Dutton Ranch Episode 3: Beth Dutton Makes A Subtle But Dark Yellowstone Callback
by Joe Roberts · /FilmThis article contains mild spoilers for "Dutton Ranch" Episode 3, "Act of God Business."
"Dutton Ranch" has continued the "Yellowstone" story with a scintillating spin-off that retains all the infinitely watchable melodrama of the mothership series. Of course, having moved to small-town Texas with Cole Hauser's Rip Wheeler, Kelly Reilly's Beth Dutton now faces a whole new set of problems — though considering everything the fearsome Dutton daughter has been through, she shouldn't have too much trouble dealing with rival ranchers and the surprisingly perilous job of cattle ranching. But if "Dutton Ranch" Episode 3 is anything to go by, she might find herself facing a ghost from her past in the form of Juan Pablo Raba's Joaquin Reyes, who by her own admission, reminds Beth of her late brother and mortal enemy, Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley).
Beth and Jamie were at odds from the very beginning of "Yellowstone," and as the show went on, their rivalry only intensified. It all came to a tumultuous head in Season 5, when Beth killed Jamie Dutton as revenge for his hand in her father's fate. The adopted Dutton scion's body was then unceremoniously hauled to the Train Station dumping ground and tossed into a ravine, where presumably anybody might be able to find him and the rest of the Dutton victims.
For now, however, Jamie's body remains hidden, though "Dutton Ranch" seems to be setting up one of its characters as the perfect replacement for this longstanding Beth Dutton rival. Joaquin Reyes seemed like the Texas equivalent of Jamie from the very beginning, and in Episode 3, Beth meets him for the first time and tells him she reminds her of her late brother.
Beth meets the Dutton Ranch version of Jamie in Episode 3
"Dutton Ranch" Episode 3 plays like a "Landman" installment. That's a good thing, as the oil drama is easily one of Taylor Sheridan's best shows, focusing on Billy Bob Thornton's Tommy Norris and his attempts to gain dominance in the oil industry in West Texas. In "Dutton Ranch" Episode 3, however, it's Beth Dutton striking the deals, with the Dutton matriarch heading to Dallas to coax a high-end hotel into using her and Rip's prize beef in their restaurant.
Once there, she pulls some classic Beth Dutton moves to charm her way into the restaurant manager's good graces. After a successful meeting in which the manager agrees to use Dutton Ranch beef, Beth relaxes at the hotel bar where she's approached by Joaquin Reyes. He introduces himself, explaining how he was adopted by rival rancher Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening), head of the 10 Petal Ranch, after his parents couldn't afford to support him.
Now acting as something of a fixer for 10 Petal, Joaquin has spent most of his time cleaning up the mess left by his brother, Rob-Wil Jackson (Jai Courtney), after he killed the ranch's foreman in a fit of rage. Rob-Wil and Joaquin's storyline should be immediately familiar to "Yellowstone" fans as it closely mirrors the contentious relationship between Beth and Jamie Dutton on the original series. Two non-biological siblings — one reasonable, one nuts — vying for power as part of a notorious ranching dynasty? That's Beth and Jamie's story all over again, which might explain why Beth tells Joaquin during their hotel bar meet that he reminds her of her father's attorney, i.e., Jamie.
Is Dutton Ranch's Joaquin doomed?
So far, "Dutton Ranch" has managed to strike the perfect balance between maintaining the feel of its predecessor and charting new ground. While fellow "Yellowstone" spin-off "Marshals" has no idea what it's about, the Kelly Reilly/Cole Hauser-led sequel series feels much more focused. As such, the fact that Rob-Wil Jackson and Joaquin Reyes feel like the Texas equivalent of Beth and Jamie Dutton is surely no accident.
Sadly, for Joaquin, his resemblance to the late Dutton son doesn't bode well. We all saw what happened to Jamie, with Beth exacting swift and brutal revenge with an assist from Rip at the end of "Yellowstone." As such, her identifying Joaquin as exuding a Jamie-esque aura surely means he's marked for a similarly savage fate. It wouldn't be all that much of a surprise, seeing as the character has thus far covered up a murder perpetrated by his brother and misled the victim's widow, all of which likely means he's set to face retribution as the season goes on.
"Dutton Ranch" hasn't shied away from "Yellowstone" callbacks, showcasing several easter eggs in its premiere episode, including John Dutton's Stetson and the very knife Beth used to off her brother. That in and of itself seems significant. The knife in question actually appeared in the "Yellowstone" prequel series "1883" where it was owned by Elsa Dutton (Isabel May). It was then carried by Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) in "1923" before appearing in "Yellowstone," where Beth used it to deal the fatal blow to Jamie. Since Beth chose to save the knife when fleeing her home in the "Dutton Ranch" premiere, we know she still has it, and the blade might just have Joaquin's name on it.