Dutton Ranch Resurrected The Worst Version Of Rip From Yellowstone

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Be warned, this contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 5 of Dutton Ranch! Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser), known for being intimidating on Yellowstone, reappeared in the fifth episode of Dutton Ranch. Following the devastating loss of their entire herd of black angus cattle due to foot-and-mouth disease, Rip and Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) are now focused on moving forward.

Without cattle, Beth and Rip have no way to support themselves on the Dutton Ranch. Beth suggested going back to her old job in finance, but they both agreed that wouldn’t work because they want to stay together in Rio Paloma and rebuild the ranch.

After 25 years working as a ranch hand at Yellowstone’s Dutton Ranch, Rip is able to help Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening) with a problem she’s facing. She needs a new foreman for her 10-Petals Ranch, and Rip is the ideal candidate. But managing a ranch bunkhouse also reveals Rip’s less desirable traits.

Rip Became His Worst Version Again As 10-Petals Ranch’s New Foreman

In the fifth episode of Dutton Ranch, Rip quickly reasserted his authority as the tough ranch foreman he was known to be at Yellowstone. He unexpectedly entered the 10-Petals bunkhouse, immediately intimidating the wranglers and giving them orders. Before the day was over, Rip had already fired Chet Denton, who had been the previous foreman.

Look, as a huge fan of Yellowstone, it’s always been clear that Rip Wheeler is a force to be reckoned with. We’ve seen him at his darkest – times when he was downright cruel to the other ranch hands, even carrying out John Dutton’s (Kevin Costner) orders, no matter how brutal. That side of him really resurfaced in episode 5 of the Dutton Ranch storyline. It was chilling to watch him just stand back and let Chet and Austin (Sterlin English) settle their differences – a real fight to the finish – without lifting a finger to stop it. It definitely reminded us just how fiercely loyal – and potentially dangerous – Rip can be.

Beulah instructed Rip to do absolutely whatever it took to get the 10-Petals bunkhouse in order. Rip justifies his tough approach by saying it helped him quickly figure out the relationships and conflicts among Beulah’s cowboys. He also discovered the identity of the body he found on his property, as revealed in the first episode of Dutton Ranch.

Rip wasn’t popular with the other cowboys, but he turned on the charm for Beulah, and it worked perfectly. He was confident and respectful, which quickly put her at ease, and she readily agreed to his request for an $11,000 monthly raise. Just like with John Dutton, Rip is loyal to those who support him, but he doesn’t hesitate to discipline those who work under him.

Even though Rip seemed a little gentler, he was still a strict boss at the Dutton Ranch. He expected as much from Azul and Zachariah as he did from the original cowboys at Yellowstone. However, as the new foreman at 10-Petals, Rip soon realized his experience made him even more assertive and uncompromising.

Rip & Beth’s Dutton Ranch Plan Explained

After Rip Wheeler started his first day as foreman at 10-Petals Ranch, Beth Dutton managed to get herself a job too, working with Beulah Jackson. She persuaded Beulah to team up with her on a business selling high-quality Angus steak directly to restaurants, which was actually Beth’s original idea for the Dutton Ranch.

Before unexpectedly running into Beulah at 10-Petals, Beth thoroughly investigated Beulah’s family and their business in Rio Paloma, pinpointing weaknesses and areas for improvement. Beth then presented herself as the ideal partner Beulah didn’t know she was missing, subtly warning her about repeating the errors John Dutton made with the Yellowstone ranch.

I’m really excited about Beth’s plan! She’s aiming to build a business over the next five years that provides high-end, 10-Petals-branded steaks to the best restaurants in major cities like New York, LA, Dallas, and Vegas. She believes her business model will do well even during tough economic times, and she’s so confident she’s asking for 20% of the profits, promising results quickly. It’s amazing because while Rip is set to earn a good salary from Beulah, Beth is potentially looking at making millions with this venture!

Beth doesn’t want the Dutton name associated with this project. She’s planning to start her own competing business once the ranch has enough black angus cattle again. Ultimately, she wants to challenge Beulah and take over its leading position in Rio Paloma, potentially forcing 10-Petals to close down.

Beth and Rip have recently settled into 10-Petals Ranch and are gaining the confidence of Beulah Jackson, much to the frustration of her son and right-hand man, Joaquin Reyes.

Beulah is definitely manipulating Beth and Rip to get what she wants, which is creating an interesting battle for control of the Dutton Ranch. What she doesn’t realize is that she’s dealing with Beth and Rip at their most ruthless, even more so than they were in Yellowstone.

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2026-06-06 16:02