Dutton Ranch is not strictly a Yellowstone spinoff; the Paramount+ series takes pains in the first 15 minutes to establish that. And Taylor Sheridan’s fingerprints aren’t so prominent on this show. But creator Chad Feehan is working directly out of the wildly successful Sheridanverse playbook.
Like its sister series, Marshals, the aim of Dutton Ranch is to capitalize on the popularity of Yellowstone characters—in this case, Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler—while dropping them into different environments. The difference is that while Marshals has a strong procedural element, Dutton Ranch sticks to the Yellowstone franchise’s neo-Western guns. Fans will recognize many different pieces of the series, from the conflicts with other ranchers to the hardships of modern cowboys, and of course, plenty of romance. Feehan may clean the slate in the most obvious way at the beginning, but the bones of both shows are the same.
That means viewers’ enjoyment of Dutton Ranch depends on what they want from a spinoff: is it something that preserves why there was a need for a spinoff in the first place, or do they want a show that adds something new and fresh to the canon? Both answers are valid, but Dutton Ranch does the former better than the latter.
The popularity of Beth and Rip is what will initially draw viewers in, and actors Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser do not disappoint. They’ve spent so much time in these characters now, and Dutton Ranch naturally provides even more opportunity to appreciate their talents. As much as Beth and Rip drove the final season of Yellowstone, the strength of their characters is more obvious when they’re front and center in their own show.
And they are the unquestioned center of this series; they don’t get lost in all of the new additions. It’s also fun to see Finn Little continuing to evolve Carter; one of the best scenes in the Dutton Ranch premiere is Carter and Beth talking about math. That sounds boring, but it not only illustrates their dynamic, it’s also incredibly relatable.
Dutton Ranch also looks and sounds like a Taylor Sheridan show. Feehan has enlisted frequent Sheridan collaborator Christina Alexandra Voros to direct the pilot, and her experience shows; it’s not quite as epic as what Voros just did with The Madison, but an early fire sequence is both terrifying and breathtakingly beautiful. And the show’s dialogue keeps the same bluntness and dry tone that Yellowstone had. In terms of style and themes, this is true to what Sheridan and John Linson created.
Because of that, it’s worth noting that Sheridan doesn’t write any Dutton Ranch episodes. He and Linson do get a “based on characters created by” credit, and Sheridan is one of many executive producers (which also include Voros, Reilly, and Hauser). But anyone expecting to see his name as often as they do with Landman or Lioness will be disappointed.
The new characters, too, leave something to be desired. Suicide Squad‘s Jai Courtney plays the awkwardly named Rob-Will, who never rises above being the generic antagonist. It’s hard not to look at Courtney here and think of his last TV role in Netflix’s American Primeval, which gave him more to play with. The two big names in the cast are Ed Harris and Annette Bening, the former in his first series regular part since Westworld. Both add punch to the series, and it’s always entertaining to watch them work. But their characters’ arcs are relatively easy to predict.
And that’s the crossroads of Dutton Ranch. It’s great entertainment just to revisit the Yellowstone ethos, and Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser’s performances will keep the audience interested. But the new material isn’t compelling enough to explain why, other than a love of Beth and Rip, this show needs to exist. Fans will love a chance to reconnect with their favorite characters; anyone else may eventually lose interest in the journey.
Dutton Ranch premieres Friday, May 15 on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Paramount+.
