Fans were alarmed by some of the Yellowstone Season 5 promos. On one occasion, the Western drama announced "something big is coming" in a video marking Rip Wheeler's birthday on Instagram.
Yellowstone fans would be heartbroken if Rip ever departed the show because he is one of their favorite characters. Yellowstone wouldn't be the same about Rip, whether the character is killed off or moves on to better things.
Is Rip Wheeler Leaving Yellowstone 5?
Yellowstone Season 5 is nearing its midseason finale, and Rip is still alive and well. On the other hand, fans discovered another cause to be concerned about Cole Hauser's retirement from the show.
In Episode 7, John Dutton learned that a herd of his cattle might be sick with brucellosis, rendering one of his pastures useless.
To ensure the ranch's survival, John planned to lease acreage somewhere warm. He chose Rip and a few other ranch hands to care for the cattle, even though it meant leaving Montana for at least a year. Rip elected to bring Walker, Teeter, Ryan, and Jake with him.
It's more likely that Yellowstone will divide its time between the characters in Montana and the group caring for the herd in Texas rather than eliminate all of these characters from the show. This might also be used to reintroduce Jimmy to the show. On the other hand, the program might skip Texas's year and incorporate a time jump.
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Cole Hauser Shares Character Status in Yellowstone Season 5
Though Rip actor Cole Hauser had not heard the stories about his character dying prematurely, he told TODAY that his mother had kept him informed.
“My mom’s told me a couple of them and I said, ‘Mom, I do the killing. Don’t worry about it,'” Hauser said.
Though Hauser did not affirm Rip's survival for the season, he did say, "I think we're OK. For now." Yellowstone Season 5 also delves into Rip's life as a married man.
“There’s a darkness to him that I love, but there’s also, kind of, this real passion and love that he has for Beth and I thought that’s a really good juxtaposition as an actor to be able to play that,” he said.
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New episodes of Yellowstone Season 5 air Sunday nights on Paramount Network.
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