“Dutton Ranch” has already been renewed for a second season which means we’ll soon be heading back to Rio Paloma for more Lone Star State melodrama with Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) and Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly). The first season wrapped up with a cliffhanger, where Finn Little’s Carter Green was kidnapped by the cartel, proving that no matter where they go, Beth and Rip will never outrun the Dutton family curse. That is to say they’ll never find the life of peace and quietude they both covet. Lucky for us, that means plenty more drama to come.
Season 1 ended with a line that suggested we’ll be seeing vintage Beth in Season 2, with the “Yellowstone” alum promising to take the fight to her son’s captors. But she and Rip will almost certainly need some help and many are hoping this means we’ll see a “Dutton Ranch” crossover with “Marshals,” wherein the couple enlist the help of Luke Grimes’ Kayce Dutton to save Carter. Given how positively everyone involved with “Dutton Ranch” has spoken about such a thing It seems likely to happen. But is Kayce the only “Yellowstone” alum that might show up? Surely there’s room for more cameos.
The question is, who would fans want to see on “Dutton Ranch?” It’s worth noting that Season 1 sidelined Beth and Rip somewhat as it explored the internal politics of their rival 10 Petal Ranch, so whoever does appear in forthcoming seasons will have to help further the “Yellowstone” power couple’s story rather than detract from it. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up the five “Yellowstone” characters we think should appear on “Dutton Ranch.”
Kayce Dutton
This one goes without saying. After “Yellowstone” ended with its controversial fifth season in 2024, Luke Grimes’ Kayce Dutton led the very first spin-off/sequel series with “Marshals.” Unfortunately, the show got off to a bad start by killing off a longstanding “Yellowstone” character in the worst way possible, writing out Kelsey Asbille’s Monica Dutton and leaving Kayce bereft. Things didn’t get much better from there, with “Marshals” struggling to figure out what it was actually about and delivering some of the most torturous dialogue yet seen in a Taylor Sheridan-verse series. Fans will surely want better for Kayce, and bringing him into the world of “Dutton Ranch” is one way to do that.
Aside from the fact Kayce, with his Navy SEAL training and newfound law enforcement career, is perfectly placed to help Rip Wheeler and Beth Dutton fight the cartel and get their son back, a reunion between him, his sister, and brother-in-law would be a major crowd-pleaser. Even Kelly Reilly herself feels the “Dutton Ranch” writers should have brought Kayce into Season 1, telling TVInsider, “I think it’s something that was a missed opportunity, quite honestly.” That bodes well for his arrival in Season 2.
What’s more, seeing Grimes’ Dutton scion animated by the awkward words of network TV writers has been a bit of a bummer to say the least. Let the far superior “Dutton Ranch” writers have a crack at it and bring back the Kayce fans remember. Whatever you do, though, don’t send Rip and Beth to Grimes’ CBS procedural, we beg you.
Travis Wheatley
Before you close this page in disgust let me explain. Taylor Sheridan’s Travis Wheatley might have completely ruined “Yellowstone” Season 5 and remains one of the most controversial “Yellowstone” characters, but there’s something to be said for having him appear on “Dutton Ranch.” Sheridan is, of course, the creator of “Yellowstone” and the man responsible for one of the most expansive TV empires of the modern age. After leaving acting behind for a writing career, the prolific creator inserted himself into “Yellowstone” as horse trainer and rodeo maestro Travis Wheatley, and gave himself more to do as the show went on. It didn’t make for the best outcome, but “Dutton Ranch” could be a reprieve for the oft-criticized character.
First off, Sheridan has stepped away from his “Yellowstone” spin-offs, leaving both “Dutton Ranch” and “Marshals” to other creators. To see him appear in “Dutton Ranch” would at least be slightly comforting, if only because it’s been somewhat nerve-wracking to see him take such a hands-off approach. Sure, it’s worked well enough with “Dutton Ranch” but with “Marshals”… I’m just saying it would be nice to see Sheridan’s face in this expanded universe.
There’s also the fact “Dutton Ranch” has some parallels with Sheridan’s recent life events. In a 2023 profile for The Hollywood Reporter, the “Yellowstone” creator recalled how he’d acquired the real-life 6666 Ranch in Texas. Apparently he convinced then-owner Anne Marion to sell by telling her he would make the 6666 “the most famous ranch in America.” It’s almost exactly how Beth Dutton convinces Annette Bening’s Beulah Jackson to bring her into the 10 Petal Ranch in “Dutton Ranch” Season 1. I think there’s an opportunity to explore that parallel by bringing in Sheridan’s character — as long as he keeps the horse spinning to a minimum.
Jimmy Hurdstram
Jefferson White’s Jimmy Hurdstram is a decorated “Yellowstone” veteran. Having been taken in by Kevin Costner’s John Dutton, Jimmy transformed from a meth cook to a ranch hand, becoming one of the select few to bear the Yellowstone brand in one of the most intense and realistic scenes of the whole series. When Rip Wheeler confronted him with a choice between joining the Yellowstone ranch or being handed over to police he opted for the former and quickly became a “Yellowstone” mainstay.
Over the course of the series we saw Jimmy become a talented rodeo rider, fall for Eden Brolin’s barrel racer Mia, and eventually leave with Travis for the 6666 ranch in Texas. That means Jimmy is now a fully fledged Texan and not far from Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler. It wouldn’t take much to engineer a reunion between Jimmy and the couple, though exactly how and why that would work remains a job for the writers.
The real draw here would simply be seeing a beloved OG “Yellowstone” character make an appearance in a show that thus far hasn’t made many connections between itself and the show from which it spun. What’s more, we all want to see how Jimmy is doing. Sure, we hope he’s just enjoying his life but he’s part of the Yellowstone brotherhood and if Beth and Rip need an army to take on Raoul Trujillo’s Mariano Reyes and his cartel goons, then why not tap Jimmy for some support? He’s been loyal since the beginning and it would be a real thrill to see him team up with Beth, Rip, and maybe even Kayce to bring some classic Yellowstone range justice to Carter Green’s kidnappers.
Lloyd Pierce
Throughout “Yellowstone” Forrie J. Smith’s Lloyd Pierce provided a calm, grounded, and quietly wise energy that helped balance out the more melodramatic elements of Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western (though he also helped carry out some of the worst things any “Yellowstone” character ever did). Lloyd was a longtime Yellowstone ranch hand who had been working for the Duttons even before Rip Wheeler arrive, and was present at Rip’s branding. A loyal member of the Yellowstone brotherhood, Lloyd quickly became a fan-favorite and formed an unbreakable bond with Rip.
If nothing else, then, it would just be nice to see these two old friends reunite. At the end of “Yellowstone,” Lloyd seemingly retired, telling Rip, “If I can’t cowboy here, I’d just rather not do it at all.” At the time, Rip responded with, “Well, brother, if you change your mind our door is always open.” That one line got many fans excited at the prospect of a Lloyd return at some point in the future, and Rip’s offer surely still applies even though he and Beth Dutton have now relocated to Texas.
Part of what makes “Dutton Ranch” a compelling series is that it takes the former “Yellowstone” power couple and forces them to start from scratch. Beth and Rip were once part of the most powerful ranching family in Montana, but seeing them as the underdogs in small town Texas has been fascinating. That said, there’s not a “Yellowstone” fan alive that wouldn’t love to see remember just how formidable they once were and embrace their inner badasses once again. Bringing Lloyd back as a symbol of the past and all the Yellowstone ranch stood for would be a nice way to kick it all off.
Walker
“Dutton Ranch” started as a show about Rip Wheeler and Beth Dutton running a modest ranch in Rio Paloma and clashing with the nearby 10 Petal Ranch. “Dutton Ranch” Episode 5 killed that storyline when Rip was forced to cull his herd and he and Beth cozied up to the 10 Petal. Prior to that, however, Rip and his ranch hands Azul Ramos (J.R. Villarreal) and Zachariah Moss (Marc Menchaca) talked about needing more help.
Now, Rip and Ryan Bingham’s ranch hand Walker didn’t have a harmonious relationship on “Yellowstone.” In fact, at one point the former tried to murder the latter. But they eventually established a begrudging respect for one another, before Walker left the Yellowstone for 6666 Ranch in Season 5. If the Dutton Ranch manages to get back on-track, could we see him lend a hand? After all, at the beginning of the spin-off, Rip claims it was Walker who tipped him off about the South Texas ranch being up for sale in the first place, and with Walker nearby at 6666, it wouldn’t be unthinkable for Rip to call on him.
Beyond that, there might just be a more significant connection between “Dutton Ranch” and Walker. In “Yellowstone” Season 2, Episode 1, “The Thundering,” Walker tells Steven Williams’ Cowboy that the Yellowstone ranch reminds him of a place he used to work in Texas. “Reminds me of that place down on the border.” he says. “F****** drug runners, militia, and all that s***.” Season 1 of “Dutton Ranch” reveals that the 10 Petal Ranch is running an illegal drug smuggling business overseen by the cartel. Is the 10 Petal Walker’s former ranch? It’s plausible, and bringing Walker back would be a really cool way of linking the spin-off to early “Yellowstone” episodes.
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