTTON RANCH: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT? 

Opening Shot: Saddle up. On a beautiful, quiet Montana morning, Beth Dutton (Reilly) leads her horse out of the barn to join Rip Wheeler (Hauser) for a ride.

The Gist: With the end of the Yellowstone, as the Dutton family’s massive ranch was sold, all Beth and Rip wanted was their own little bit. A place to be themselves, raise Carter, enjoy the land, and stay clear of city-slickers. And they have all of that as Dutton Ranch begins. The series reintroduces the couple as they trot together on an overland ride full of sweeping vistas, nips from a whiskey flask, and naps under the stars. But when you’re born or branded a Dutton, trouble and tragedy ride with you, too. It is not long before Beth and Rip’s post-Yellowstone dream – and post-Yellowstone dream – takes on a whole new shape.

Fast-forward six months. Now Beth and Rip are in the fictional Texas town of Rio Paloma, where they have purchased a cattle ranch. It’s a tidy operation, with Rip and foreman Azul (Villarreal) doing most of the work, and their farmhouse feels lived in, like they bought it with the furniture intact. Carter (Little) is trying to acclimate to high school life in a new town, and Beth drinks Coors Banquets in the afternoon while she meets a few locals. There is the good – Ed Harris as large animal veterinarian Everett McKinney – the bad – Jai Courtney as Rob-Will, cowboy and area bully – and what could get very ugly, like Beth’s first encounter with Beulah Jackson (Bening), the most rich and powerful ranch owner in Rio Paloma. Around here, Beulah’s 10-Petal Ranch is the outfit with Yellowstone’s pull.

So you can start to see where the conflicts might lie on Dutton Ranch. But this series is also conscious of Beth and Rip as individuals, and people in a loving, fruitful relationship. With its smaller-scale setting, it can feature more of the couple, and include more of them as parents. (Carter’s already getting into some teenage mischief.) “He never got to be happy,” Beth says to Rip of her father, Yellowstone owner and Montana governor John Dutton. “Not even try. I don’t want that for us. I want it simple. You, Carter, me.” Sounds great, Beth! Good luck with that.  

What Shows Will It Remind You Of: While Beth and Rip seek their Dutton Ranch path in Texas, Beth’s brother Kayce shoulders the Dutton legacy in Marshals. Series executive producer Taylor Sheridan wrote The Madison, which we thought of during Dutton Ranch – Buelah Jackson’s Texas mansion mixes blue blood Victorian style with Out West flavor. And Dutton co-star Annette Bening will continue in TV mode for the upcoming miniseries Lucky.

Our Take: The early moments of Dutton Ranch are so idyllic, so full of Big Sky views, horseblanket aromas, and strong sips of whiskey, that we enjoyed it as a welcome back moment with these characters, and felt Beth’s contentment right through the screen. We also continue to believe that when everything is quiet, Beth and her husband Rip really do feel a kinship with that solitude. But you can’t make a television series out of quiet drinks on the porch and couples-only campouts. And you definitely can’t with these two, who are built to do things on principle and purpose. That Beth and Rip happened to start their little family’s new ranching chapter in the shadow of an all-powerful neighbor like the 10-Petal is predictable. It is also inevitable. We always liked them together, when Yellowstone had space to showcase their romance. And that close reading is more tangible with the couple as the focus of Dutton Ranch. But everybody also likes to see Beth and Rip fight to solve problems, fight for each other, fight for what they believe is theirs…basically, we like to see them fight. Part of the inevitability of Dutton Ranch is enjoying watching the new show toss the usual adversity in the path of Beth and Rip’s peace-seeking life. They will only know the truest solitude after a raging storm.     

Performance Worth Watching: With Yellowstone, we would sometimes wish it would just focus on Beth; with Dutton Ranch, she is front and center. And we know Beth will tussle with whoever. But Kelly Reilly is also great at expressing her character in the quieter moments of Dutton Ranch.  

Sex and Skin: Some steamy showerness.

Parting Shot: Rip Wheeler is out riding the land one morning when he sees vultures circling. It’s a stone cold truth: when trouble is around, denizens of the Dutton Universe will find it. 

Sleeper Star: Dutton Ranch did us a solid, getting both Ed Harris and Annette Bening on board, and Bening’s Beulah Jackson meeting Kelly Reilly’s Beth Dutton is an early “shots fired” moment.     

Most Pilot-y Line: “You can’t chase peace,” Rip says to Beth. “You’ve gotta live it.” Alright, but what if the world won’t let them? “That’s not the world’s choice, honey. That’s ours.” 

Our Call: Stream It! Be honest, you missed Beth Dutton, and Rip Wheeler’s stoic man in black act. Dutton Ranch nicely foregrounds their relationship – a boon for fans coming over from Yellowstone – and immediately plunges Beth, Rip, Carter, and their very livelihood into tons of new trouble. 

How To Watch Dutton Ranch

Paramount+ offers two subscription plans, Essential and Premium. The ad-supported Essential plan costs $8.99/month, while the ad-free Premium plan (which comes with Showtime titles and live CBS) costs $13.99/month.

Johnny Loftus (@johnnyloftus.bsky.social) is a Chicago-based writer. A veteran of the alternative weekly trenches, his work has also appeared in Entertainment Weekly, Pitchfork, The All Music Guide, and The Village Voice.