‘Dutton Ranch’ Episode 3 Recap: Sudden outbreak and murder revelation threaten Beth and Rip’s new beginning
Episode 3 of 'Dutton Ranch', titled 'Act of God Business,' has further complicated Beth Dutton's (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler's (Cole Hauser) new life. The rivalry between Duttons and Jacksons is simmering, expected to blow up at any second. As if it was not enough that Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening) was using all means necessary to drive the ranch out of business, the Dutton Ranch gets delivered another blow, when a cow is diagnosed with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). The disease is contagious, so the farm's entire herd is at risk. The nightmare comes true when a young calf shows up with the disease, the one Rip rescued from the wildfire. The timing also could not be worse, as Beth just booked a farm-to-table partnership with a luxury hotel restaurant. If the entire herd suffers from the disease, the lucrative partnership also goes off the table.
As is usually the case with Duttons, the outbreak does not seem to be a coincidence. Rip suspects the disease arrived with the bull that Beth won over Beulah at an auction. However, Everett (Ed Harris), the veterinarian, believes that the responsibility lies with the "anti-vaxxers" running around the country. The veterinarian was not the only visitor on the ranch. A woman named Anna (Dale Dickey) arrived, waving a gun and heading straight towards the newest employee, Zachariah (Marc Menchaca). Rip tries to calm her down, asking her what exactly Zachariah did. Right at that very moment, the newest employee made an entrance and declared that he was "ready" for his "retribution."
It is eventually revealed that Zachariah killed Anna's daughter and was convicted for it. However, Anna was not satisfied and now wanted vengeance with his blood. Rip eventually succeeds in driving the woman out. Zachariah later comes clean to his employer about the incident. "We were in love," he explained to Rip around a campfire. "We got in an argument. I was drunk. I was blinded by hurt. I tried to run away. I threw my truck in reverse…" He essentially killed his beloved by running her over. "It was an accident," Azul (J.R. Villareal) tries to come to Zachariah's defence. Well, "it don't feel like an accident," Zachariah responded. Rip decides to let Zachariah continue working on the ranch, as he also has similar deeds in his closet.
Beth, while booking a lucrative deal for her ranch in Dallas, met with Joaquin (Juan Pablo Raba). During the conversation, Joaquin reveals that he is the adopted ward of the Jacksons. His actual last name is Reyes. This immediately reminded Beth of Jamie, her father's adopted ward in 'Yellowstone,' and she is not thrilled. "You remind me of my father's attorney," she says. "It's not ideal." On the other side, Belulah's hold in Montana is further evident in the old sheriff's funeral. The authorities come to her to enquire about Wes's disappearance. "It's handled," she coolly says. The police are clearly in her back pocket. During the proceedings, there are also hints of a past romance between Jackson's matriarch and Everett.
Beulah receives a call that informs her, "We have a lot of cattle moving this month. I expect no surprises." It is possibly a coded message, as she rushes to Whitney's trailer. Wes's widow was nowhere to be found, making it a "f**king problem" for the matriarch. The love story between Carter (Finn Little) and Oreana (Natalie Alyn Lind) continues to heat up, as they have a run-in with authorities. Fans will need to tune in to the next episode to find out how the Duttons handle the biological warfare from the Jacksons. 'Dutton Ranch' streams every Friday on Paramount+.
