Who is Mariano? ‘Dutton Ranch’ episode 7 ending reveals Beulah’s backstory with a major twist
This article contains spoilers for 'Dutton Ranch' Season 1.
With just two episodes to go before the impending finale, Season 1 of 'Dutton Ranch' is certainly dialing up the drama. The recently aired seventh episode, titled 'Den of Sin,' brought forth an upheaval that threatens to undo everything that Rip and Beth have been building till now. On the other hand, two significant flashbacks brought back traumatic episodes from the past, which continue to influence the course of present actions in the 'Yellowstone' spinoff. Most importantly, Mariano's past was revealed for what it is, and the night ended with Beulah suffering what appeared to be a stroke.
The episode opened with a flashback to a young Beulah, age 20s, arriving at the country bar known as Billy Bob’s Texas with two friends. Bobby Soto portrayed Beulah's driver, Mariano Reyes, who is Joaquin's father and has also been tasked with keeping an eye on her. While Mariano sips coffee, Beulah is approached by an attractive Six Flags mechanic by the name of Luke, and the two soon start flirting. On the other hand, the bartender tries to seduce Mariano, who is happily married. Eventually, Mariano calls out the bartender, who reveals that she was paid to distract Beulah's driver so that he could take her away. A distressed Mariano bolts to his truck and tracks Beulah down at a convenience store.
Mariano finds Beulah in a disheveled state as she's bleeding and bereft of a boot. Although both of them are horrified, they agree to uphold a cover story to escape the wrath of Beulah's father. The episode then cuts to the present, where Beulah is busy making all the arrangements for the 10-Petal Ranch's anniversary celebrations. The cowboys, owing to their debauchery, were barred from the party and were sent off to a local bar, the tab being picked up by Beulah. Elsewhere, Rip and Beth show up at the party with Carter. Zane subsequently appears, and Beth gifts him fancy horse stirrups to commemorate their business deal.
The episode builds tension after Rob-Will comes upon Beulah's written speech for the night, which reveals Beulah's plan to hand over the ranch to Joaquin after the anniversary celebration. Rob-Will soon begins threatening Beulah, in keeping with his loose-cannon temperament. As Beulah commands everyone's attention for her speech, she ditches the written material at the last moment and agrees to Rob-Will's demands, conceding to make him the next CEO of 10-Petal ranch. A few moments later, a drunken Carter walks in with a huge taxidermy goat's head and slams it on the floor. The shock appears to trigger a stroke in Beulah, and she passes out. The final moments of the episode featured another flashback in which Mariano discovers Beulah collapsed in the bathroom with a positive pregnancy test. He then takes her to Luke's house, where she confronts him for assaulting her before shooting and killing him.
