Dutton Ranch Episode 7 Finally Reveals The Show’s ‘Secret Villain’

“Dutton Ranch” is the story of Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) moving to Texas. But it’s starting to feel more like the story of the 10 Petal Ranch. Episode 7 has given us our first look at Mariano Reyes, who thus far was thought to be some sort of secret villain for the series. The latest episode seems to undermine that theory, however, revealing Mariano to be a kind-hearted former 10 Petal ranch hand.

“Dutton Ranch” Episode 4 appeared to hint at who the real villains of the show actually are in a single line from Rip. After a new bull with foot and mouth disease decimates the Dutton Ranch herd, Rip speculates that the infected bovine came from Mexico. In the prior episode, Annette Benning’s Beulah Jackson took a call from someone named “Mariano,” who tells her there are a lot of cattle being moved and that they “expect no surprises.” The powerful Jackson matriarch was clearly intimidated in this moment, and suddenly, it became clear that she’s not as in control as we believed.

The Episode 3 credits confirmed that Mariano’s full name is “Mariano Reyes,” which means he shares a last name with Beulah’s adopted son, Joaquin Reyes (Juan Pablo Raba). That, in turn, implied that Mariano was perhaps Joaquin’s father, on top of being some sort of secret villain overseeing the 10 Petal’s dodgy dealings from the shadows. Many fans on Reddit even speculated that Mariano was a cartel member who had taken control of 10 Petal Ranch due to its proximity to the Mexican border. With Rip suggesting the infected bull came from Mexico, it was starting to look as though Mariano was also responsible for destroying the Dutton Ranch herd. Now, things aren’t so clear.

“Dutton Ranch” is already succeeding where its fellow “Yellowstone” spin-off “Marshals” failed by delivering truly compelling drama via interesting and layered characters. Episode 7 is no different. It begins with a flashback that follows a 20-something Beulah Jackson (Rebeca Robles) as she and her friends visit Billy Bob’s Texas, a country nightclub in Forth Worth. She’s taken to the club by none other than Mariano Reyes (Bobby Soto), who introduces himself to the barmaid as the “top hand” at 10 Petal Ranch. Not a cartel member, then. And certainly not villainous — at least in these early years.

After Beulah meets a tall, dashing cowboy by the name of Luke (Cameron Cowperthwaite), the two manage to sneak out without Mariano seeing. When the ranch hand eventually catches on, he gives chase, only to find Beulah standing bloodied by the side of the road, having been sexually assaulted by Luke. She and Mariano agree to a cover story to avoid Beulah’s father’s wrath. In these moments, Mariano seems genuinely concerned. What’s more, in his interactions with the barmaid, he is courteous and calm. Not once does he seem like he could be the “secret villain” of this series. In fact, he seems like a stand up guy.

But that just raises the question of what happened in the years since Beulah’s assault and the present day. Why is Mariano making vaguely threatening phone calls to the woman he protected all those years ago? What’s more, how did Beulah end up raising Mariano’s son, Joaquin? Could it be that Beulah is, in fact, Joaquin’s real mother? We already suspected that Beulah knows some of Beth Dutton’s darkest secrets, but it appears she has plenty of her own.

“Dutton Ranch” Episode 7 ends with another flashback in which Beulah Jackson makes Mariano drive her to Luke’s home, where she plans to inform him she’s pregnant. In this moment, we learn that Luke is the father of Rob-Will Jackson, played in the modern day by Jai Courtney. After Beulah goes inside Luke’s house, though, she shoots him dead as Mariano watches, shocked, from the car.

What we still don’t know is how Joaquin comes into the picture, but this episode gives us some strong hints. At this point, Beulah and Mariano share two secrets. They both know Beulah was sexually assaulted, and they both know she killed Luke. Does this trust in one another eventually bring the two closer together, potentially leading to Joaquin being conceived? That would make a lot of sense, given modern-day Beulah was planning to leave the ranch to Joaquin over Rob-Will. If Joaquin is the product of a secret love affair, and Rob-Will is the product of sexual assault (not to mention a drug-addicted creep), then Beulah has every reason to want Joaquin as the head of her operation.

Of course, before the episode ends, we see Rob-Will blackmail Beulah into announcing him as the new head of the 10 Petal. But with Mariano still somewhat of a mystery (where is he now and why is he suddenly telling Beulah what to do?), it’s possible that he will return in a forthcoming episode to help oust Rob-Will. All of which means that, far from being the secret villain, Mariano might just be the 10 Petal’s savior. “Dutton Ranch” might have ruined its most interesting storyline in Episode 5, but things sure are getting interesting now.