Warning: SPOILERS For Dutton Ranch Season 1, Episode 7 - "Den of Sin" and Warning: This Article References Sexual Assault
Dutton Ranch unveils a villainous father-daughter combo as the flip side of John Dutton (Kevin Costner) and Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) in Yellowstone. Dutton Ranch episode 7 centers on the 190th celebration of the Jackson family and the 10-Petals Ranch, which saw a shocking handover of power and the collapse of matriarch Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening).
Beulah was blackmailed by her son, Rob-Will Jackson (Jai Courtney), into naming him as the heir who will run the 10-Petals Ranch after she retires. Beulah originally planned to name her adopted son, Joaquin Reyes (Juan Pablo Raba), but Rob-Will strong-armed his mother, ensuring the 10-Petals passed to him, and then would go to his daughter, Oreana Lynn Jackson (Natalie Alyn Lind).
Dutton Ranch episode 7 was also bookended by remarkable flashbacks that reveal Rob-Will's father was a cowboy named Luke (Cameron Cowperthwaite), who sexually assaulted Beulah (Rebeca Robles) in 1981. Miss Jackson then killed Luke, a secret kept by 10-Petals' top ranch hand, Mariano Reyes (Bobby Soto), who is now the mysterious power behind the 10-Petals Ranch.
Dutton Ranch episode 7 was the first time that Rob-Will and Oreana Lynn shared scenes together, and they emerge as the antithesis of John and Beth Dutton in Yellowstone. Rob-Will's relationship was previously only inferred by her reaction to his text messages, but the loyalty between the Jackson father and daughter is now clear.
Dutton Ranch breathed new life into Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone franchise and has made several improvements to the neo-Western saga along the way.
Beulah Jackson was hinted to be a diabolical ranch owner, but as Beth and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) came to work for her in Dutton Ranch, the Jackson matriarch became more sympathetic, especially due to her relationship with Everett McKinney (Ed Harris). Rob-Will, however, was a ruthless killer from the get-go, and shows no shades of grey or redeemable traits.
Oreana never portrayed herself as innocent, but Dutton Ranch episode 7 showed the colder side of Beulah's granddaughter. Oreana Lynn had no qualms about leading 'Mama B' to be ambushed, and she seems to be all in on Rob-Will's scheme to take control of the 10-Petals. Oreana also had no sympathy for Carter (Finn Little) being jealous over her old flame, Harrison (Matthew Erick White).
Of course, John and Beth Dutton have killed in Yellowstone, just like Rob-Will in Dutton Ranch. However, the Duttons were Yellowstone's protagonists. Taylor Sheridan's neo-Western saga asked audiences to empathize with the Duttons and with Rip, even if viewers disagree with their dirty deeds to protect the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.
By design, the Jacksons are a broken mirror reflection of the Duttons, and Dutton Ranch is playing with many of Yellowstone's tried-and-true tropes. Beth's loyalty to her father, John, was absolute, even after Governor Dutton's death. It remains to be seen how ironclad Rob-Will and Oreana's relationship is in Dutton Ranch.
Rob-Will gaining control of the 10-Petals Ranch spells disaster. Even Rob-WIll admits that he's "an addict," and he puts himself above the well-being of the ranch. When Beulah announced Rob-Will, she said that he would take over in five years. However, Beulah's collapse and possible death, as well as Joaquin washing his hands of the 10-Petals, immediately tosses out that timetable.
Rip already knows that Rob-Will is a cruel man, as well as a murderer, and he wouldn't want to work for him. Beth's partnership with Beulah is also in jeopardy. Their first client, Zane Nash (Marlon Young), has already taken Ms. Jackson to task for suddenly announcing her retirement. But if Beth and Rip sever ties with the 10-Petals, they potentially lose millions down the line and their immediate means to make a living.
Rob-Will's business sense is questionable, and he'll need a fixer. It won't be Joaquin since they hate each other and Rob-Will has already tried to have his adopted brother killed. However, Oreana is a college graduate. Perhaps Rob-Will will install his daughter as his consigliere, making the Jacksons even more of a counterpart to the Duttons. Beth handled John's business at the Yellowstone Ranch and as Governor of Montana.
Dutton Ranch still has to clarify how Oreana feels about her father's methods and desires. Beth didn't always agree with John in Yellowstone, but she did his bidding out of love. Oreana claimed she didn't want the Jackson family legacy, but this may have changed. Regardless, Dutton Ranch has drawn the battle lines, with Rob-Will and Oreana united as the Yellowstone universe's new father-daughter villain team.
Seeking a fresh start beyond Yellowstone’s past, Beth and Rip confront relentless obstacles and a powerful competing ranch unwilling to yield control.
