Finn Little’s fate may now be unclear on Dutton Ranch, but one thing’s for certain: The 20-year-old Aussie actor has had the absolute time of his life on set. As we eagerly await the Season 2 premiere to learn how Finn’s storyline continues, let us take a look back at the behind-the-scenes snaps the Yellowstone and Dutton Ranch actor has shared thus far.
After first fanning the flames of anticipation for Dutton Ranch with snaps from the New York City press day and a few stills from the series, Finn began teasing new episodes with emotive BTS shots, each revealing another layer of his persona on the highly rated Yellowstone spinoff.
To highlight S1: E1, “The Untold Truth,” Finn shared a still of Carter sitting in a jail cell with Sheriff Handy Wade on the other side of the bars. The photo he selected perfectly portrayed Carter’s initial choices in his new small town of Rio Paloma, as well as the consequences that followed. While he landed in jail for ultimately coming to Oreanna’s defense—a noble reason—the still hinted toward the storyline that was set to unfold in the following eight episodes.
To commemorate the second episode, “Earn Another Day,” Finn posted a photo of Carter and Rip at the dinner table. In the scene, Rip was giving him fatherly advice after Carter told him that he’d met a girl. “You don’t do anything; you don’t say anything; you just listen; that’s the deal,” Rip said. “She says something nice to you, you listen. She says something mean to you, you listen. And if you don’t know what the f*!k she’s talking about, you listen.”
By the time Episode 3 rolled around, “Act of God Business,” Carter demonstrated that he knew how to listen—but he wasn’t as great at that “don’t do anything” part. Instead, he met up with Oreanna at a diner—and posted a picture of the scene—before going over to her ex-boyfriend’s house to vandalize his truck.
As compelling as the first three episodes were, Carter was confident that nothing would prepare viewers for Episode 4, “Start With a Bullet,” and he said as much on Instagram. In the still he posted, Carter looks downtrodden and exhausted; in the episode, he’d reached his wit’s end with the new town, with Beth, and with feeling left out of the family’s ranch duties, as they’d encouraged him to go out when they had to deal with the foot-and-mouth outbreak amongst the herd.
By Episode 5, Carter felt like Dwight was his only friend. Unfortunately, Sheriff Handy Wade got a tip that he had an exotic animal and showed up to his house when Carter was there, only to shoot him in the back. It was one of many details in the series that hinted at the level of corruption in Rio Paloma, and Carter’s defeated look in the jail stills he shared only added to his arc.
After losing his friend, Carter felt like he couldn’t talk to anyone but Oreana. It’s fitting, then, that Finn chose to highlight Episode 6, “A Cowboy Saint,” with a shot of Carter and her together. During the episode, Carter told Oreana he thought he was in love with her while they were fishing. She didn’t share in the sentiment, however, which only made him feel even more confused. “Carter’s wondering what it’s all for,” Finn captioned the photo on Instagram.
Episode 7, “Den of Sin,” is when things really started to pop off. By this point, as evidenced by the episodes and the stills Finn posted, Carter had begun to feel like an outsider in his own life—as if his actions didn’t truly matter—not with Oreana or with Beth and Rip. And what better way to lean into that than to sabotage the 10 Petal Ranch’s 190th anniversary celebration?
After all chaos broke out at the celebration, in which Carter got in a fight with Oreana, got wasted, and smashed Beulah’s prized longhorn, triggering her to have a heart attack from the stress of it all, Carter was too inebriated to cope at the beginning of Episode 8, “Whiskey Limits.” Finn acknowledged it on Instagram with a snap of Carter on horseback, miserably riding home after the party fallout, as well as a happier, smiling snap of Carter and Rip in the truck. On one hand, his photos of choice highlight the poor choices he made; on the other, they show that, no matter what, Rip will always have his back.
This was made even clearer when Finn posted a family photo of Carter, Beth, and Rip to celebrate the finale (Episode 9, “El Padrino”). As viewers know, however, by the end of the episode, their happy little family looked far from peaceful or aligned. As such, the snap made Instagrammers yearn for more of Carter’s storyline—of the whole casts’.
“Nooooo I can’t wait until 2027 for another episode 🥲🥲 the finale was such a good watch,” one fan exclaimed. “Ready for the next season!!! I wish this were weekly forever,” someone else commented. “Seriously, 9 episodes isn’t long enough,” another fan concluded.
Dutton Ranch has been greenlit for a second season. As of right now, we’re still waiting to hear when that might premiere. In the meantime, fans agree: It can’t come soon enough.
