Paramount+’s Dutton Ranch episode eight, the season’s penultimate episode, begins with Beulah (Annette Bening) taken away in a MedAir helicopter. The mood at the party is somber, and it breaks up shortly after the helicopter’s out of sight.
Carter’s drunk and falls off his horse, apologizing to Rip (Cole Hauser) for screwing up the party. Rip’s not sympathetic and orders him to get himself together. Rip doesn’t stop when Carter vomits on his horse, insisting he remains in the saddle.
(The following is a recap of season one, episode eight, and there are spoilers.)
Oreana (Natalie Alyn Lind) hugs Joaquin (Juan Pablo Raba) when he shows up at the hospital, and Everett (Ed Harris) tells him his family needs him.
Beth (Kelly Reilly) is concerned because Carter’s never acted this way before. She thinks this sort of behavior runs in her family and doesn’t want to “break” Carter. “We need to teach him how to be unbreakable,” she says.
Carter manages to get out of bed and joins Beth on the porch. He confesses that he hated school and quit. Carter reminds her Rip didn’t go to school, and Beth insists he didn’t get handed anything. She wants him happy but needs him prepared for the hard days ahead. He reminds her that he handled his parents dying, and she’s sorry that happened. Carter only wants to be a cowboy like Rip and John, so Beth decides he’ll start work today at the 10-Petal. Hangovers don’t stop cowboys from doing their jobs.
Rob-Will (Jai Courtney) delivers the news that Beulah had a heart attack and they did an angioplasty. She’ll recover, and she’s anxious to return home. But first she wants to talk to him and Joaquin alone.
Beulah orders Joaquin to fall in line behind Rob-Will, even though Rob-Will needs Joaquin more than Joaquin needs him. Rob-Will’s a good cowboy but no Rip Wheeler, and Joaquin doesn’t have Beth’s killer instinct. She fully supports Beth and Rip, even though Rob-Will wants to fire them. Rob-Will’s still acting like a jerk, and Beulah finally tells him to shut up.
Carter’s still feeling nauseous on the drive to 10-Petal, and Azul keeps up a stream of conversation about fathers and sons cowboying together. He announces that his wife’s pregnant, and Rip congratulates him. Rip’s forced to pull over so Carter can toss his cookies. And Rip and Azul can’t stop laughing as Rip starts and stops the truck while Carter tries to get back in.
Beth visits Beulah at the hospital and apologizes. Beulah understands and thinks if that’s the worst Carter’s done, then Beth’s done a good job raising him. Beth confesses the retirement announcement changes things because she didn’t agree to work with Rob-Will. Beulah reminds her she’s not retiring yet and hopes Beth will stick around. Beth believes Rob-Will’s promotion is a mistake, but Beulah won’t apologize for her son.
The 10-Petal cowboys give Carter a tough time, teasing him about not handling his booze. Carter saddles up and does his best, but he’s struggling and doesn’t remember to lock the gate behind him when he rides out after Rip and the men.
Everett’s alone with Beulah and asks why she chose Rob-Will. She had to make that choice because Rob-Will’s her son and Joaquin isn’t her flesh and blood. Everett thinks Rob-Will will destroy the ranch, and Beulah admits she doesn’t care. She’s bone-tired.
Everett shocks Beulah by confessing he’s ready to take that final ride with her. It’s time to start their final years as a couple, and Beulah makes him help her break out of the hospital.
Rip orders Carter to tend to the barbed wire fence. He forgot his gloves but refuses Rip’s, ready to cowboy up. The cowboys watch him for a few minutes, and then Rip insists he take the gloves.
Rip’s group makes it back to the pens with part of the herd, and as they’re pushed in, they escape through the gate Carter failed to secure. Carter goes after one and is pulled off his horse after he lassoes it. He yells at Azul (J.R. Villarreal), who’s just trying to help him, and Rip warns him to never yell at Azul again. Carter is done and rides back to the stables after announcing, “F*ck this sh*t.”
Rip warns Carter that any other man would have been fired. Carter’s fist is clenched, and Rip asks if he wants to take a swing. He doesn’t and continues to act like a jerk, telling Rip he’s not his father.
Carter gets home, grabs the keys, and tells Beth that he’s leaving. She chases after him, and he claims he grew up between Montana and Texas. Beth apologizes for not always handling everything perfectly and knows he didn’t ask for them – or all this. She’s glad he’s part of her family and promises to try harder, even though she’s not sure what she’s doing.
“You held my hand when I said goodbye to my dad,” says Beth. “And I was in the room when you said goodbye to yours.” Life’s not fair, but this was meant to be. Carter understands but wants to leave and be alone. Beth tells him it’s okay, and this will always be his home.
Joaquin shows up at Sheriff Handy Wade’s office and hands over the gun Rob-Will used to kill Wes Ayers. He wants a warrant issued, but he still doesn’t know where Wes’ body is. Joaquin claims the Jacksons aren’t his family anymore, but Sheriff Wade isn’t going to act. He doesn’t care who Joaquin is and tells him to leave, but the gun is staying.
Later, Austin (Sterlin English) sits near Zach (Marc Menchaca) at a bar and asks why he went to prison. But Austin’s real question is if he can trust Rip. Zach replies, “With your life.”
Carter drinks a beer outside Xena’s cage on Dwight’s ranch. Sheriff Wade walks up and claims Xena’s alive and living at a zoofari park. Carter wants a job with Wade, but Wade suggests he head home instead. He’s not qualified for a job at the sheriff’s office.
Austin and Zach meet with Rip and Beth, and Austin reveals that Wes only buddied up to Rob-Will to find out how the ranch managed to get more cattle when the border was shut down due to screwworms. (Which is hot topic right now.) Wes was murdered because he discovered 10-Petal has an operation in Mexico that steals cattle and smuggles them to the ranch. All the paperwork is forged to pass Border Patrol and the cattle brokers. It’s the only way the ranch has managed to stay in business. The entire family is crooked.
“They ain’t ranchers. Those motherf**kers are thieves, putting every ranch in South Texas at risk,” says Austin.
This would explain the spread of foot-and-mouth to the Dutton Ranch herd. And the next load is expected in two days.
Joaquin fumes in his car, parked by the cemetery. He screams in frustration and then pauses before making a call to his dad, who’s apparently in hiding.
- Dutton Ranch Episode 1 “The Untold Want” Recap
- Dutton Ranch Episode 2 “Earn Another Day” Recap
- Dutton Ranch Episode 3 “Act of God Business” Recap
- Dutton Ranch Episode 4 “Start With a Bullet” Recap
- Dutton Ranch Episode 5 “Peaceful Find Peace” Recap
- Dutton Ranch Episode 6 “A Cowboy Saint” Recap
- Dutton Ranch Episode 7 “Den of Sin” Recap
