Dutton Ranch (2026) s01e05 Episode Script

1
[Rip] This'll be one of those days
that follow you to the grave.
If either one of you want to walk,
I won't hold it against you.
We're with you.
Dramatic, suspenseful music ♪
- [Beth] How does this happen?
- [Rip] Foot-and-mouth.
It's got to be the new bull.
Cattle broker, he fucked us, baby.
All the vet paperwork? Forged.
[bellowing]
I don't know how we're
gonna tell Carter.
You're the prettiest
woman I've ever seen.
Carter has a pure heart.
If you fuck with it,
I will make your life a living hell.
- What's your day rate, chief?
- Whatever you're paying.
Let's scoot. [yells]
[growls] I named her Xena,
after the Warrior Princess.
Someone at the 10-Petal knows
more than they're saying.
[Wade] That's a pretty
serious accusation.
[Whitney] Yeah, well,
so is disappearing a man.
Let me take over.
Let me do the job for you.
I wish I could, Kino. Wish I could.
You sold me a sick bull. [yelling]
You got 30 seconds to get
the fuck out of Rio Paloma,
and if I ever fucking see
your face again, you're dead.
Slow, somber music ♪
[Rip] Sure is quiet, isn't it?
It ain't a ranch without
a herd, sweetheart.
We'll fill these pastures again one day.
Might just take us a minute, that's all.
Yeah.
Carter still hasn't spoken to me.
I should have told him.
You ought to just give him some time.
He'll come around.
You sure about this?
Honey, it'll pay the bills
and put food on the table.
Till we come up with a plan.
We'll come up with a plan.
- I love you.
- Love you.
All right.
Step right up ♪
["The Grand Tour"
by George Jones playing]
[singing along] Come on in ♪
If you'd like ♪
To take the grand tour ♪
Of a lonely house ♪
That once was home sweet home ♪
That's Beulah's son Joaquin.
None of them are easy,
but he's reasonable.
[panting]
Morning, Joaquin.
This is Rip Wheeler.
Beulah wants to meet him.
She expecting you?
We didn't fix a time,
but I ain't ever caught
your mother off guard.
Huh. Come on in.
[Everett] Never ceases to amaze, the
the shit wealthy waste their wealth on.
Yeah.
She wants to speak with you. Alone.
Okay.
Godspeed. I'll wait
for you in the truck.
[exhales heavily]
[sighs] I don't normally
take meetings at this hour.
Well, Everett mentioned that
I might be able to help you.
Oh.
Uh, I hear you managed the Yellowstone.
Yes, ma'am. 25 years.
Uh-huh. Then you bought
the Edwards Ranch with the Dutton girl?
- My wife Beth. Yeah.
- Ah.
It's good land, it's better cattle.
- Sit down.
- Thank you.
You ever foreman'd two properties?
All due respect, ma'am, your
ranch and my ranch put together
ain't a quarter of what
the Yellowstone is.
- So, you're a man with an appetite.
- Nah, I'm just a man that likes to work.
Well, that's an attractive quality.
[chuckles]
If you don't mind me asking,
who is, uh, Rob-Will?
My son. Y'all have met?
Briefly, yeah. Yeah.
Well, let's just say he's
on an indefinite vacation.
What else did Everett tell you?
- Which part?
- About me needing help.
Oh, uh
He mentioned that your
current foreman
these are his words,
of course "is a fucking idiot."
[laughs]
Ah, McKinney. He doesn't
pull punches, does he?
No, ma'am, he doesn't.
[sighs] Well
we got 75,000 acres,
about 2,200 head, Mexican crossbreed.
We sell to big-box retailers, but
mismanagement has been a
bit of a bugaboo of late.
Well, would you like
me to fix your problem?
- Well, I wonder, can you?
- If it's ranching, I can. Yes, ma'am.
My margins have grown razor-thin.
I need someone who
implements efficiency.
A man who works smarter,
not just harder.
Well, I can do both.
I like a tight-lipped ship.
Rio Paloma loves to gossip.
Well, ma'am, other people's
business, it ain't mine.
Well, few names are as
revered as John Dutton's.
I suppose if you worked
for him for 25 years,
- you can work for anyone.
- Hmm.
I also know that, despite its tragic end,
the Yellowstone was not
a three-ring circus.
Slow, somber music ♪
No. I wouldn't allow it.
Do whatever it takes to get my ranch
in order, and I'll pay you handsomely,
not just with my money
but with my loyalty.
Hmm.
I'll be here at 4:30 a.m.
Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Jackson.
Slow, dramatic music ♪
[wood creaks]
[Rip sighs]
You know this isn't our only option.
I could make some calls.
Dallas, New York.
I could be earning within a month.
But I'd be gone.
No.
I don't want that, darling.
I want you next to me.
Well, I'm always next to you.
Gentle music ♪
I'll see you in a bit, sweetie.
Dramatic, soaring music ♪
[TV playing indistinctly]
Ain't that right? ♪
["Ain't That Right"
by Charley Crockett playing]
Ain't that right? ♪
Ain't that right? ♪
We were up above it all ♪
Flying in your plane ♪
About the time I had a bloody Mary ♪
Lord, I wasn't feeling anything ♪
There you was in all that leather ♪
With something on your mind ♪
I found out just what it was ♪
In the Salt Lake City lights ♪
Ain't that right? ♪
[coffee pouring]
Who is that?
Ain't that right? ♪
Yeah, who the fuck are you?
Ain't that right ♪
We got calves to wean.
Get your gear together and
get your asses in the saddle.
Y'all got ten minutes.
[music stops]
Wait, I know you. From the gas station.
Exciting music ♪
This is fucking bullshit.
Slow, dramatic music ♪
- [Zach] Ma'am?
- Yeah?
Horses are cared for.
Anything else I can do?
You can stop calling me "ma'am."
- I've got a name.
- Oh, okay.
Just know that no work's beneath me.
- He'd have liked you.
- Who?
My dad.
Sure would've liked to have met him.
Want one?
Got one.
Not much of a ranch anymore.
Thank you.
I keep looking for the herd.
You know, like they're still here.
Take away something you see every day
sun, birds, wind even
brain can't quite catch up.
Was it 15 years you were inside?
It's a long fucking time.
What'd you miss the most?
Lots of things.
But mostly, the peace and
quiet of a lonely night.
Yeah, I'd miss that.
Not sure I'm meant for peace, though.
Slow, dramatic music ♪
Me, neither.
But they say God's ways are mysterious.
Yeah.
Mystery's right out there.
For me, anyway.
Right here.
Land's as good a God as any.
Maybe better.
We keep looking, then.
Keep trying, that's for sure.
Hey, whatever you're working
on over there, Beth
I hope it works.
It fucking better.
Fast, exciting music ♪
[Rip] Go on, start turning them out.
[cattle lowing]
[shouting, whistling]
- Hey!
- Hey!
Hey!
[shouting, whistling]
[shouting]
[whistles]
Go, keep turning them back, let's go!
[whistles] Come on. Come on!
Out of my way.
[indistinct shouting]
[whistles] Find the gate. [grunts]
Hey! [shushing]
Hey.
[whistling] Fucking son of a bitch
doesn't know what spiderweb
he just walked into.
Man, it was past time
to wean these calves.
Fuck, Tommy, you think
I didn't know that?
Quit fucking talking
and go get them pairs.
[Tommy] Ah, yes, sir.
[whooping]
[Chet grunts]
Hey!
[cattle lowing]
[vehicle approaching]
[truck door opens]
slow, gentle music ♪
[metal clanking]
[creaking]
Thought you could use
a little pick-me-up.
It's not too soon?
Nah. Some days, too soon's all we got.
Okay, girl. There you go.
[clicking tongue]
- How is she?
- She's doing great.
You know, like you said,
this girl's got spirit.
You got it, you got it. There you go.
Oh.
There you go. Good job.
Good girl. Good girl.
Come on.
Come on.
Ugh.
[chuckles]
Oh, my God. How many will she eat?
Uh, as many as you feed her, but
Dwight limits her to two a day.
[Dwight] You're damn straight.
Who the hell wants a fat leopard?
[chuckles]
[Dwight] Hey, biggun.
You sure you don't want
one of these cold boys?
Damn, I thought nannies
were supposed to be chatty.
You're telling me.
You seem good.
I'm okay.
I heard Rip was at the
ranch this morning.
Yeah. Uh
He can't know that I'm not at school.
I'm not telling.
Let's go.
Shit, all right.
- Uno, dos.
- Mm-hmm.
[exclaims] Let's go.
Sir?
Damn, boy, you in trouble.
[chuckles]
Oh, shit.
- Cheers.
- But it's a
a good kind of trouble.
[Miguel] Oreana.
It's time to go.
Come on, let's go.
- I'm not ready.
- I wasn't asking.
No need to break balls, Cochise.
I wasn't talking to you.
Let's go.
All righty, then.
Mary fucking Poppins, man.
[Oreana] You'd think I was the
fucking president's daughter, right?
[chuckles]
Sorry.
Not your fault.
Ma'am.
It was nice to meet you.
Nice meeting you. [chuckles]
[engine starts]
[truck doors closing]
[truck departs]
[Dwight] Boy, that woman is gonna
break your heart into a thousand pieces,
and it's gonna be the
best goddamn feeling
you ever had, you sly dog.
Cheers.
Hey, baby.
[Rip] Get your horses watered,
and then we're back at it.
Hey, where the fuck's my apology?
You looking to get your
other arm broke, boy?
I'm looking for answers for Wes
and Whitney, you son of a bitch.
That beating's all
you're ever gonna get.
[both grunting]
What'd y'all do to them?!
Get off me! [grunting]
They're my friends, motherfucker!
Ya basta. Ya. Basta. Ya, cool off.
[Rip] Like I said,
get your fucking horses watered
and then we're back at it.
Slow, somber music ♪
Have you heard from Rip?
You don't like it.
Him working the 10-Petal?
What do you think?
But he's doing it for us.
Well, he's got a family to take care of.
He's a lucky man.
I'm not sure about that.
That man has lost more
than he'd ever admit.
You know, he devoted his
life to the Yellowstone.
This, this place, was supposed
to be his time, his ranch.
He is smart.
And he listens and he leads.
Beulah's the lucky one.
Beulah got you worried?
I don't fucking trust her. [chuckles]
Well, she is complicated.
But the truth of the matter is,
she needs a decent foreman.
She's burned through three
in the past year alone.
She won't burn through Rip.
I hope not.
She won't.
Are you ready?
I've done all I can, Beth.
She's all yours now.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Slow, dramatic music ♪
[chuckles] Come on.
You're very welcome. [chuckles]
[Beth] Go on.
[Carter] There we go.
How long are you gonna keep
up this fugitive's life?
Huh?
Your folks ain't changed their mind
about that school thing yet, have they?
[sighs]
Well, ain't up to them.
The law says I'm a man.
Maybe they just don't want
you growing up so fast.
Growing up fast is
highly fucking overrated.
Well, either way
no cows left to cowboy now.
What the fuck are you talking about?
- They got sick.
- Sick how?
I don't know, but they're gone.
Shit.
That's-that's harsh.
Wish I could go back to Montana.
That's the thing, you got time, chief.
You got time to discover a lot of things.
You don't fucking realize
how young you are
till you get old,
and then it's too fucking late.
Why not let your folks
look after you for a little while longer
until you get things
or some things figured out?
Otherwise,
you're just a fucking day
trasher without a horse.
I can fend for myself, all right?
It's the only thing I'm pretty good at.
All right, that's good.
Good for you.
I want you to fend for us both
while old Dwight counts some sheep.
Slow, somber music ♪
[indistinct chatter]
[chatter continues]
[door opens]
- Hey.
- Yeah?
Come sit down.
What's your name, boy?
Austin.
Austin, who is Wes?
Buddy of mine.
He worked here, too.
And?
Man just up and disappeared.
Wife and kid's gone missing, too.
Hmm. How long ago?
Couple weeks.
[sighs]
You can go on and get cleaned up.
Slow, dramatic music ♪
[door opens]
[door closes]
[TV playing indistinctly]
Go pack your shit.
Go pack your fucking shit, kid.
[laughs softly]
The Jacksons are gonna chew you up,
spit you out,
forget you ever had a name.
[laughs softly]
Go get your pay and get
the fuck out of here.
Slow, dramatic music ♪
Fuck all y'all.
Especially you.
[door slams]
[siren wailing]
Dwight.
Dwight!
Hey.
Oh, shit.
Fucking skunks at our lawn party.
Goddamn it.
Motherfucker.
Hey, we gonna, we gonna be okay?
You'll be good, chief.
Just listen to your mama. Shit.
And don't be like Dwight.
Where you going?
Adios.
Ass on the floor.
- Arms and legs spread!
- Whoa!
[siren wailing]
tense music ♪
Cocksuckers.
That's it.
Oh, shit.
[siren wailing]
Fuck you.
[siren wailing]
Stop! Get down. I'll shoot!
[gunshot]
[snarling]
[Dwight gasps]
[gasping]
[Dwight coughing]
[Carter grunting]
[crying] Dwight.
[indistinct radio chatter]
[grunts]
[Wade] He had a knife.
Yeah, I think he did.
Damn near cut me.
[handcuffs clicking]
[panting]
[Dwight exhales]
[Carter crying]
Dwight. Dwight.
- Dinner's on the table.
- Well, thank you, ma'am,
but I believe my wife's
got dinner waiting for me.
I smoked an 18-hour brisket.
Oh, yeah?
All right, well, I guess
I'll be up in a little while.
[chuckles] All right.
Of course you will.
You're a man with an appetite.
Quiet, dramatic music ♪
Why?
What happened?
You know what the fuck happened.
I did the job just like
Ms. Beulah told me,
and y'all up and replace me?
Circumstances have changed.
Well, I'll tell you what hasn't changed.
A dead fucking cowboy named Wes Ayers.
That sounds dangerously
close to a threat.
And you were the last
one to see him alive.
- Your brother pulled the trigger.
- Are you sure?
'Cause you had the gun.
It's hard to tell whose
prints they're gonna find.
You threatening me, now?
Just stating facts.
Well, here's a fact for you.
I didn't forget about y'all's cattle.
And I didn't forget why
Wes took that bullet.
There's two ways to
leave the ranch, Chet.
[scoffs softly]
Choose wisely.
[engine starts]
[sizzling]
[line ringing]
[phone ringing]
Hey, honey.
Hey. Just checking on you.
You be back soon?
- Nah, I'm gonna stay for dinner.
- Okay.
Oh, you do what you need to do.
Yeah, I'll call you in a few hours.
- Okay, bye.
- Love you.
Talk soon.
Gentle music ♪
[indistinct radio chatter]
Dwight White was no good.
He was a drunkard,
an insurance fraudster and a thief.
The man stole from the
sick and the elderly.
He was cow shit.
Cow shit stuck to the heel
of this county's boot,
and was bound to get scraped
off one way or another.
He was my friend.
[sighs] Son, I think grief
is clouding your judgment.
It's okay. It happens to the best of us.
You killed him.
This is your second time in my jail,
which makes you a repeat
offender like your buddy Dwight.
So I would think real hard
about where that got him.
People are gonna have
questions about that.
Smart people don't ask
dangerous questions, Carter.
How smart are you, son?
I don't want my folks to know.
Then, you weren't at
Dwight White's tonight.
You never saw a thing.
And you'll never say a word.
Quiet, dramatic music ♪
And?
The sun rises and sets
just like regular.
We left your truck at the Chapel
Trailhead, three miles up.
You better get a move on.
[door opens]
[door closes]
[exhales sharply]
[Beulah] So, tell me how is it.
Well, we've already made some changes.
Mm-hmm.
Who?
Ma'am, Chet doesn't
work here any longer.
Huh.
Color me unsurprised.
He's the kind of cowboy that, uh
well, he poisons the well.
Ah, Chet's just over his skis,
and frankly, a stopgap
until we found someone better like you.
- Please, eat.
- Thank you.
How long you been married?
- Oh, married?
- Mm-hmm.
Not very long. Just, uh,
been chasing Beth my
whole life, that's all.
- Yeah?
- Mm-hmm.
Cupid's arrow got you young, huh?
I was 15 years old, shoveling shit
for her father when I met her.
Aw.
Bottom of the food chain,
and you wooed John Dutton's daughter?
Well, every dog has its day.
[laughs] Well, good on you.
Tell me about her.
Well, um
Beautiful, intelligent.
Fierce.
Tender.
Raw.
A bit like you.
Cheers to that.
- Mm.
- How's 8,000 a month,
plus a truck and a house?
I don't need the truck
or the house, ma'am.
Nine thousand?
Make it 11.
Sold.
You want me to go get
my checkbook right now?
Nah, go ahead and eat first. [laughing]
gentle music ♪
Just give me a minute.
[truck door closes]
You know, you start calling me for
rides, you're gonna have to start tipping.
What's wrong?
Come here. Come here.
It's okay. I got you.
It's okay.
Come here.
It's okay.
[softly] Wow.
I do not have time for you, Joaquin.
Where's Whitney Ayers?
Still no sign of her.
But that's why we brought this to you.
- Why we elected you.
- Mm-hmm.
Yeah, she's gone.
There's no word of her visiting kin.
There's been no phone calls,
no bank activity.
There's no LPRs in or out of
the state from the toll roads.
You'll keep looking. Harder.
I could put the whole station on it,
wouldn't make a damn difference.
Why is that?
With the amount of time that's passed,
there's two possibilities.
The first is she's dead.
And the second, you're gonna
like a whole lot less.
Now, get the fuck out of my chair.
[scoffs softly]
Don't forget who paid for it.
[sighs]
[Tommy] Ma'am?
Uh-huh?
You have a visitor.
Your husband just left.
I changed my mind about that drink.
Huh.
Oban 18.
Well, how'd you know?
We have a mutual friend.
[fire crackling]
How do you do it?
What's that?
Carry this place.
The size.
The legacy.
You know, I watched my father.
[cork pops]
He spent his life defending
his ranch against the enemies
in and outside of the fence line.
Oh, I have plenty of help.
But the burden of it,
that's all yours, isn't it?
But you don't carry it,
the weight of it, like him.
Thank you.
You seem unflappable.
Effortless.
Well [chuckles]
men have the luxury of being
unapologetically themselves.
For women, it's a bit
more complicated. Hmm?
It doesn't have to be.
How about you and I speak truthfully?
All right.
We destroyed our herd.
Foot-and-mouth.
That's quite a secret to
divulge to a stranger.
I'll take the risk.
FMD could cause serious trouble
with the authorities if they found out.
You know, there's two things
that I don't do well, Beulah.
One of them is fear.
Uh-huh. And the other?
Lose money.
[drink pours]
My father, he, uh,
he had no interest in
monetizing his ranch.
His dream was to preserve.
To uphold a promise and
keep the place whole,
which we did, but it killed him.
I know your land is coveted.
I know people have tried to steal it
since the fucking Texas Revolution.
And for good reason.
But your family's blood is in that dirt,
so I get why you want to protect it.
I understand the lengths you
will go to to achieve that.
In '07, you and your son,
you must've been so fucking desperate,
you turned this place into a
game lodge for trophy hunters.
You welcomed in any son of
a bitch with a blank check
and an empty space on his wall.
In 2010, South Texas suffered
the worst drought in a century.
Turned this place to fucking dust.
You almost lost everything,
but you didn't.
It was impressive.
But since then, Beulah, you have been
overleveraged and undercapitalized.
This place is held together
with tape and baling wire.
You are easy prey, Beulah,
and you know it.
It was only a matter
of time before solar
or wind come for you.
Takes real fucking backbone
to hold your ground.
Well, I trust hiring
your husband was a step
- in the right direction.
- Mm-hmm.
Best decision you've
ever made for this place.
But it's your next one
that I'm here for.
And what's that?
Evolve or die.
Beth, this ranch is 190 years old.
That's a legacy that's endured.
Yeah, a legacy is a beautiful thing,
but only if it fucking survives.
What are you selling?
- Freedom.
- How?
Me.
You hire me.
In three years, I could
rebuild this 10-Petal brand
into a household name.
A line of premium cuts.
It will be bespoke, recession-proof.
We only target high-end buyers.
That way, we mitigate the
volatility of beef prices.
When the market dips, your steaks
will stay steady in Vegas,
New York, L.A.
But you're gonna need a new herd.
Your fucking Mexican Crossbreed,
they won't cut it.
I can see your story, Beulah.
I can fucking sell it.
Joaquin oversees strategy now.
Mm-hmm.
How's that working out for you?
I'm offering you an exit.
So when you are ready
to hang it up, you can.
And I promise you,
you will have something substantial
to leave your granddaughter.
So, Everett told you more than
my favorite brand of Scotch.
No, he didn't need to.
I understand you.
You don't know me yet.
But nobody will fight harder for you.
When I want something, I usually get it.
Rip is foreman.
I take your steaks to market.
We manage everything for you.
What's that gonna cost me?
Well, nothing right now, but
I will want 20% of the profits.
And in five years, Rip and I are out.
Why wouldn't I slap
Dutton Ranch on the label?
That's worth 20%.
Because my name is not for sale.
Dutton will never be part of this deal.
Ever.
But you get me.
You get me and my services for a song.
[laughs]
dramatic music ♪
[engine starts]
[door closes]
Why was she here?
Beth works for me now.
[Joaquin chuckles]
Are you out of your mind?
We're diversifying.
Premium certified Angus.
Ranch-to-table.
We don't invite strangers
into this business.
You're not a cattleman, Kino.
Rip Wheeler is.
Ugh, man.
And Beth, she's a fucking Dutton.
She's like a cockroach
after an atomic bomb.
A fighter, a survivor.
The Yellowstone was
under constant assault.
She held the front line for years.
You are making a very
dangerous assumption
about what they're willing
to or not willing to do.
Rip and Beth have secrets,
and I've learned people
with secrets can be useful.
Corruptible, even.
[dogs barking in distance]
[sniffs]
[TV narrator] A horse doesn't
get the luxury of slowing down.
If he can't move, he can't work.
And if he can't work
You got more?
well, it doesn't last long.
[pounding on door]
[man] Police!
¡Policía!
Shit.
Tense music [pounding on door]
[snapping fingers]
[man] Open that fucking door, Chet Davis!
[sighs]
You scared the shit out of me, brother.
I'm back in the saddle.
Ma'am.
Ominous music ♪
- You gonna invite me in?
- Yeah, come in.
Well, this is delightful.
[crickets chirping]
[vehicle approaching]
[engine turns off]
What you up to, honey?
The plan.
Mm.
If we can't afford the life
that we want right now
Mm-hmm?
we'll make it work together.
You give me a week,
I'll know everything there is
to know about Beulah Jackson.
Well, let me tell you
about Beulah Jackson.
About three weeks ago,
I found a dead body on our property.
It floated over from the 10-Petal.
I took care of it.
But we need to be careful
with this family.
Quiet, dramatic music ♪
Why didn't you tell me?
[sighs] Peace, I guess.
Well, peace will have to wait.
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