“Dutton Ranch” fans were hit with an absolutely brutal episode Friday.
The “Yellowstone” spinoff follows Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) as they try to build a new life in Texas.
It’s been an immediate hit with fans of Taylor Sheridan’s original saga, and it’s putting up monster viewership numbers on Paramount+.
The gritty series is simply exceptional, and the latest episode perfectly captures what makes it outstanding.
TAYLOR SHERIDAN’S NEW ‘YELLOWSTONE’ SPINOFF ‘DUTTON RANCH’ SETS RATINGS RECORD WITH PREMIERE
Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton and Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler in Dutton Ranch, episode 4, season 1, streaming on Paramount+, 2026. (Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+.)
‘Dutton Ranch’ fans react to brutal episode.
*WARNING: THERE ARE GOING TO BE SPOILERS BELOW*
Episode dropped Friday on Paramount+, and it picked up right where episode three ended:
Rip and Beth face total disaster after their herd is found to have foot-and-mouth disease.
‘DUTTON RANCH’ STAR SHARES INCREDIBLE BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT EXPLOSIVE ‘YELLOWSTONE’ SPINOFF
It’s a death sentence not just for the cattle, but possibly for the dreams they brought with them from Montana.
Rip gathers up the men, and they shoot the entire herd in what can only be described as a brutally dark and emotional scene. You could feel the pain and bleakness of the event with every round fired at the animals doomed to death.
It was every bit as shocking as it was sad. There’s also a little more that unfolded in that story arc, but let’s not spoil everything for anyone not caught up.
J.R. Villarreal as Azul, Marc Menchaca as Zachariah, and Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler appear in Dutton Ranch in episode 4, season 1, streaming on Paramount+ in 2026. (Lauren Smith/Paramount+)
Fans were also quick to fire away (no pun intended) with reactions on Reddit. Check out some below:
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- What a f***ing episode. A+++++ I’m going to need to watch it again…Cole did some seriously amazing acting this episode. Watching Rip’s livelihood and livestock he genuinely cares about go down the drain, doing the work himself- losing everything twice in as many years. Sh**, I’d need to lay down outside and have a cry (no he wasn’t crying but he must have after we left him). And Christ, Beth and Rip about that little cow. The only thing that was saved from their last ranch and having to kill her himself. It must have torn him in two.
- I’m devastated. I’ll probably just cry myself back to sleep.
- Idk about you guys, but good ol Buelah had a hand in the Bull sickness. Can’t wait to see Rip walk thru that entire ranch like the Terminator he is and Beth to bounce her face off a coffee table lol.. I miss the action part of Yellowstone but I have a feeling we’ll get there at some point.. See y’all next Friday in the middle of the night lol
- I think this was one of my favorite episodes of this show or Yellowstone. I cried so much. Rip should not have let that guy live. Blow him up with the trailer.
- Yeah, it was a really great episode overall. Absolutely heartbreaking and emotionally heavy. For me, it always drops at 9 a.m., which is basically the perfect depressing way to start the day.
- I hope the show reveals more of the relationship between the vet and Beulah. There seems to be a history there.
- I like that Ray McKinnon from Sons of Anarchy and Mayans, plays Dwight White.
- Love seeing Beth ride horses. She hated them for most of Yellowstone. Shows how much she has healed.
- I was so heartbroken when Carter called Beth a liar. Fastest learning in real time how fast it is to be a parent. Even after each called the other son and mom. I cannot imagine that Rip is going to be happy with how that played out.
- This episode was better than any YS episode. It was so good I’m at a loss of words. Truly heartbreaking watching Rip have to put down their whole entire herd. I’m so upset about their poor baby girl. I love how ride and die Beth and Rip are. She wanted to be by his side through it all. They are in this together.
Marc Menchaca as Zachariah, Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton, J.R. Villarreal as Azul Ramos, and Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler appear in Dutton Ranch in episode 4, season 1, streaming on Paramount+ in 2026. (Emerson Miller/Paramount+)
Talk about an emotionally devastating ride. Just gut-wrenching start to finish, and the closing moments with Rip will crush any hard-working man. Now, we sit and wait to see what comes next. Let me know your predictions at [email protected].
