Dutton Ranch Episode 4's Ending Explained: Rip & Beth Face Their Darkest Hour

Warning: SPOILERS for Dutton Ranch Season 1, Episode 4 - "Start With A Bullet"Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) are forced to do the unthinkable in Dutton Ranch episode 4. After discovering that their entire herd of black angus cattle was infected by foot-and-mouth disease, Beth and Rip made the only call they could, which leaves their future in South Texas in jeopardy.

Rip and Beth, along with their ranch hands, Azul Ramos (J.R. Villarreal) and Zachariah Moss (Marc Menchaca), culled their entire black angus cattle herd. It was a gruesome and violent, but necessary, act because there was no vaccine or alternative way to save their cows from foot-and-mouth disease.

While Beth and Rip slaughtered their cattle, Carter (Finn Little) made a new friend, unaware that he was being kept away from the Dutton Ranch by Beth. Meanwhile, Oreana Lynn Jackson (Natalie Alyn Lind) was 'grounded' at the 10-Petals Ranch by her grandmother, Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening).

Killing Dutton Ranch's Herd Breaks Beth & Rip

Violence against animals and humans is par for the course in the Yellowstone universe, but Beth and Rip's culling of their herd was another level of heartbreaking. Rip chose to do all of the killing himself, sparing his wife and ranch hands from an act that would scar them for life.

Rip killed every cow with a shotgun blast, but the most tragic of all was the calf they rescued from Montana. Beth and Rip risked their lives to save the calf from the fire that destroyed their ranch in Dillon, Montana, and the calf joined their herd at the Dutton Ranch.

Tragically, there was no way to save the calf either, since it was also infected with foot-and-mouth disease. Understandably, culling his herd broke Rip. Needing to be alone at the end of Dutton Ranch episode 4, Rip was a shell of himself as he somberly lay under the Texas night sky.

Beth was also bereft because moving to Rio Paloma and starting a black angus beef business "was supposed to work." Beth had just closed a deal to supply one of Dallas' finest steakhouses with Dutton Ranch beef. Wiping out their herd also wipes out Beth and Rip's entire investment, and the loss of profit is likely in the millions.

How Beth can possibly "fix" the dire straits that she, Rip, and Carter now find themselves in remains to be seen.

Beth & Rip's Fiery Revenge Was Not Smart

The Dutton Ranch's cattle were infected by the bull they purchased for $10,000 in Dutton Ranch episode 2. Seeking answers, Beth learned that the vet who supposedly signed off on the paperwork for the bull had never heard of her or the Dutton Ranch. The bull's medical records and blood tests were forged.

Beth and Rip took their revenge by finding the cattle broker who sold them the bull. In a satisfying and utterly Yellowstone moment, Rip attacked the cattle broker in his trailer before sending the man packing. Rip then doused the trailer in kerosene before Beth's lit cigarette set it on fire.

Their vengeance made for a cool visual of Beth and Rip walking away from the fire, but what they did wasn't very smart. Rip didn't ask the cattle broker questions like why he sold them a sick bull, or if someone else put him up to it (like, perhaps, the competing 10-Petals Ranch). Beth and Rip essentially lost their ranch but gleaned no answers from the culprit.

Will Carter Leave Beth & Rip's Dutton Ranch?

Instead of going to school, Carter decided to seek day labor from another ranch. Carter ends up going to work for Dwight White (Ray McKinnon), a kindly old cowboy who enjoys having a young companion do the hard work around his ranch. Carter also liked hanging with Dwight, who showed him an African leopard named Xena that he owns.

Carter making a new friend brings to light the fact that he feels trapped at the Dutton Ranch. Carter may be 19, but he is dependent on Beth and Rip while not actually being their child. Beth is making Carter attend high school so that he can get an education, but Carter is a young adult who wants to make his own decisions about his life.

One of those decisions may be Carter choosing to leave the Dutton Ranch. Carter thought that Beth liked Oreana when she recommended he take her out with "no curfew," only to learn that Beth and Rip kept him away while they culled their herd. However, Carter calling Beth "a liar" is hypocritical since Carter lied to Beth about being in school.

There are many unresolved issues regarding Carter's living situation at the Dutton Ranch. After all, Beth and Rip are not his parents, and it's not clear if they ever filed to be Carter's legal guardians. Yellowstone and Dutton Ranch have yet to reveal Carter's last name, but it likely isn't Dutton or Wheeler.

Carter & Oreana Are Stuck At Their Family's Ranches

Beth met Oreana after finding her in bed with Carter. In another sign that Beth has changed in Dutton Ranch, instead of flying off the handle, Beth calmly drove Oreana home to the 10-Petals Ranch. In the car, Oreana spoke ill of Beulah to Beth and said that her grandmother won't let her move out.

Similar to how Carter is dependent on Beth and Rip, Oreana is also stuck at her family's ranch. Beulah took away her credit cards and green Ford Bronco, assigning Miguel (Berto Colon), one of her ranch hands, to be Oreana's chaperone. True to his job, Miguel prevented Oreana from sneaking out to see Carter.

Many questions still surround Oreana. She told Beth that she's no longer in school, so she must be around Carter's age or possibly older. Beulah wants Oreana to inherit the 10-Petals, which is why she's forced to remain in Rio Paloma, but Oreana doesn't want the burden of her family's legacy.

Perhaps either Carter, Oreana, or both will gain their independence from their family's ranches as Dutton Ranch continues.

Dutton Ranch Reveals Beulah & Everett's Past

Dutton Ranch episode 4 shed more light on Everett McKinney (Ed Harris) and Beulah Jackson's shared (romantic) past. Without spelling it out, it's implied that Everett is Rob-Will's father. Further, there was another son named Levi, whom they lost. It's not clear if McKinney and Beulah ever married, but likely not, since Rob-Will's surname is Jackson (just as his daughter, Oreana's, is).

Meanwhile, Joaquin Reyes (Juan Pablo Raba) was also raised by Beulah at the 10-Petals alongside Rob-Will as brothers. Adding intrigue is Mariano Reyes (Raoul Max Trujillo), who called Beulah in Dutton Ranch episode 3, and may be Joaquin's father. Perhaps Mariano is the reason why Beulah refuses to let Joaquin run the ranch for her.

The Jackson clan already appears to be as dysfunctional as the Duttons were on Yellowstone, with even more layers and secrets to be revealed. With Dutton Ranch season 1 about to pass its halfway point, Beth and Rip's future may intersect with the Jacksons and the 10-Petals in unexpected and fateful ways.