In the season premiere of Dutton Ranch, we see Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) forced to relocate after the Montana ranch of their Yellowstone days burns down. In this latest spinoff from the Taylor Sheridan universe, Montana falls away to the far away lands of Rio Paloma, Texas—trouble nevertheless follows.

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Sheridan has a gift for creating a seemingly infinite universe of dogged American dramas and in this series, Beth and Rip are both quick to make friends, and just as quick to make enemies—namely Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening), matriarch and owner of rival 10 Petal Ranch.

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As the series moves across the country, the landscape of the show transforms along with it. Dutton Ranch’s production designer Yvonne Boudreaux describes herself as “very Southern” having been born in Louisiana and spent the last 22 years in Texas and married to a seventh generation Texan.

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“Authenticity is everything,” she says of the locations selected for the show. Prior to working on this series, she was working on Yellowstone, and she’s been determined to transition the aesthetic over from the other show while giving it a bit of a Texas makeover.

“Beth and Rip’s color palette is a sunrise,” she explains, “We took from the earth, the colors, the vegetation, the agaves, those greens and the dust and the dirt. It’s grittier.”

Like any good Sheridan show, gratuitous violence and clichéd wisdom are doled out with abandon, the spoonful of sugar to help the medicine—in this case ranching gone awry—go down. And there’s something almost Shakespearian about the innocent, young love between Carter (Finn Little) and Oreana (Natalie Alyn Lind) from warring families.

The season finale, which wraps just in time for America’s 250th anniversary, feels like it might have something to say about the political moment we’re in. Marching into her office, Mariano (Raoul Max Trujillo) tells Beulah, “You’ve built a kingdom in a country that hates kings.” This of course begs the question: does it?

Locations Used in Dutton Ranch

The town of Weatherford was the primary filming site for the show, with the production team shooting on 2,500 acres of a sixth-generation ranch near the town. The new Dutton Ranch was filmed on this property, which was used to recreate the look of the ranching lifestyle.

The production team also filmed in Weatherford, capturing wide shots of the cattle and land. One notable scene was shot on Lake Weatherford, where Oreana and Carter share a heart-to-heart conversation.

In addition to Weatherford, the production team filmed in other locations across Texas, including Rio Vista, Granbury, and Dallas. The fictional Rio Paloma High School was filmed at Fort Worth’s E.M. Daggett Middle School, while the iconic Landmark Lodge was used as a filming location.

Yvonne Boudreaux, the production designer, worked closely with the crew to recreate the look of the show. She drew inspiration from the Texas landscape and incorporated elements of the local culture into the set design.

“I wanted to capture the essence of Texas,” she says. “I wanted to make sure that the show felt authentic and true to the region.”

The production team also collaborated with local ranchers to ensure that the show accurately represented the ranching lifestyle. They shot on location at a sixth-generation ranch in Weatherford, where they worked closely with the rancher to recreate the look of the ranch.

“We worked closely with the rancher to make sure that the show was accurate and true to the region,” Boudreaux says. “We wanted to make sure that the show felt authentic and true to the Texas lifestyle.”

The production team also filmed in other locations across Texas, including Rio Vista, Granbury, and Dallas. The fictional Rio Paloma High School was filmed at Fort Worth’s E.M. Daggett Middle School, while the iconic Landmark Lodge was used as a filming location.

Overall, the production team worked hard to create an authentic and true-to-life representation of the Texas landscape and culture. The show’s attention to detail and commitment to accuracy have paid off, resulting in a show that feels authentic and true to the region.

Key Locations in Dutton Ranch

• Weatherford, Texas: Primary filming site for the show, including the new Dutton Ranch.
• Rio Vista, Texas: Filming location for the Split Heart Bar.
• Granbury, Texas: Filming location for the exteriors of the expansive 10 Petal Ranch.
• Dallas, Texas: Filming location for the Hotel Swexan and other scenes.
• Fort Worth, Texas: Filming location for the fictional Rio Paloma High School.