Carter and Oreana’s star-crossed love story takes several interesting turns in the season finale of “Dutton Ranch,” including one discovery that could change both of their families forever.
We’re talking, of course, about the pregnancy test Oreana takes at the top of Episode 9. You can feel her panic through the screen as she waits for the result, a feeling that only intensifies once that little plus sign appears on the stick. Beth senses something is on Oreana’s mind when she drops by looking for Carter, but Oreana stays quiet.
In fact, Oreana remains quiet on the subject for the rest of the episode. Despite spending most of the hour with Carter, and even deciding to run away with him (destination unknown!), she never actually tells him that she’s pregnant. We get that this is a huge bombshell to drop on Carter, so we understand if Oreana is struggling to find the right moment, but we also can’t help but wonder — is this baby even Carter’s?
Sure, Oreana and Carter are exclusive now, but how much time has actually passed in the first season of “Dutton Ranch”? Could this baby belong to that rodeo ex-boyfriend of hers? It’s not uncommon to discover a pregnancy more than a month after conception. Heck, if you ask TLC, it’s not uncommon to give birth without knowing you were even pregnant!
For the sake of the show, though, we do hope that Carter is the father-to-be. He and Oreana have always had a Romeo and Juliet thing going on, and a baby that’s half-Dutton/half-Jackson would make for some interesting dynamic shifts between the sworn adversaries. And don’t even get us started on the idea of a wedding — can you imagine Beth and Beulah as in-laws?
Unfortunately, both Oreana and Carter have more pressing issues to deal with than a potential baby being on the way. The finale ends with Oreana discovering Rob-Will’s dead body (was it Joaquin?), while Carter is taken hostage by Mariano’s goons as retaliation against Beth and Rip. In other words, Carter and Oreana’s road trip is officially derailed.
Natalie Alyn Lind says whatever happens next for Carter and Oreana is ‘going to be crazy’
Regardless of what the future holds for Oreana and Carter (and their possible baby) on “Dutton Ranch,” actress Natalie Alyn Lind told TVLine ahead of the finale that she’s just as eager as the viewers to find out what’s coming next.
“One of the coolest parts about Oreana and Carter’s relationship is that it’s two young people who are both trying to find their identities,” she says. “I think it’s really interesting to watch characters grow throughout TV shows, and I think that’s the process Oreana and Carter are going through. My vision of what the character is now, I don’t know what it’s going to be next season. I’m excited to find out. It’s going to be crazy to see where these characters develop and where their morals turn.”
Those words carry a lot more weight after the events of the finale. A potential Dutton-Jackson baby certainly falls under the category of “crazy,” and now that Oreana’s father has been murdered, a moral turn is definitely in the realm of possibility.
Which of Carter and Oreana’s (many) finale twists surprised you the most? Grade the episode and the season in our polls below, then drop a comment with your thoughts.
