Dutton Ranch Finally Brought Back The Real Beth Dutton

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The following article contains spoilers for Dutton Ranch season 1, episode 3, "Act of God Business".

"Don't make me go Beth Dutton on you" is a phrase so embraced by Yellowstone fans that Paramount has eagerly monetized the cheeky threat, printing it on official merchandise, including T-shirts, magnets, and a variety of drinkware. An ode to the popular Yellowstone character, Beth is only too happy to deliver a verbal evisceration — or a swift right hook — at the slightest provocation.

However, that's not exactly the case on Dutton Ranch, Paramount+'s latest Yellowstone spinoff centered on Beth and her husband, Rip Wheeler. In the new series, a devastating Montana fire sees the Dutton Ranch main characters head south to the fictional Rio Paloma, Texas, where they sink every penny they have into opening up a modest ranch of their own.

Life is both harder and easier for Beth and Rip. On the one hand, they're the scrappy underdogs in a place where the Dutton family name doesn't have nearly the weight it did in Montana. On the other hand, free from their all-consuming devotion to John Dutton, the late rancher's only daughter and his most loyal enforcer are free to live a quiet, peaceful life for the first time ever.

The result is a much softer version of Beth in Dutton Ranch's first two episodes. She's still tough as nails and takes no guff, as Beulah Jackson soon finds out, but this Beth would rather save a horse's life than get in a bar brawl. However, life isn't all horseback rides and porch-side sunsets for the Yellowstone fan favorite, and Dutton Ranch episode 3, "Act of God Business," is a return to form for Beth Dutton.

The Business-Savvy Beth Of Yellowstone Is Back (With A Twist)

In terms of embracing ranch life, Beth has come a long way from the Yellowstone pilot, where she profanely states that she doesn't go near horses. However, Beth has always been more skilled in a boardroom than in a barn, and in Dutton Ranch episode 3, she slips on her Louboutin stilettos and heads to the city to make her ranch some money.

Beth's target is Stillwell's, the most high-end steakhouse in Dallas, Texas, where she easily wins over and makes a deal with restaurant manager Giles. In the past, Beth would have looked for a weakness to exploit, not caring who she had to hurt in the process. However, in Dutton Ranch, she takes a gentler, but no less effective, approach by bribing the head chef with twice the amount of a shorted tipout... if she puts one of Beth's steaks on Giles' plate at the family meal.

Stillwell's, located on the seventh floor of Dallas' Hôtel Swexan, is actually a real place, and the steakhouse currently offers a "Dining Like the Duttons" tasting menu.

It's a fun twist to see Beth use her business shark powers for good — almost as much fun as Dutton Ranch finally giving the audience a classic Beth Dutton bar takedown scene. While on the surface, Beth's exchange with Joaquin Reyes is more cordial than what Yellowstone viewers are used to, Beth saying Joaquin reminds her of Jamie is perhaps the most vicious insult she's ever delivered. With Joaquin being the business-minded "problem solver" of the 10 Petal Ranch, he will undoubtedly be on the receiving end of a Beth Dutton tongue-lashing before the Dutton Ranch season 1 finale.

She May Need To "Go Beth Dutton" After Episode 3's Devastating Ending

While Beth proved she hasn't lost her spark in episode 3, she still has yet to fully "go Beth Dutton" on someone in the Yellowstone spinoff. However, when she receives devastating news following her triumphant trip to Dallas, it's a sign that she may need to sharpen her fangs.

Beth comes home to find Rip next to a sick cow that's foaming at the mouth and sporting blistered hooves — and this isn't the first Dutton Ranch cow with obvious foot-and-mouth disease symptoms. The very probable transmittor of the disease is the new bull Beth and Rip bought at auction — which they outbid Beulah Jackson for.

Though there's no proof yet, Beulah is almost certainly behind the infected bull, officially making her the most devious villain in the Yellowstone universe. With all of Beth and Rip's cattle now exposed to FMD, the Stillwell's deal she secured is moot, as they will have to cull the entire herd — which they cannot afford to replace. It looks like the only way to come back from this will be for the Dutton Ranch protagonist to "go Beth Dutton" on Beulah Jackson.