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Spoilers for Dutton Ranch episode 1 ahead.
The Yellowstone fandom has once again been resurrected — and as someone who loves nothing more than a Taylor Sheridan show internet conspiracy theory, I'm all here for it.
If you've missed out, don't worry. Episodes 1 and 2 are now streaming on Paramount+, with the new show's remaining seven episodes airing on a weekly basis. But before we even get to what comes next, there could already be a plot hole that logically derails the entire Dutton Ranch set up.
Take a quick look on the Yellowstone subreddit and you'll see that fans aren't completely convinced by the reasons behind Beth and Rip's move, arguing that something has been overlooked that would mean the pair could have stayed in Montana instead.
Yellowstone fans think Beth would have had enough insurance to see through the ranch fire in Dutton Ranch episode 1
In a now-deleted Reddit post, one fan argues that Beth should have had insurance on the Montana ranch bought at the end of Yellowstone season 5 part 2 so be more than solvent enough to rebuild after the fire in Dutton Ranch episode 1.
In the spinoff, we see Beth and Rip lose everything as a wildfire tears through the town, only just sparing the couple, Carter (Finn Little) and their horses in the process. After calling around, the only ranch opportunity Rip can find is in Texas, with Beth claiming that staying and rebuilding in Montana wouldn't be possible financially — though buying again will take "every cent they have."
As another fan points out: "Eight days after the fire when they were at the motel, Rip made it sound like they were broke, which I don't get. As others have pointed out, Beth did extremely well for herself in the world of finance. Not to mention, she & Kayce got $30 million from all the ranch stuff, which I assumed they would've split evenly."
A third adds, "Not only should Beth be loaded financially, unless I missed something, she owns a load of land she wrangled in the Schwartz and Meyer take over. It was a lot of land circling the Yellowstone to ward of any commercialization butting up to the ranch. It was a helluva a lot of land that she could have built a new ranch or sold it for a ton of money.
"This is a plot hole but I can live with it. It' wouldn't be a Taylor Sheridan show without them."
However, there is a much more practical reason for the pair's move, even if the family finances don't add up. In order for Dutton Ranch to be viable as a spinoff, a physical relocation was needed. Think of it as a clean break from the past — Beth is literally out from under John Dutton's (Kevin Costner) shadow.
Sure, John's spirit has already been carried through to Texas, but it's not quiet the same thing. In Rio Paloma, Beth and Rip are their own two-person empire, no strings attached.
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