The final season of Yellowstone was plagued by drama, but it seems the new spinoff Dutton Ranch is ahead of its time, as the showrunner exited just weeks before its premiere. Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western world continues to expand, with Kayce Dutton spinoff Marshals currently airing, The Madison (no longer part of the Yellowstone universe, although it was originally) set for a second season, and prequel 1944 in development. But arguably the most anticipated is Dutton Ranch, as it sees Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser reprising their roles as Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler. In the follow-up, the couple gamble everything on a new life in South Texas, only to find themselves dragged into fresh disputes. What’s great about it is that (on paper at least) it feels somewhat disconnected from the behind-the-scenes chaos that swallowed Yellowstone season five. As most of you will know by now, the flagship series became overshadowed by reports of tension between creator Taylor Sheridan and lead star Kevin Costner. Talks of scheduling disputes, rumours of creative disagreements, and Costner’s eventual exit dominated headlines at the time – almost as much as the show itself. Dutton Ranch initially seemed like a fresh start for the franchise – a smaller-scale continuation focused on Beth and Rip building a new life, away from the Yellowstone ranch. Or, at least, that was the idea… Why Dutton Ranch showrunner Chad Feehan was ‘quietly let go’ At the end of April, reports emerged that Dutton Ranch showrunner Chad Feehan had been fired from the show, immediately raising questions about what exactly is going on behind the scenes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CBR (@cbrofficialpage) Feehan is no stranger to Sheridan’s TV world, having created the Sheridan-produced series Lawmen: Bass Reeves. Matthew Belloni first reported on the news that Feehan had been “quietly let go” of Dutton Ranch in his Puck newsletter, with three sources claiming that Feehan “finished the first season but has been told he won’t return for the second.” Apparently, the feeling was mutual and it wasn’t so much a creative issue and more about the way Feehan ran the production. The insiders told Belloni that Feehan “clashed on set with stars Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly and other key players.” “Sheridan, producer David Glasser, and the stars weren’t happy, so Feehan’s out, and Sheridan and Glasser will likely elevate another season one writer to the showrunner gig,” Belloni added. Question is, what are the implications of a showrunner being fired from a show when it’s already completed and ready to premiere? What it actually means for the Yellowstone spinoff Credit: Paramount+ Well, the good news for fans is that season one itself won’t be impacted in terms of the show itself. Feehan and the rest of the cast and crew completed work on the first chapter before his exit, meaning the version premiering now is still fundamentally the show he helped create. Where it will have implications is in the future of Dutton Ranch. The showrunner is effectively the creative captain of a series, overseeing everything from scripts and tone to production decisions and cast relationships, but Feehan was also the lead writer. Variety has confirmed that if season two goes ahead, the team will find a new person to fill Feehan’s boots, meaning it could look a little different in the future. Director Christina Voros spoke to ScreenRant about the situation, although she didn’t give a huge deal away, saying she couldn’t talk on the “dynamics behind his departure” since the show hadn’t dropped at the time of the interview. For now, she told the outlet that she’s “grateful to him and his team for creating a world for these characters to move into.” As for the potential for a second chapter, Voros said, “Honestly, if I had something to share [about a potential season two], I would. I will say that there is such an embarrassment of riches, in terms of the cast that we’ve had the honor to work with on this show. “Getting to show up to work in the morning and seeing Ed Harris and Annette Bening is not a gift most people get to have in life. I feel very, very lucky that it is one of the experiences I’ve had this year. “When you have a cast like that, you just want to see where it goes. I could film with that cast of characters forever.” Is Taylor Sheridan involved? Credit: Paramount+ Yes, Taylor Sheridan serves as the executive producer of Dutton Ranch, which may be one of the reasons Paramount+ isn’t panicking so much about the shake-up. While Feehan handled showrunner duties during production and was the lead writer, the spinoff still ultimately exists within Sheridan’s wider TV universe. As one Redditor put it in response to the Feehan news, “It probably won’t matter to a lot of fans – I’m betting that most have never heard of him and/or have no idea what a showrunner even does. If it was one of the stars, then I’d expect more impact.” When and where to watch Dutton Ranch If you want to decide for yourself if Dutton Ranch is worth a go, the first two episodes drop on Paramount+ on Friday, May 15th, at 12am PT/3am ET, meaning 8am UK time. Following this, the series will switch single episodes releasing weekly at the same time on Fridays, with nine episodes in total. For all the latest film and TV updates and hot takes, like our Facebook page. Featured image credit: Paramount+ Post navigation Next storyPrevious story
