Ever since Dutton Ranch premiered, fans have been wondering whether Rip Wheeler has been replaced. The answer, however, is not as simple as a yes or no.
Is Rip Wheeler leaving Dutton Ranch?
Rip Wheeler is now in charge of the 10-Petal Ranch, which means someone else has taken over his old job as the ranch’s fixer.
However, Cole Hauser is not leaving the show. Rip has simply taken on a bigger role after moving from Montana to South Texas with Beth Dutton. In the Dutton Ranch premiere on Paramount plus and the couple bought the Edwards Ranch in Rio Paloma to start a new chapter and build a life of their own.
Hauser told People last month about the move to Texas, “It’s like going to the moon for these characters. They don’t know the land or the people or the environment.” Reilly added, “And they don’t know them. They don’t know who these guys are. They don’t know what they’re dealing with.”
According to US Magazine, the answer to whether Rip has been replaced is complicated. While Rip is no longer a ranch hand or fixer for anyone, he’s still working at the 10-Petal Ranch, in fact, he’s now in charge, transitioning from enforcer to executive head of operations on his own ranch.
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Who is taking over Rip Wheeler’s duties?
Rather than one character stepping into Rip’s shoes, Dutton Ranch has split his former duties between two new characters: Azul (JR Villarreal) and Zachariah (Marc Menchaca), who will take over as foremen at the Dutton Ranch, according to US Magazine. Zachariah is a cowboy recently released from prison who finds work on the ranch.
Menchaca told Us Weekly about his character, “He was a cowboy that they trashed around and he’d go work on ranches here and there. He was just one of those guys who rodeo and work to get by. That’s the part of the cowboy life that’s the whole core.”
He added, “It’s incredibly exciting because you never know what’s going to happen , either on the back of a bucking horse or if you’re out roping. There’s an element of surprise always around.”
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On the 10-Petal Ranch, Rip has Chet (Hart Denton) as his foreman. According to Fiction Horizon, Rip’s old responsibilities have been split between Azul and Chet. Azul represents the loyal and hardworking side of Rip, while Chet takes on his tougher and more ruthless traits.
In the early episodes, Chet has already shown his violent side by beating two cowboys, leaving one of them in the hospital. Azul, meanwhile, is shown as a loyal cowboy who believes in traditional ranch values, although he has not yet displayed the same level of toughness that made Rip famous in Yellowstone.
Dutton Ranch attracted 12.9 million viewers worldwide in its first week, making it the biggest original series premiere in Paramount+ history. The show has also received positive reviews, earning an 89% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 35 reviews.
The first season of Dutton Ranch consists of 9 episodes.