‘Yellowstone’ spinoff ‘Dutton Ranch’ shocks viewers with brutal episode, fans go crazy
“Dutton Ranch” fans were rocked by an absolutely brutal episode on Friday.
The “Yellowstone” spinoff follows Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) as they try to make a new life in Texas.
It was an immediate hit among fans of Taylor Sheridan’s original epic, and is turning in monster viewing numbers on Paramount+.
The brave series is simply outstanding, and the latest episode perfectly captures what makes it extraordinary.
TAYLOR SHERIDAN’S NEW ‘YELLOWSTONE’ SPINOFF ‘DUTTON RANCH’ Breaks 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 MAY BE SPOILERS BELOW*
The episode was released on Paramount+ on Friday and picks up where the third episode ended:
Rip and Beth face disaster after it is discovered that their flock is infected with foot-and-mouth disease.
‘DUTTON RANCH’ STAR SHARES INCREDIBLE BEHIND THE SCENES FOOTAGE OF HER EXPLOSIVE ‘YELLOWSTONE’ SPINOF
This is a death sentence not only for the cattle, but also for the dreams they probably brought with them from Montana.
Rip gathers the men together and they brutally shoot the entire herd in what can only be described as a dark and emotional scene. You could feel the pain and gloom of the event with every bullet fired at the doomed animals.
It was as shocking as it was sad. There’s also a bit more revealed in this story arc, but let’s not spoil everything for those not caught up.
JR Villarreal as Azul, Marc Menchaca as Zachariah, and Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler in episode 4, season 1 of Dutton Ranch will air on Paramount+ in 2026. (Lauren Smith/Paramount+)
Fans were also quick to react (no pun intended) with reactions on Reddit. Check out some below:
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- What a damn episode. A+++++ I’ll have to watch it again… Cole did some really great acting in this episode. He watches Rip’s livelihood and the animals he truly cares for go down the drain, as he does the work himself and loses everything twice in as many years. Damn, I should have laid out outside and cried (no he wasn’t crying, but he must have been crying after we dropped him off). And Christ, Beth and Rip about that little cow. The only thing that survived their last farm was having to kill him. He must have split it in half.
- I’m devastated. I’ll probably cry myself back to sleep.
- I don’t know about you, but good-hearted Buelah had a hand in the Taurus disease. Can’t wait to see Rip wander around the entire farm like a Terminator and bounce Beth’s face off the coffee table hahaha.. I miss the action part of Yellowstone but I have a feeling we’ll get there at some point.. See you next Friday at midnight hahaha
- I think this was one of my favorite episodes of this show or Yellowstone. I cried a lot. Rip shouldn’t have let that man live. Blow it up with the trailer.
- Yes, it was a great episode overall. It’s absolutely heartbreaking and emotionally heavy. It always falls at 9am for me, which is a perfect, depressing way to start the day.
- I hope the series reveals more of the relationship between the vet and Beulah. There seems to be a history there.
- I liked Ray McKinnon from Sons of Anarchy and Mayans playing Dwight White.
- I love seeing Beth ride. He hated them throughout most of Yellowstone. It shows how much he’s improved.
- I was so hurt when Carter called Beth a liar. Find out how fast it is to become a parent in real time. Even after each of them called the other son and his mother. I can’t imagine Rip would be happy with the outcome of this.
- This episode was better than any episode of YS. It was so good I have no words to say. Watching Rip have to slaughter the entire herd is truly heartbreaking. I’m so sorry for their poor baby girl. I love how Beth and Rip ride and die. He wanted to be by her side through everything. They’re in this together.
Marc Menchaca as Zachariah, Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton, JR Villarreal as Azul Ramos, and Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler in episode 4, season 1 of Dutton Ranch will air on Paramount+ in 2026. (Emerson Miller/Paramount+)
Talk about an emotionally devastating journey. It’s a heartbreaking story from start to finish, and the closing moments spent with Rip will devastate any hard-working man. Now we sit and wait to see what happens next. Let me know your predictions David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
