The Wranglers Episode 2 Recap: Parties, flirting, drama, and romance bloom

Welcome back to the Circle Bar Dude Ranch in Montana as we have a second episode full of fun, adventure, flirtations, and drama. That’s right, The Wranglers is back and picking up the threads laid down in the pilot episode.

This week’s clients are a pair of couples there for a birthday weekend adventure. That includes archery, riding e-bikes, and setting up a bull riding event for a final party. That also puts pressure on event coordinator Reilly, who has to figure out how to make a cake a couple people can jump out of. The final solution she and the team come up with is interesting, albeit unconventional. It works better than Reilly expected, but that’s one of the few smooth successes this week.

Finding a Head Wrangler

The quest for a Head Wrangler is still on. When we left last week, Carson and Vern threw their hats in the ring. But Vern didn’t seem to be vibing with staff manager Carleigh, especially when she announced plans to be out for the weekend at a pre-planned wedding. As we kick off this week, Vern didn’t return as expected. Worse yet, she didn’t call to let anyone know what her plan was. That leaves Carleigh rankled and Vern stressed about losing out on the job.

When Russell, the owner, holds a conference call with Carleigh and Bob, the Ranch Manager, the two are split on who to choose. Carleigh favors Carson, while Bob still favors Vern. It’s left to the two of them to work it out.

Surprisingly, when the announcement is made, Vern gets the Head Wrangler post. But in a twist, they announce Carson as the Assistant Head Wrangler. The hope is the two of them will work well together and balance out each other’s weaknesses. That doesn’t go over well with Vern, suggesting we might see some friction.

Love on the Ranch

Meanwhile, Carson has some divided attention. He continues his flirty back-and-forth with wrangler Gabby. But his new position could put a wrinkle in things. It’s also unclear how she feels about him. It becomes clearer at the closing party, when Gabby starts flirting with new chef Robin. That leaves Carson distraught and wondering where he stands. It also leads to a stressful game of beer pong that doesn’t paint Carson in the best light.

While Gabby and Carson might not be on the same page, fellow wranglers Katie and Hunter seem to have hit things off. They continued their flirtation from last week throughout the episode. They seem generally drawn to each other, including flirty text exchanges at the party. The episode closed with them stepping outside to discuss their connection. We’ll see where it leads, but so far, all signs point toward a love connection.

That’s a wrap on episode two. The Wranglers airs Mondays on The CW.