I never thought I’d be sitting here writing this.

Because I genuinely like The Dutton Ranch.

I loved Yellowstone. I still think it’s one of the best modern TV series ever made. I love Beth, Rip, the ranch itself and the entire world Taylor Sheridan created. There’s something about that mixture of cowboy culture, family politics and wide-open landscapes that just pulls me in every time.

Which is exactly why this season has become so frustrating.

After nine episodes, I honestly don’t feel like we’ve been given a satisfying story.

Not because nothing has happened.

Because everything that has happened feels like it’s simply preparing us for something bigger that never actually arrives.

At some point, a story has to stop setting the pieces up and start knocking them down.

My video review of The Dutton Ranch up to episode 9 can be found below. Episode 10 has to be a really big payoff to the viewers to make us wait so long for something to actually happen!

This Isn’t a Bad Show… That’s What Makes It So Frustrating

The easy review would be to call The Dutton Ranch boring.

I don’t actually think that’s fair.

Every week I sit down wanting to watch the next episode. The production quality is excellent, the performances are fantastic, and visually it’s one of the best-looking television shows around. The ranch itself almost feels like another character, and even the quieter scenes are beautifully shot.

If you’d never seen Yellowstone before, you’d probably think this was a very solid television series.

The problem is that Yellowstone set an incredibly high bar.

That show understood pacing.

It knew when to slow things down and let characters breathe, but it also knew exactly when to throw a punch. Every few episodes there was a major moment that fundamentally changed where the story was heading. Someone died. Someone betrayed somebody. A family conflict exploded. The stakes constantly evolved.

The Dutton Ranch doesn’t seem interested in doing that.

Instead, every episode feels like another chapter in a book that refuses to reach the end of the chapter.

Everything Feels Like It’s Waiting for Something Else

One of the biggest issues I have with this season is that almost every storyline feels temporary.

The foot-and-mouth outbreak should have been a huge moment. For a ranch, that’s a genuine disaster. It should fundamentally change the direction of the season and create immediate pressure on every character involved.

Instead, it feels more like another obstacle placed in front of the audience to keep us occupied while we continue waiting for the “real” story to begin.

The same thing happens repeatedly throughout the season.

Characters come and go.

Problems appear.

Conflicts are introduced.

But very few of them feel like they reach a satisfying conclusion before the show has already moved on to setting up the next issue.

It’s like watching dominoes being lined up for nine straight episodes.

Eventually, I want somebody to push the first one over.

I’ve Never Seen Pacing Like This

This might honestly be one of the strangest paced television shows I’ve ever watched.

Most slow-burn dramas are deliberately slow because they’re building character relationships or carefully increasing the tension.

Fast-paced shows throw constant twists at you and keep the plot moving every week.

The Dutton Ranch somehow manages to feel like both at the same time.

Every episode is packed with scenes.

Characters are constantly moving from one place to another.

There are conversations everywhere.

Yet when the credits roll, I find myself asking the same question every single week:

“What actually changed?”

That’s such a bizarre feeling.

I’ve never watched another show where so much appears to happen while simultaneously feeling like almost nothing has moved forward.

It’s genuinely impressive in the strangest possible way.

The Steakhouse Problem

The best way I can explain how this season feels is with a trip to a steakhouse.

Imagine booking a table at your favourite restaurant because you’re craving the biggest steak imaginable.

The waiter brings out a starter.

It’s lovely.

Then another.

Also lovely.

Then another.

Again, no complaints.

Every single course tastes fantastic.

Eventually the waiter walks over smiling and says:

“Here comes your main course.”

You’ve been waiting all evening.

They lift the lid…

…and it’s broccoli.

Now don’t get me wrong.

Broccoli’s fine.

But I didn’t come here for broccoli.

I came here for the steak.

That’s exactly how this season feels.

Every episode is enjoyable enough on its own.

But after nine weeks I’m still waiting for the reason I sat down in the first place.

Beth Continues to Carry the Show

If there’s one person who consistently reminds me why I keep watching, it’s Beth.

Kelly Reilly is phenomenal.

Every scene she appears in immediately becomes more interesting because Beth never feels predictable. She can go from vulnerable to terrifying within a single conversation, and very few actors manage that kind of range so effortlessly.

I also like the direction they’ve taken with her.

Seeing Beth genuinely embrace ranch life instead of simply returning to corporate finance shows real growth. Earlier versions of Beth would probably have tried solving every problem with money.

Now she’s trying to build something.

That’s interesting.

My only criticism is that she often feels reactive rather than proactive.

Beth spends a lot of this season responding to problems created by other people instead of driving the narrative herself.

She’s still my favourite character.

I just wish the story revolved around her a little more.

Rip Deserves a Bigger Role

Rip has always been one of the emotional anchors of Yellowstone.

He’s quiet.

He’s dependable.

He doesn’t waste words.

When Rip walks into a scene, you instantly feel like something important is about to happen. He’s one of those rare characters who commands respect without ever needing to demand it.

That’s exactly why I feel like The Dutton Ranch is underusing him.

Instead of being one of the driving forces behind the story, Rip often feels like he’s simply there to solve practical problems, move cattle around and tell other people what needs doing. It makes sense that he’d naturally take on that role, but after nine episodes it feels like we’re barely scratching the surface of what his character could be.

I’d actually love to see Rip become far more involved in the running of the ranch itself.

Not just the cattle.

The business.

The decision making.

The future of the Dutton Ranch.

One of the things I’ve always liked about Rip is that he’s incredibly straightforward. He isn’t interested in politics or clever financial manoeuvres. He sees problems for what they are and gets on with solving them. Sometimes those are exactly the kinds of people who make the best decisions because they’re not overcomplicating everything.

Watching Beth approach problems from a business perspective while Rip approaches them from pure practicality would be fascinating television. Those two viewpoints could complement each other brilliantly.

More than anything though, I simply want more Rip.

For me, Rip is one of the best examples of positive masculinity I’ve seen on television. He’s strong without needing to dominate people. He’s fiercely loyal. He treats Beth with respect while never compromising who he is. He works hard, takes responsibility, protects the people he loves and rarely looks for recognition.

He’s the kind of man I think a lot of men should aspire to be.

And that’s exactly why I want to see him given more to do.

Carter Feels Like He’s Been Written by Somebody Who Never Watched Yellowstone

This is easily my biggest criticism of the season.

It honestly feels like the people writing Carter have misunderstood what made him such a good character in Yellowstone.

The Carter we met back then wasn’t perfect. He was rough around the edges, stubborn and sometimes difficult, but he had grit. He worked hard. He spoke his mind. He wanted to earn his place on the ranch, and over time you watched him slowly gain the respect of Beth and Rip because he was prepared to put the work in.

That version of Carter was compelling because everything he earned felt deserved.

The Carter we’re watching now barely feels like the same person.

Instead, he’s been turned into what feels like a very generic television teenager.

Everything is emotional.

Everything is a crisis.

Everyone else’s life seems to revolve around whatever Carter is feeling that week.

It’s almost as if the writers looked at his age and thought, “Well, technically he’s nineteen, so let’s write him like every other moody teenager we’ve ever written.”

But Carter was never just “a teenager.”

That was the whole point.

He’d been forced to grow up far too quickly. His life had shaped him into someone who felt older than his years, someone desperate to prove himself and find somewhere he belonged. That’s why audiences connected with him.

Now it feels like that version of Carter has disappeared completely.

I’m all for character development.

Characters should change.

They should mature.

They should surprise us.

But character development still has to feel believable.

This doesn’t feel like Carter growing into a different person.

It feels like someone has replaced him with an entirely different character who just happens to have the same name.

And that’s why I find his scenes so frustrating.

It’s not because he’s emotional.

It’s because it genuinely feels like the writing has lost sight of who Carter was in the first place.

My Biggest Fear Is That It’s Simply Too Late

The biggest concern I have now is simple.

There’s only one episode left.

That’s not a lot of time to suddenly deliver the emotional payoff this season has been building towards.

I genuinely hope the finale proves me wrong.

I’d love nothing more than to come back next week and say, “Forget everything I said. They absolutely nailed the ending.”

Because I want this show to succeed.

The Yellowstone universe deserves it.

Final Thoughts

This isn’t a hate review.

If anything, it’s the opposite.

The Dutton Ranch frustrates me precisely because I can see how good it could be.

The performances are excellent.

The production values are outstanding.

The setting is still one of the best on television.

But stories can’t survive on potential forever.

Eventually the audience needs a reward for sticking around.

Right now, The Dutton Ranch feels like a series that’s spent an entire season laying the foundations for a house without ever actually building it.

I’m still rooting for it.

I just hope the finale finally serves the steak we’ve all been waiting for.

What do you think?

Am I being too impatient, or has this season spent far too much time building towards a payoff that still hasn’t arrived?