Fort Worth will collectively bust out its microwave popcorn bags this Friday evening, May 15, when the first two episodes of “Dutton Ranch” premier on the Paramount Network. The show, in case you’re a Taylor Sheridan novice or a determined avoider of all media — though if that’s you, what the hell are you doing here? — serves as a spinoff sequel to the now-iconic “Yellowstone,” following show favorites Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler as they move to a ranch in … South Texas?
To jog the memories of avid viewers, at the end of “Yellowstone,” Beth and Rip moved on from the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch and settled down on their own plot outside the town of Dillon, Montana. Whatever happened between then and now is purely conjecture, but it appears the pair had to trek a couple thousand miles south for a true fresh start. Though, based on the trailer, trouble seems to have followed them, as this ain’t gonna be a romantic comedy — yet we remain curious whether Sheridan will dip his toes in such a genre.
That said, South Texas — home to King Ranch and a whole lotta thick brush — might still have the average Fort Worth viewer scratching his or her chin. As Country Living pointed out, “Taylor Sheridan’s adoration for all things Fort Worth and the Permian Basin is clear as day from Jimmy’s transfer to the Four Sixes and the entire plotline of ‘Landman.'” (Their words, not ours.) Not to mention, the show was filmed almost exclusively in North Texas. In addition to many a Fort Worth location, Ferris, Boyd, Cleburne, Weatherford, Dallas, Rio Vista, and Mineral Wells also saw their fair share of film crews — the ranch itself is in Ferris, a few miles due south of Dallas. We’re also well aware the massive 450,000-square-foot SGS Studios in Alliance — Taylor Sheridan’s brand new filming hub — is home to some scenes. And for those who appreciate a story coming full circle, one might recall in “1883” the Duttons began their voyage to Montana in Fort Worth. Why not return to the family’s North Texas roots — perhaps with some callbacks to the prequel series?…