This story contains spoilers for Episode 4 of Dutton Ranch. You can stream it now with a Paramount+ subscription.
Dutton Ranch has its fair share of brutal scenes, much like Yellowstone did. So far, the most tragic and intense one came during Episode 4 of the spinoff, when Rip had to kill his cows because they’d been infected with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Following that episode airing on the 2026 TV schedule and talk about how the show is made (which, yes, includes stories about snakes), a rancher opened up about how realistic this new spinoff is. They also mentioned that an element of this tragedy is “one thing the show gets right.”
When Rip discovers he has a sick cow, he’s quick to call Ed Harris's character, Everett McKinney. He’s a veterinarian, and he confirms that Rip’s herd has been infected. This leads to a really hard choice for Rip, but it was a necessary one that’s validated by the vet. According to rancher Jessie Jarvis, the relationship between Rip and Everett is very accurate to real life, as she told People:
That's one thing that the show gets right ... when it comes to disease and traceability and biosecurity, all ranches do have great relationships with their veterinarian.
So, overall, the relationship Rip and Beth have created with Everett is both realistic and fantastic for the story. I’m such a fan of their friendship and partnership, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it advances the plot, especially considering all their connections to the Jackson family. Meanwhile, I also love that Harris’ character serves as a good representation of how important a rancher’s relationship is with their vet.
Along with that being realistic, Jarvis also explained that the tragic decision Rip had to make about his cows is also rooted in reality. However, what’s unrealistic about this storyline is the fact that FMD was eradicated in the United States in 1929.
Well, while they get some things right, others are not as realistic. However, overall, the rancher was positive about the storyline, and specifically the role Ed Harris’ character played in it all.
This mentality was something Jarvis maintained too, as she spoke about other topics and how realistic they are, like how much Rip gets paid as a foreman (which is more than average). While there are parts of the show that are factual, it’s also fictionalized and dramatized for TV.
However, one thing that was spot on was the relationship Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly’s characters created with the veterinarian played by Ed Harris. Now, I’ll be curious to see how that relationship develops and how realistic it stays as Dutton Ranch continues to drop new episodes every Friday.
