The patriarchs in Yellowstone’s spinoff shows have something that John doesn’t: a partner to help them navigate the disturbances that challenge their families.

Helen Mirren joins Harrison Ford in 1923‘s cast as Jacob’s wife, Cara Dutton, bringing more star power to the cast. Tim McGraw’s wife, Faith Hill, is at his side as Margaret Dutton in the cast of 1883, helping the father of two as they traverse the Oregon Trail. 

Cara and Margaret each had to run the Yellowstone Ranch once upon a time, so it’s interesting to consider which other Dutton women were up for the task.

7 Elizabeth Strafford

Michelle Randolph Is Elizabeth Strafford In 1923

Perhaps least equipped to run the ranch is 1923‘s Elizabeth Strafford (Michelle Randolph). Despite growing up on the Strafford Ranch, adjacent to the Yellowstone Ranch, Elizabeth wasn’t bred for ranching.

1923 season 1 reveals that Elizabeth spent her winters in East Coast cities like Boston, which explains why she was so unprepared for the winter of 1924 in 1923 season 2.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth could hardly do the bare minimum necessary to save her life, taking the rabies shots, offering little confidence that she could orchestrate the grand scheme of the ranch’s operations.

While Elizabeth eventually rises to the occasion of protecting the ranch, staying behind and protecting Zane Davis (Brian Geraghty) in 1923 season 2’s finale, Strafford is the most short-sighted of all the Dutton women.

Even with Jack Dutton (Darren Mann), Elizabeth’s success rate in running the ranch would be lower than that of almost any other woman in the family. Jack’s selfish and impulsive nature ultimately got him killed before he could play a significant role in the Dutton Ranch’s operations.

6 Alexandra Dutton

Julia Schlaepfer Is Alex Dutton in 1923

While certainly capable of learning the task, Alex Dutton (Julia Schlaepfer) would be less prepared than most to run the Yellowstone Ranch. Like Elizabeth, Alexandra of Sussex had little exposure to hard labor and the working conditions of life on the ranch, coming from a life of British nobility.

Still, through the horrible things she endured in 1923 season 2, Alex proved that she could rise to almost any task.

5 Margaret Dutton

Faith Hill Is Margaret Dutton In 1883

We know that Margaret Dutton could run the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch since she did so from the time her husband died in 1893 until her death in the winter of 1894. Still, Margaret’s death proves she wasn’t equipped to run the ranch alone, which makes sense for a few reasons.

While she was as gritty and skilled as the rest of the Dutton family tree, Margaret was set on upholding traditional values even in the Wild West, which held her and her daughter, Elsa Dutton (Isabel May), back in 1883.

4 Evelyn Dutton

Gretchen Mol Is Evelyn Dutton In Yellowstone

Yellowstone doesn’t reveal much about John Dutton’s wife, Evelyn (Gretchen Mol), since she died before the Yellowstone series premiere. However, Yellowstone season 1 shows flashbacks to John’s wife, with Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Kayce’s (Luke Grimes) mother having two memorable appearances.

In Yellowstone episode 3, Evelyn Dutton falls from her horse and breaks her spine. We therefore know that John’s wife knew how to ride and had a keen sense of the ranch.

3 Elsa Dutton

Isabel May Is Elsa Dutton In 1883

Elsa could have run the Dutton Ranch had she survived the end of 1883. Elsa dies of an infection after a Lakota warrior shoots her with a poison arrow. Still, her fate wasn’t for Elsa’s lack of bravery, grit, or skill, which she showed until the end.

As Elsa journeys along the Oregon Trail with her family, we see how willing she is to perform tasks that aren’t associated with the female experience from where Elsa comes. She rejects gender norms to be a cowboy, and Elsa’s ability to herd cattle would certainly lend itself to her reign.

2 Cara Dutton

Helen Mirren Is Cara Dutton In 1923

We know that Cara Dutton can run the Yellowstone Ranch, since she already did so without Jacob Dutton in 1923 season 1. After a range war begins, Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) attacks the family with a Tommy gun in 1923 episode 3, killing John Dutton I (James Badge Dale) and nearly killing Jacob Dutton.

However, Cara Dutton nurses Jacob back to health, and she runs the ranch amid a financial depression while her husband is recovering from his life-threatening injuries.

Cara even enacts new legislation that her husband hadn’t thought of, calling the association’s members to vote on creating a police force.

Cara shows up for Jacob, the Livestock Commissioner, at the Livestock Association meeting in 1923 season 1, episode 4. By doing so, Cara saves the entire family’s reputation, giving the impression that her husband is staving off thieves in Wyoming rather than fighting for his life back at the ranch.

Cara even enacts new legislation that her husband hadn’t thought of, calling the association’s members to vote on creating a police force to more lawfully prosecute cattle crime in Montana, successfully.

Kelly Reilly Is Beth Dutton In Yellowstone

Beth Dutton is most capable of running the Yellowstone ranch, with her skill set perfectly attuned to protecting it in the modern era. Beth has a degree in finance, and her savvy business skills pair perfectly with protecting the ranch from developers who want to take it from them.

While not a lawyer or a ranch hand, Beth possesses a sharp legal mind and understands what must be done to protect the ranch until John Dutton’s death in Yellowstone season 5 nullifies her reason to do so.