Spoilers for Dutton Ranch episode 7 ahead.
After last week’s episode was brave enough to kill off one of its most problematic characters on the hoof, I expected big things from this week’s installment of Dutton Ranch.
In episode 6, disgruntled ex-foreman Chet (Hart Denton) was killed in cold blood after trying to take down eldest Jackson brother Joaquin (Juan Pablo Raba) by shooting him in the hand. Rip (Cole Hauser) saw the whole thing play out and asked no questions… for now.
Meanwhile, Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Beulah (Annette Bening) have formed a business partnership and have successfully won their first client. But how long can peace be between them — especially after Beulah alluded to knowing the truth about Jamie Dutton’s death?
Teeing this week up for big things, I’m not sure Dutton Ranch episode 7 actually pulled off a satisfying follow-up. Now that the episode is on Paramount+, let’s dissect what did (and didn’t) happen.
Dutton Ranch episode 7 starts with a teenage Beulah flashback
Unexpectedly — and in one of the more intriguing creative choices in this episode — we kick episode 7 off with a flashback to Beulah’s youth. We see a rancher drop her and two friends off at a Texan bar, who is revealed to be Mariano, Joaquin’s father.
Beulah soon hits the dancefloor with a young man called Luke, who seemingly makes all the most charming moves possible. Whenever he tries to dominate her in conversation, Beulah gives as good as she gets.
Mariano drinks coffee and talks to a waitress at the bar, who seems incredibly interested in his life. It’s then revealed that Luke had paid her $20 to try and ply him with beer and keep him occupied while he took Beulah to a nearby motel and sexually assaulted her.
By the time Mariano finds her, she’s standing outside with her dress half torn off, a bloody nose and only one boot on. “Did you see me fall of that mechanical bull?” Beulah asks him. “Well, that’s exactly what you’re gonna tell my Daddy.”
We also end the episode with another flashback, this time Mariano coming to get Beulah before her father gives a speech at a ranch party (the parallels will make sense the more you read on).
Beulah doesn’t want to be there, asking Mariano to instead drive her somewhere. She arrives at Luke’s house, shoots him dead, and emerges with her previously lost boot from the night of the assault.
The 10 Petal party gets underway — and is mostly a drama-free affair
In the present day, Beulah is busy organizing the ranch for its 190-year celebrations. She reveals to Joaquin that she will use to party to announce her successor during a speech, with Joaquin being convinced that the responsibility will fall to him.
Rip, Beth and Carter (Finn Little) all get ready for the party, deciding to arrive on horseback rather than having to drive. Beth and Rip soon talk business, while Beulah is left to play the hostess with the mostess… and sneak some quality time in with date Everett (Ed Harris).
Oreana reveals that she’s got a new love interest
After the family arrive at the party, Carter makes a beeline for Oreana (Natalie Alyn Lind). However, he soon finds her with another guy, who’s well-dressed and seemingly comes from money.
When Carter tries to say hello, she completely blanks him and continues her previous conversation. Everett tries to console Carter when he’s left standing alone later on, but Oreana soon comes up to him at the bar to ask if he’s enjoying the event.
Carter takes his frustrations out on her, claiming that this is someone else she’s been dating the entire time behind his back. “Well if it was, it’d be none of your goddamn business,” Oreana replies before leaving.
10 Petal rancher Austin starts to doubt the Jackson family
Across town, Beulah has set up an open tab at the local bar for 10 Petal wranglers, rather then having them cause a scene at her party.
It’s a smart decision, with the gang soon starting a fight with other local ranchers who accuse 10 Petal of cheating at a card game… and hiding more secrets than anyone will let on. Azul (J.R. Villarreal) and Zachariah (Marc Menchaca) are also there, and get stuck into the action.
Later on, cleaning up after the mess, 10 Petal rancher Austin admits that he thinks that the naysayers from earlier in the evening are right — with both Wes and Chet now missing, it’s clear that the Jacksons are waist-deep in secrets.
The others tell him to forget it and look the other way, which Austin argues is all they’ve been doing for years. Let’s just say it creates a tense atmosphere.
Rob-Will arrives and bullies Beulah into handing 10 Petal over to him — and it works
Oreana calls Beulah inside, who finds Rob-Will (Jai Courtney) sitting at her desk. Oreana was keeping his return to 10 Petal a surprise, having returned to Rio Paloma itself at the end of episode 5.
Rob-Will claims that he’s clean (despite swigging vodka from a bottle every 10 seconds) and that if Beulah is announcing her successor tonight, it has to be him. He claims that he’s everything she wanted a son to be — clear-eyed, ruthless and “a killer,” alluding to the fact that he knows Beulah killed Luke in her youth.
This then becomes a blackmail situation, with Beulah standing firm on not giving into what Rob-Will is asking. We find out his full name with the next line: “My name is Robert William Jackson III, and this ranch was always going to belong to me,” he says in reference to Beulah’s grandad who founded it.
When Beulah makes her speech, Joaquin gets ready to hear his name as successor, only for his mother to confirm that Rob-Will will eventually take over the ranch within the next five years.
The crowd is clearly unsettled by the news, with the ranch’s latest investor threatening to pull out because Rob-Will is a known drug addict. Beth and Rip look on, concerned.
Joaquin leaves the party almost immediately, claiming that Rob-Will has “f**ked it” for almost everyone involved.
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