Taylor Sheridan’s Latest ‘Yellowstone’ Spin-Off Just Revealed Its Real Power Player

The 10-Petal might be the most surprising addition to the world of Yellowstone since Rip and Beth took their talents down to Texas for Dutton Ranch. Initially introduced as simply a neighboring ranch, with a powerful matriarch, who had their own criminals, much like those who wore the brand in Montana. However, just like John Dutton, the head of the 10-Petal has her own secrets and in Episode 7, ‘Den of Sin’, we learned just what gave Beulah Jackson that steel.

The episode’s flashbacks take viewers back to 1981, when a younger Beulah, played by Rebeca Robles, is assaulted by Luke, a mechanic she meets during a night out in Fort Worth. Beulah later discovers she’s pregnant and confronts Luke at his trailer, where she kills him. Luke is revealed to be the father of Rob-Will Jackson, making Beulah’s previous story about his father dying in a flood an outright lie. That’s one revelation in its own right, but it’s just a small part of the shake-up that takes place.

Who is the Real Enemy in ‘Dutton Ranch’?

The episode also introduces us a younger Mariano Reyes, and it shows showing his long history with Beulah and the Jackson family. In 1981, Mariano is the 10-Petals’ top hand and is assigned to keep an eye on Beulah, and he helps protect her after the assault, supports her cover story to her father, and drives her to Luke’s trailer without knowing what she is planning to do. That’s why Mariano’s present day role in the series has so much intrigue, because when he called Beulah earlier in the season, he was no longer acting like a loyal ranch hand. He was making demands and it’s clear that power dynamic is wildly different to how it used to be. It looks like he might be a big player behind the scenes and he might be the one keeping the ranch afloat. And if it’s kept afloat by illicit means, then we have even more questions. Is Mariano the biggest threat?

The cast of Dutton Ranch includes Kelly Reilly (Yellowstone) as Beth Dutton, Cole Hauser (Good Will Hunting) as Rip Wheeler, Annette Bening (American Beauty) as Beulah Jackson, Ed Harris (Westworld) as Everett McKinney, Finn Little (Those Who Wish Me Dead) as Carter, Juan Pablo Raba (Narcos) as Joaquin Reyes, Jai Courtney (Dangerous Animals) as Rob-Will Jackson, and Natalie Alyn Lind (Big Sky) as Oreana Lynn.

New episodes of Dutton Ranch air on Paramount Network and Paramount+.