Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip’s (Cole Ha) spinoff title was just announced, and it confirms that the show will look as close as possible to the original, emulating Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone exit, which prompted the discontinuation of the flagship. However, ahead of the finale, a casting deal broke the news that Reilly and Ha would reprise Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler in an offshoot.

Taylor Sheridan has another modern-day Yellowstone saga in the works, starring Michelle Pfeiffer as Stacy Clyburn, but we don’t know much about 1923 season 2’s finale left off, albeit 20 years later. However, of all Yellowstone’s new shows, including Kayce Dutton’s (Luke Grimes), Beth and Rip’s show will most resemble Yellowstone.

Beth & Rip’s Spinoff Title Makes It Look Even More Like Yellowstone’s Successor

Beth Dutton And Rip Wheeler’s Show Is Called Dutton Ranch

Beth and Rip were the obvious choices to lead Yellowstone if it continued. There was a lot of buzz about Kelly Reilly and Cole Ha taking over for Kevin Costner as the neo-Western leads before their spinoff announcement. Still, while Taylor Sheridan decided to create a new show for Beth and Rip’s continuation, the lovebirds' offshoot will echo the original, with its title as proof. A report from Bloomberg announced that Beth and Rip’s spinoff will reportedly be called Dutton Ranch. Presumably, the title is the namesake of the couple's new ranch in Dillon, which we get a glimpse of in Yellowstone season 5’s finale.

This moniker sounds familiar, since John’s original ranch was called the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Dropping “Yellowstone” and keeping “Dutton Ranch” makes it clear that Beth and Rip aren’t hiding their connections to the former largest contiguous ranch in the United States. Sheridan leans into Beth and Rip’s spinoff's robust connection to Yellowstone. Dutton Ranch is arguably the strongest connection Sheridan could make to the original show and ranch without copying it, especially considering the Dutton-Wheeler property won’t sit adjacent to the Yellowstone National Park, which gave the original ranch and series its title.

How Beth & Rip’s Spinoff Is Already Continuing Yellowstone’s Story

Beth And Rip Are Vital To Yellowstone’s Story

The Dutton Ranch title suggests that Beth and Rip’s show will revolve around ranching, confirming it will have the same premise as the original. This contrasts with Kayce Dutton’s Yellowstone spinoff, which will reportedly be a procedural show for CBS, probably focusing more on police work or investigation. That said, Kayce’s show will be a far cry from the original, so we can expect Taylor Sheridan to incorporate the elements he’s reusing from Yellowstone into Dutton Ranch. Plus, with Beth and Rip as its leads, Dutton Ranch is already continuing Yellowstone’s story.

Beth and Rip’s show may also continue other Yellowstone stories.

As the main characters of the series besides Kevin Costner, any continuation with Beth and Rip will look like Yellowstone’s de facto continuation. Sheridan has already told us what to expect at the end of Yellowstone, with the ranch that Beth and Rip settle at 40 miles west of Dillon, Montana, surely being their new operation. Likely to include some Yellowstone season 5 characters, Beth and Rip’s show may also continue other Yellowstone stories, like what’s next for some of the Yellowstone Ranch cowboys if they wind up working at the Dutton Ranch.

How Beth & Rip’s Spinoff Can Still Differentiate Itself From Yellowstone

Beth And Rip’s Story Ought To Be Original

Still, Beth and Rip’s show will look a little different, especially without Kevin Costner, as did Yellowstone season 5, part 2. That said, further proving that Dutton Ranch would look a lot like life at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, a report from Puck suggested that Beth and Rip’s spinoff was looking at casting a “Kevin Costner-type,” further suggesting that Taylor Sheridan is getting as close as possible to what worked about Yellowstone. With so much crossover with the flagship, Beth and Rip’s story can still differentiate itself by taking on the more refined qualities of Sheridan’s other spinoffs.

Taylor Sheridan’s other Yellowstone shows, created after the original, differentiate themselves in their sophistication and tone. While it won't show a different era in time, Beth and Rip’s offshoot could feel more like a Yellowstone prequel than a continuation of the flagship. Many have said that, while it’s a great watch, Yellowstone has soap-opera-like qualities, and a new show is a clean slate and an opportunity to break away from this label, which is a disservice to the franchise. While Beth will bring the drama regardless, Reilly and Ha can elevate their show beyond Yellowstone.

Source: Bloomberg, Puck