Abhiroop Das
Created by Chad Feehan, Paramount+’s ‘Dutton Ranch‘ serves as equal parts a spinoff and sequel to ‘Yellowstone,’ narrowing down its focus to the lives of Beth and Rip. After parting ways with their family ranch, the lovebirds try to start from scratch and nearly achieve a perfect life in the foothills of Montana, until tragedy strikes yet again. In a flash, they are forced to leave their home behind and restart yet again, this time in Rio Paloma, Texas. As they struggle to find their footing amidst stiff competition and an unwelcoming weather, Beth comes across the perfect watering hole while driving around town. The Split Heart Bar, as it is called, regularly organizes live music sessions, which soon makes it the go-to place for when the Duttons want to relax and forget the troubles of their days.
Split Heart is a Fictional Setting, But Uses a Real-Life Bar as its Base
A western drama show is incomplete without an iconic watering hole that features in every episode, and Split Heart Bar marks the newest addition to the list of fictional bars that give the ‘Yellowstone’ universe its unique flavor. While the bar itself may be a fictional construct by Chad Feehan and his writing team, it is filmed on-site in a real bar in the city of Rio Vista, Texas. To get the aesthetic down perfectly, the crew took over Roughnecks Bar and Grill, located at 103 Depot Street, which is known for its rustic aesthetic and outdoor dining services. The show retains much of the interior as well as exterior look, while adding custom-built signage to make Split Heart Bar come to life.
Complementing Split Heart’s debut in ‘Dutton Ranch’ is the Bullet ‘n Barrel Saloon from ‘Marshals,’ which, while set all the way in Montana, weaves a similar picture of joy and community. The filming for Bullet ‘n Barrel also takes place in a real bar, and this time it’s the Boneyard Saloon, nestled in the heart of Park City, Utah. Alongside these, the original ‘Yellowstone’ series also has its fair share of bar and saloon sequences, many of which transform an existing real-life location into a fictional construct, allowing the characters to bounce off each other and take the story forward, even outside of the show’s most intense sequences. Given that the Lone Star State is known for its vibrant nightlife, the creative team of the show likely had a lot of references to research into and recreate through Split Heart Bar.
As a part of the show’s ongoing tradition of blending live country music into the narrative, the creators of ‘Dutton Ranch’ also introduce Nashville-based Country music artist Cassidy Daniels to the mix. In episode 2 of the show, she performs an original track titled “Heart-Shaped Necklace,” marking her dream-come-true moment of joining the ‘Yellowstone’ universe. In a conversation with Pro Country, Daniels revealed that a lot of her songs were initially pitched for ‘Yellowstone,’ but the schedules never quite lined up. With ‘Dutton Ranch,’ she presents a heartfelt song about love, citing influences from classic southern rock. Her performance, as such, adds more to the realism of Split Heart as a setting, allowing it to be more than just a watering hole for the characters, but also a space where they express themselves fully.
Read More: Dutton Ranch Episode 1 and 2 Recap: The Untold Want and Earn Another Day
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