With Just 1 Scene, ‘Dutton Ranch’ Becomes ‘Yellowstone’s Official Successor

Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Dutton Ranch Episode 6.

There’s a clear disparity between the way a network procedural like Marshals and a made-for-streaming drama like Dutton Ranch operate. Sure, both are highly anticipated sequels to Yellowstone, and both follow characters that feel appropriate for their respective environments, but this week’s Dutton Ranch has proven with just a single scene that it’s the perfect successor to the original program. The simple way it handles the fallout from the flagship Taylor Sheridan drama runs laps around Marshals‘ underhanded attempt.

‘Dutton Ranch’ Tackles the Same Jamie Question Previously Explored on ‘Marshals’

At the end of this week’s episode, “A Cowboy Saint,” Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening) speaks plainly with Beth (Kelly Reilly) about something the Dutton heiress would much rather forget: her adoptive brother. “I don’t think about him anymore,” Beth replies, and fans can understand why. After all, she mercilessly killed Jamie (Wes Bentley) in the Yellowstone series finale, “Life Is a Promise,” but to the rest of the Yellowstone universe, Montana’s former Attorney General has simply been missing ever since the murder of his father, Governor John Dutton (Kevin Costner).

While you’d think that Jamie’s disappearance would make him the first suspect in the eyes of the law and any potential on-lookers in John’s death, Beulah implies that she knows (or at least may believe) something about Beth’s involvement. “One has to wonder what really happened,” Beulah taunts. “Him gone missing after what happened to your father?” It’s a sudden moment that concludes the episode with an air of mystery, adding to the growing tension that Beth and Rip (Cole Hauser) already feel while working at the 10-Petal Ranch. What makes this moment stand out in comparison to Marshals, however, is the way the conversation is handled.

Conversely, the Marshals episode “Zone of Death” forces Kayce (Luke Grimes) to be confronted with the fallout of his brother’s disappearance. While driving out to the Duttons’ former “Train Station” burial ground, Kayce’s teammate, Marshal Andrea Cruz (Ash Santos), presses him about Jamie’s whereabouts. “Do you really not know where your brother Jamie is?” Cruz asks. It’s a small comment, but it ultimately amounts to nothing. Cruz immediately moves on to her own family struggles, and the matter is dropped entirely. Marshals treats this major Yellowstone plot point as a quick nod to link to the greater franchise, but it’s never intended to be paid off, despite how easily it could have been woven into the story. Rather than have a character like Rob Kirkland‘s Sheriff Bill Ramsey return from Yellowstone to look into Jamie’s absence (potentially becoming a thorn in Kayce’s side), the show basically ignores Jamie’s death. There is no grief as there was with John or Monica (Kelsey Asbille), and there are no definitive answers or intentions to look into it further.

Cruz doesn’t ask Kayce about Jamie because she intends to really follow up on that information; it was written into “Zone of Death” to add to the tension surrounding the potential discovery of the “Train Station.” In essence, it’s nothing more than a false flag, something for Yellowstone fans to hold onto to artificially escalate the situation with no real stakes. However, the way Dutton Ranch presents the same idea — six episodes in, rather than two, and in a scene where the consequences are quite clear — Beulah uses the Jamie question almost as a threat, meant to trouble Beth as she wonders just how much her new boss knows or is intending to uncover. It’s a significant moment in “A Cowboy Saint” because there are genuine stakes here, which stand in stark contrast to Marshals‘ attempt to simply sweep it under the rug. All in all, this is yet another way that Dutton Ranch proves it’s Yellowstone‘s natural successor, as well as the best-structured series overall.

Jamie’s “Disappearance” Sets Up an Obvious Crossover Between ‘Dutton Ranch’ and ‘Marshals’

If this next Sheridan-less stage of the Yellowstone universe (which will reportedly include a video game adaptation) is to be taken seriously, the mystery of Jamie’s murder will have to be dealt with sooner rather than later. Marshals‘ season finale, “Wolves at the Door,” already sets up Kayce potentially heading south to the Lone Star State to save Tate (Brecken Merrill) from rival rancher and criminal mastermind Tom Weaver (Chris Mulkey). Of course, that plotline has absolutely nothing to do with Jamie or Beth and Rip, so it’s unlikely that the Dutton Ranch cast will factor into Marshals‘ Season 2 opener.

That said, if those running these shows were smart, a crossover between Marshals and Dutton Ranch would be in the cards, allowing Kayce as a lawman and Beth and Rip as potential suspects to navigate the investigation into the disappearance of Montana’s Attorney General. However, it’s more than likely that only Dutton Ranch will follow up on this plotline, and if that’s the case, fans can rest easily knowing that it will eventually be dealt with in one way or another.