In season 1, episode 3, a disease begins to spread through the Dutton Ranch cattle
Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+
NEED TO KNOW
- Dutton Ranch season 1, episode 3 premiered May 22 on Paramount+
- The episode sees Rip try to stop a disease from spreading through his herd
- Viewers also watch as Beth returns to her cutthroat dealmaking roots
Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler's (Cole Hauser) hard-won second chance is suddenly on the verge of disaster in Dutton Ranch.
In season 1, episode 3, Beth heads to Dallas to pitch the Dutton Ranch’s beef to a high-end restaurant, hoping to land a deal that could help keep their new operation afloat.
Back at the ranch, Rip is busy putting out fires — none of them wild, but all of them dangerous. After discovering that one of his cows is sick, he calls in local vet Everett McKinney (Ed Harris).
But the medical scare is only the beginning, as Dutton Ranch soon receives an unexpected visitor who has a vendetta against one of Rip’s ranch hands, Zachariah Moss (Marc Menchaca).
So, what happened during Dutton Ranch season 1, episode 3? Here's a breakdown of everything that unfolded.
What’s wrong with the Dutton Ranch cattle?
Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+
While working on the ranch, Rip discovers that one of his cows is sick. She’s foaming at the mouth and has a blister on her hoof — and Rip is so certain of what he’s seeing that he kills the cow immediately before calling local vet Everett.
Everett confirms his suspicions, telling him, “I'm afraid you're right, Rip. Foot-and-mouth. It'll burn through your whole damn herd if you don't act quick.”
Foot-and-mouth disease, or FMD, is a highly contagious viral illness that affects cattle and other cloven-hoofed animals and is considered one of the most difficult animal diseases to control, according to the USDA. In cattle, it can cause fever, loss of appetite, heavy drooling and painful blisters or sores in the mouth, around the hooves and sometimes on the udder.
Though FMD is not typically fatal, it can spread quickly through a herd and cause serious disruption, especially because infected animals may struggle to eat, walk or produce milk.
Rip notes that FMD was eradicated decades ago. Everett offers a grim explanation for how it could have returned, saying, “We got anti-vaxxers running wild. Animals shipping all over.”
Rip then suggests the outbreak may have started with his new bull, which he bought for $10,000 at a local auction.
Why did Beth go to Dallas?
Donning a little black dress and a fresh pair of Christian Louboutin heels, Beth takes a few cuts of Dutton Ranch’s Black Angus beef to Dallas, hoping to land a deal with a high-end restaurant willing to buy their meat.
Her first stop is Stillwell’s inside Hôtel Swexan, where she bribes the chef into cooking one of her ribeyes. The chef obliges, and Beth serves it to the restaurant’s manager, who is impressed by both the Dutton name and the fact that her beef comes from the highly regarded Edwards Ranch.
“I'm glad you came to me, but the competition is fierce, even with beef as good as yours. You'll need to deal with Frontier Hospitality Group. They supply nearly every high-end hotel and restaurant in Texas, including mine,” he tells her.
Stillwell’s manager agrees to make a call to the hospitality giant and put in a good word for Dutton Ranch beef. Beth leaves the restaurant triumphant — but when she gets home and finds the dead cow, her victory quickly turns into a terrifying question: Will they even have a herd left to sell?
Why did Zachariah Moss go to prison?
Credit: Lauren Smith/Paramount+
While Rip is tending to the herd, a car comes speeding onto Dutton Ranch. He races toward the stable on horseback and finds a woman pointing a gun at his new ranch hand, Zachariah.
Rip calmly approaches the woman, Anna Dupree (Dale Dickey), and asks her to drop the weapon. She refuses, telling him, “He's gotta pay. He killed my baby, Theresa.”
“You take someone I love, and I'd feel the same as you,” Rip tells her. “Do you think Theresa would find peace in this? Cause I promise you, you won't.”
Anna eventually hands over the gun.
Later that evening, Rip asks Zachariah to explain why he went to prison. Zachariah says he and Theresa were in love but kept their relationship a secret from Anna. One night, after the two got into an argument, Zachariah accidentally struck Theresa with his truck.
“I was drunk. I was blinded by hurt. I tried to run away. Threw my truck in reverse,” Zachariah admits, letting Rip piece together the rest. “Everybody thought I was the devil. I did, too, until I found the Lord.”
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