Minor spoilers for Dutton Ranch Season 1, Episode 5 are ahead! You can stream the show with a Paramount+ subscription and then catch new episodes in the same place on Fridays.
As Dutton Ranch airs on the 2026 TV schedule, one of my favorite storylines has revolved around Rip and Beth’s relationships with their ranchhands, Azul and Zachariah. The bunkhouse boys and branded characters on Yellowstone were my favorite, and these two new cowboys are serving similar purposes on this new spinoff. So, it’s no surprise that Zachariah and Beth’s scene in Episode 5 is one of my favorite moments so far. It turns out Kelly Reilly and Marc Menchaca had to fight for this scene too, and I’m so happy they did.
In the scene in question, Zachariah asked if there was anything else he needed to do on the ranch, and he told Beth that no work was beneath him. Over the episodes, he’s proven his loyalty to Rip, and during this conversation with Kelly Reilly’s character, she complimented the new ranchhand by saying, “He’d have liked you.” When Zach asked who she was referring to, she said her “dad,” as in John Dutton.
The connection back to Yellowstone was moving to me, and I had to ask Marc Menchaca about it. That’s when he revealed that Reilly really fought for this to be in the show:
Kelly and I, we talked; we kind of fought for this, I mean, she did. I had talked to her, and we had discussed having something together, because we hadn't really had any interactions in the show yet. And I thought for Zechariah, I thought it was very – it kind of made us, it felt like a big moment for us, and it was a great segue to come together with her character. And you know, from the perspective of the character, it was a huge compliment, and it let me know that I was welcome. And yeah, it was a sweet moment.
While I love Dutton Ranch and Yellowstone for their intense stories, I also love kinder ones like this that show how tight these families are. While Zach and Beth aren’t related, it feels like the ranchhand is becoming part of their family, and it's clear that she trusts him fully. Reilly’s character saying her dad would have liked him proves that point.
The ranchhands on Yellowstone were (for the most part) loyal, committed, and trusted by John and the Dutton family. I like that the same thing is starting to happen on Dutton Ranch with Zachariah and Azul.
Plus, overall, this scene made it clear Beth really respects Zach, just like he respects her, and it helped solidify their relationship in the show. Now, I’m looking forward to seeing how they work together with Rip, Azul and Carter to come back from the immense tragedy they’ve all faced.
I also appreciated how this scene tied Dutton Ranch back to Yellowstone. Yes, it’s easy to compare Annette Bening’s Beulah to both Beth and John, and Beth literally compared Joaquin to Jamie. However, this complimentary comparison between Zach and John was a lot nicer to see.
Now, I’m excited to see how Zach and Beth’s friendship flourishes from here. And I’m so happy Kelly Reilly and co. fought for this scene, so this kind of development was possible in the first place.
