The season one finale of Dutton Ranch delivered one of its biggest mysteries yet, but actor Juan Pablo Raba believes viewers may be jumping to conclusions about what really happened.

The finale ended with the shocking death of Rob-Will Jackson, played by Jai Courtney, after tensions within the Jackson family reached a breaking point. While many viewers assumed Joaquin, portrayed by Raba, was responsible for the killing, the actor says he is far from convinced that his character pulled the trigger.

Speaking after the finale, Raba pointed out that the episode never actually shows Joaquin shooting Rob-Will. Although Joaquin is seen sitting in a vehicle outside the house with a gun after being ordered by his father, Mariano, to kill his brother, the murder itself happens off-screen.

Instead, viewers hear a gunshot before Rob-Will’s daughter Oreana runs downstairs to discover her father already dead. The camera never reveals who fired the fatal shot, leaving room for multiple interpretations.

For Raba, that missing moment is significant.

He argues that Joaquin simply does not fit the profile of someone capable of carrying out such a cold-blooded execution. According to the actor, Joaquin is neither an experienced killer nor someone accustomed to violence, despite his family’s criminal connections.

Raba also questioned the timeline shown in the episode. He noted that only moments pass between Rob-Will saying goodbye to Oreana and the fatal gunshot, suggesting the killer likely approached the house, knocked on the door and immediately opened fire.

In Raba’s view, that kind of calculated attack would require someone far more experienced than Joaquin.

The actor also believes Mariano may have anticipated that his son would struggle to carry out the order. Rather than relying entirely on Joaquin, Mariano could have arranged for someone else to complete the mission if necessary.

Raba even suggested another possibility involving Beulah Jackson, played by Annette Bening.

Throughout the season, Beulah demonstrated a willingness to make ruthless decisions to protect her own interests. By the finale, her relationship with Rob-Will had deteriorated dramatically after he attempted to blackmail her. Raba believes those circumstances make Beulah another believable suspect.

He also raised the possibility that Joaquin may have witnessed someone else commit the murder instead of carrying it out himself.

That uncertainty extended to filming the scene. Raba revealed that even the production team avoided confirming Joaquin’s guilt during filming. To preserve the mystery, he performed multiple versions of his final scene with different emotional interpretations, ranging from guilt and fear to shock and heartbreak.

The actor explained that without knowing the truth himself, his goal was simply to provide several possible reactions that the creative team could later shape into the story.

Beyond the murder mystery, Raba believes the finale leaves Joaquin facing an uncertain future. Even if he survives the growing conflict between the Duttons and Mariano’s organization, he questions whether Joaquin still has a place within his father’s criminal operation.

The situation becomes even more dangerous after Mariano’s men abduct Carter, setting up what is expected to be the central conflict of season two.

Raba described Joaquin as someone completely overwhelmed by the world around him. He believes the character fears both the violence surrounding him and people like Rip Wheeler, whose determination to rescue Carter is likely to drive the next chapter of the series.

Whether Joaquin is revealed as Rob-Will’s killer or not, the unanswered questions surrounding the finale have created one of the biggest storylines heading into season two.

Source: Compiled from various sources