Club Benefits
Rating: ★★★ stars
Verdict: "Dutton Ranch" isn't perfect. It's overly melodramatic and borders on being a soap opera. But the prestigious additions of Ed Harris and Annette Bening to the "Yellowstone" universe ensure a baseline of quality that makes this new series enjoyable to watch.
Release schedule: First two episodes available to stream on Friday, May 15. Episodes 3-9 will drop weekly on Fridays starting May 22.
Where to watch: Stream "Dutton Ranch" on Paramount+ or Philo via Paramount Network (7-day free trial)
If you're thinking about watching "Dutton Ranch" on Paramount+ this Friday (May 15), and you're worried it won't live up to the example set by "Yellowstone," I have bad news for you ... I have never watched a full episode of "Yellowstone."
That's not to say the show is flawless. There are inarguably some performances that are stronger than others. There are also more than a few soap-worthy melodramatic moments through the first four episodes of this nine-episode first season. But there are genuinely enjoyable performances, and the main storyline that has formed through these four episodes is compelling.
Not only have I enjoyed watching "Dutton Ranch" so far, but I'm actually looking forward to watching more, especially more of Ed Harris and Annette Bening.
Malcolm has been on the Tom's Guide streaming team since 2023, reviewing dozens of shows each year so you only have to watch the good ones.
Ed Harris and Annette Bening elevate 'Dutton Ranch'
I don't think it's a spoiler to say that the Duttons have left Montana in "Dutton Ranch." Specifically, John Dutton's daughter, Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), and her husband Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) have left their old home for a new life in Texas.
But once they arrive at the small town of Rio Paloma, they find not all the locals are friendly to newcomers. One family of locals, the Jacksons, is particularly unwelcoming ... in no small part because they practically own the town.
The Jackson family matriarch, Beulah (Annette Bening), and Beth manage to get into conflict as rival ranchers almost immediately, unaware that Rip has just punched Beulah's drunken son at a local gas station. It's setting up a real Hatfields and McCoys situation, which I won't be complaining about because that means we get more Annette Bening as a business feud potentially turns into something more personal.
To be fair, I like Reilly's portrayal of Beth as the new head of the Duttons' business operations. Of the three Duttons in "Dutton Ranch," her performance is by far my favorite; unfortunately, I find Finn Little to be a weak link as Beth and Rip's son, Carter, and I worry Rip is a supporting character thrust into a lead role. But Bening is one of the few people in this show who steal every scene they're in.
The other one to steal the scene, and perhaps the show? Ed Harris. He plays Everett McKinney, a Vietnam veteran who is the Rio Paloma veterinarian now that his Navy days are behind him. He quickly befriends Beth, almost certainly aligning him with Team Dutton against Beulah and the Jacksons. But he and Beulah clearly have a history, and that could complicate things as he gets closer to the Dutton operation. Luckily, Harris is good in everything he acts in, so I won't be complaining if his supporting role in this show expands.
Verdict: 'Dutton Ranch' isn't prestige TV, but it is good TV
Look, if I'm being honest, there's no universe in which this show makes my shortlist for the best shows of the year. It's not Emmy material. There are some weak performances combined with soap opera storylines that give me a good excuse to check my emails (not that I ever look away when reviewing a show).
But, I do like "Dutton Ranch." While there are weaker performances, Reilly, Bening and Harris will keep me watching through the end of season 1, at least. And the interfamily conflict that's brewing in this tight-knit Texas town already has me hooked.
I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention that the social commentary in this show is far superior to what we've gotten from Sheridan in recent years ... which might be because Sheridan isn't actually involved in this show (he's an executive producer, but Chad Feehan is the showrunner). Frankly, there isn't a ton of social commentary about what's wrong in America, which has been a hallmark of Sheridan's writing in recent years. And what little there is feels surprisingly natural. You rarely bat an eye at it.
So if you're a "Yellowstone" fan still waiting for more from the Duttons, and "Marshals" left you unsatisfied, I'm confident that "Dutton Ranch" will fill the Montana-sized hole in your Texas-sized heart. Don't believe me? Check it out on Paramount+ on Friday, May 15, or watch it on the Paramount Network the same day. Philo will let you watch Paramount Network for free for seven days if you want to avoid paying to stream the two-episode premiere.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok.
More from Tom's Guide
