Abhiroop Das
Created by Chad Feehan, Paramount+’s ‘Dutton Ranch‘ takes Beth and Rip through a journey that begins in the hills of Montana and ends up in the quaint town of Rio Paloma, Texas. In episode 6 of this neo-western drama series, both characters take command of the 10 Petal Ranch and attempt to take it to the next level. However, the first step in doing that is to deal with the elephant in the room, that being Chet. Ever since witnessing Wes’ murder, Chet has not been his usual self, and after abruptly being declared the ranch foreman, he has only been accelerating on his downhill path. Rip firing him from the job seems to be the thing that pushes him over to the edge, and while he gives into blind rage in his search for retribution, the ending cannot always be in his control. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Chet Dies While Attempting to Take His Revenge
At the end of ‘Dutton Ranch’ episode 6, titled ‘Cowboy Saint,’ Chet is killed by Joaquin’s bodyguard after a botched assassination attempt. Though he steps into the ranch with the intent of revenge by spilling blood, the plan backfires when he misses his first shot, hitting Joaquin’s hand instead. As the sound of the first shot rings through all of 10 Petal, both Rip and the bodyguard are alerted at once, the latter of which makes it to the scene first. Before Chet can land his second shot, the bodyguard brings him down with a single bullet to the head, ending his story. Though we don’t see what happens to his body next, it’s clear that 10 Petal has its own way of dealing with corpses, not unlike the Yellowstone ranch in its heyday.
Though Chet’s death is foreshadowed numerous times, what makes the scene enigmatic is whether Rob-Will intended for this exact sequence of events to happen. Given how we don’t get to see his reaction at all, there are two broad possibilities. Either the entire speech about brotherhood that Rob-Will made was fake, and merely a tactic to rile up Chet into committing murder, or the second and more likely possibility, that Rob-Will truly meant it, and now will be furiously out for revenge. In either case, Chet’s passing establishes a direct link between several plot beats that have been disparate so far. Rip and Joaquin have their first proper moment thus far, with the truth about Wes’ death coming out in the same breath as Rob-Will, the perpetrator, likely makes his ominous comeback into the show.
Actor Hart Denton’s Journey With Dutton Ranch Has Come to a Thrilling End
With Chet gone, actor Hart Denton is unlikely to reprise the role in ‘Dutton Ranch,’ and he has nothing but fond memories associated with the project. “Chet is our character with nine lives,” Denton expressed in an interview with Esquire, “He has almost died many times before we start this show. This is his family, and he’ll do whatever he can to survive. But I almost look at it like, I don’t see how he doesn’t go out in some sort of way like that.” While Chet’s death came as a surprise to the actor, he somewhat anticipated it, in line with the grim nature of the stories set in the world of ‘Yellowstone.’
A fan of the series, like many of his co-stars, Denton wasn’t surprised when ‘Dutton Ranch’ started making waves on television. He recalled receiving love from all corners of the world, and especially his home state, Arkansas. “It’s like they’re finally proud of me,” the actor mused, fondly recalling, “even my grandma watches. She’s obsessed with it. She’ll call me and ask me questions.” The ‘13 Reasons Why‘ and ‘Riverdale‘ actor spent most of his childhood around ranchers, which helped him get into character fairly easily. While we don’t see much of Chet’s backstory on-screen, Denton made sure to learn some details from creator Chad Feehan and immerse himself thoroughly.
Though Chet’s death sequence scared Denton, the actual scene itself proved to be a fun experience. While talking to Esquire, he revealed that a full head cast was required to get the effects done practically. “It’s a 45-minute process. You’ve got these little tiny holes to breathe through, but you can’t see anything. It’s completely black,” the actor said. However, despite these challenging moments, Denton perceives this role as one of the best jobs of his life, and hopes to work on another show in this space in the future.
Read More: Dutton Ranch Episode 6 Recap: Cowboy Saint
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