Dutton Ranch: how the Yellowstone spin-off references Kevin Costner’s John Dutton

The first two episodes of the new Yellowstone spin-off series, Dutton Ranch, have arrived on Paramount+. The series opens with plenty of references to the beloved character John Dutton, played by Kevin Costner, following his exit from the show.

The series premiere

The launch of Dutton Ranch begins with the episode titled 'The Untold Want'. It picks up the story of Beth Dutton (played by Kelly Reilly) and her husband Rip Wheeler (played by Cole Hauser), who move to Dillon, Montana at the end of the previous series, Yellowstone. Their life there is quickly thrown into chaos when a massive wildfire destroys their ranch.

A new beginning

After the destruction of their Montana ranch, Beth and Rip start a new life in Rio Paloma, Texas. There, they buy a new ranch and hope to rebuild their lives. In the opening scenes of the first episode, Beth, Rip, and Carter (played by Finn Little) try to save as many valuable items from the ranch as possible before the fire consumes everything.

Important items and references

What fans are likely to remember most are the items Beth takes with her: her father John Dutton’s cowboy hat, a framed photo of her and her father, and the knife of her great-aunt Elsa Dutton. Elsa was the lead character in the prequel series 1883, and the knife with its distinctive beaded sheath also appeared as an Easter egg in the spin-off series 1923.

Connections to the original

Notably, the photo Beth grabs shows a young Beth alongside the version of John Dutton portrayed by Josh Lucas in flashbacks, rather than Costner, whose role in the main series ended in controversy. It’s unclear whether Paramount+ was contractually unable to use Costner’s likeness in formats other than Yellowstone itself.

Creative choices

Dutton Ranch was developed by showrunner Chad Feehan, who left the project shortly before launch after disagreements with the lead actors and producers. Taylor Sheridan, who is not writing the scripts for Dutton Ranch, is still attached as an executive producer. He is also currently writing and producing a Call of Duty movie that will be directed by Peter Berg.

With this new spin-off, the creators of Dutton Ranch appear to be taking an emotional and challenging path, exploring the legacy of John Dutton and his influence on the Dutton family.