Dutton Ranch Episode 6: Does Beulah Know Beth's Darkest Yellowstone-Era Secret?

Annette Bening's Beulah Jackson is the older, Lone Star State version of Kelly Reilly's Beth Dutton. The matriarch of a powerful ranching family with centuries of history in their native Texas, Beulah was always bound to clash with the similarly formidable Beth. For the time being, however, the two seem to have formed a tentative truce. But at the end of Episode 6, Beulah suggests she might know something about the fate of Wes Bentley's Jamie Dutton. Considering Beth is the one that dispatched her brother back on "Yellowstone," that would be a big problem for her and Cole Hauser's Rip Wheeler.

"Yellowstone" and "Dutton Ranch" fans will surely have had the experience of suddenly realizing who they're rooting for and questioning their entire morality. The protagonists of these neo-Westerns are just awful people, but my goodness they make for some compelling melodrama. Still, the sins of their past will be tough to atone for. Impossible, even, given all the terrible things the Duttons did on "Yellowstone."

Perhaps that's why it's only taken five episodes for Rip and Beth's life of quietude to dissolve into the kind of tumult that characterized their "Yellowstone" years. The couple have plenty of skeletons in their closet, and it's only a matter of time before at least one of them tumbles forth. Judging by what Beulah has said thus far, she may well be the one to instigate the tumbling. In "Dutton Ranch" Episode 5 she told her adopted son Joaquin Reyes (Juan Pablo Raba), "Rip and Beth have secrets and I've learned people with secrets can be useful. Corruptible, even." In Episode 6 she hinted at one particular secret that could indeed turn Beth into a tool of the 10 Petal Ranch — or destroy her completely.

Early episodes of "Dutton Ranch" showed Beulah Jackson researching the controversial death of John Dutton which occurred back in "Yellowstone" Season 5 and saw the former ranching titan killed in his own home — though it was made to look self-inflicted. Ultimately, Beth Dutton discovered that her adopted brother, Jamie Dutton, had something to do with the killing, and exacted swift vengeance by stabbing Jamie and having Rip dump his body at the famous "Yellowstone" Train Station — a ravine in a secluded area of Montana. She then claimed Jamie attacked her before absconding. Of course, Beulah doesn't know the truth about Jamie's murder ... or does she?

We know the 10 Petal Ranch matriarch researched the Duttons' sordid history, and we know she's aware the family has "secrets" which she likely intends to use as leverage. But in "Dutton Ranch" Episode 6, we get the first hint as to what exactly Beulah figured out. The episode sees her and Beth travel to Dallas where they convince the powerful head of a hospitality group to use 10 Petal brand beef in his hotels. Afterwards, the two celebrate with a drink and it's here that Beulah hints at a more sinister intention behind her partnering with Beth.

She compares her experience adopting Joaquin Reyes to the Dutton family and their own experience with "taking in wayward sons." Of course, one of those sons was Jamie Dutton, who Beulah goes on to mention by name, prompting a suspicious look from Beth as she realizes her new business partner knows more than she thought. "One has to wonder what really happened," continues Beulah. "Him going missing after what happened to your father?" It seems Beulah may know Beth and Rip's darkest secret.

The Dutton clan have done so many terrible things, it's truly impressive how "Yellowstone," "Dutton Ranch," and Luke Grimes' CBS spin-off "Marshals" can make them seem so sympathetic. Likewise, it's impressive how all these characters continue to get away with their abhorrent deeds. When it comes to Jamie Dutton's death however, this truly does seem to be the one skeleton that will almost certainly be unearthed. 

"Marshals" Episode 2 implied that Beth Dutton's problems were far from over when it revealed the Montana authorities were still very much interested in John Dutton's mysterious death and the disappearance of Jamie. With Beth and Rip Wheeler moving to Rio Paloma, Texas, they likely thought the distance would help turn down the heat on the Jamie debacle. But it seems their troubles have followed them, with Beulah shrewdly deducing that Beth and Rip know much more about Jamie's fate than they're letting on. Unfortunately for the 10 Petal owner, Rip and Beth also know one of her secrets — namely that her ex-foreman was murdered by her own son.

Let's hope this particular storyline helps restore the show's momentum. "Dutton Ranch" Episode 5 ruined the most interesting storyline by having the Dutton Ranch owners team up with 10 Petal after having feuded with them for four episodes straight. With Beulah now tacitly telling Beth she knows there's something shady about Jamie's disappearance, the show might gain back some of its tension as Beth and Rip fight to get one over on Beulah before she can do the same to them.