Saddle up folks, the final episodes of Yellowstone’s fifth season are about to air on the 2024 TV schedule, and that means we can stop theorizing about and start witnessing this chapter of the Duttons’ story soon. However, we’re still a week away from the premiere, and Cole Hauser was recently asked, point blank, if Rip dies this season. So, for now, I need to talk about his answer and the questions it created about the upcoming episodes.
Cole Hauser Was Asked If Rip Dies, And His Answer Is Short And Cryptic
For a long time now, fans have been worried that Rip could die. Back when Season 5A was premiering there was a lot of chatter about this topic, as viewers were concerned about the fate of the fan-favorite character. At the time, Cole Hauser told Today that his character was “OK. For now.” Obviously, Rip made it through that season, but the worries about his fate persist.
So, during an interview with Parade, the actor was asked again if his character dies. In response, Hauser said:
You’ll have to wait. Listen, Rip does a lot of the killing. I’ll tell you that.
I mean, he’s right. Rip is responsible for some of Yellowstone’s most brutal moments, and he’s certainly not scared to get his hands dirty. However, that makes me wonder if all this violence will come back to get him in the upcoming episodes…
Will Rip Die In A Fight?
Based on the above comment alone, it almost feels like Rip could die during some sort of fight.
We know he’ll do anything to protect the ranch, and he’d go to the ends of the Earth if he could to make sure his wife, Beth, was safe. So, knowing that big changes are coming with the loss of John Dutton, it seems natural that Cole Hauser’s character will get his hands dirty this season to save the Yellowstone and his partner.
That begs the question: Will he go down in a fight? I wouldn’t put the show. Plus, we know Jamie and Beth’s feud has reached a breaking point. And if Rip finds out why his wife hates her brother, I think that would bring out a new violent side of Hauser’s cowboy which could lead to the death of at least one of these three characters.
Plus, killing Rip might kill Beth, and we can’t have that. They’re both two of the most beloved characters on the show, and they’re reportedly in talks to lead whatever comes next for Yellowstone. Therefore, it’d be very, very shocking if Cole Hauser’s character died.
What About The Potential For Beth And Rip To Lead A Spinoff Or Season 6?
On top of all these questions about whether Rip could die from a story perspective, it also has me curious about the upcoming Yellowstone shows. Word on the street is a sixth season of Taylor Sheridan’s Western could happen, and if it does, Hauser and Kelly Reilly could lead it.
The Beth actress said there’s potential for more, noting that talks were happening. Her on-screen husband has said that as well. Hauser is down to keep playing Rip, and he reiterated that right after being asked about his character possibly dying and the rumors that he could lead a new season of Yellowstone:
I mean, obviously it would be amazing. There are talks about it, and we’ll see how it shakes out.
This answer mixed with his non-answer about if Rip dies causes a whole bunch of confusion for me. However, ultimately, I think his character will survive the season. This cowboy is a tough cookie, and as Huaser said, he does a lot of killing himself.
So, even if someone tries to take Rip Wheeler down, I doubt they’ll succeed.
However, we’ll find that out for sure in the upcoming season of Yellowstone, which will begin airing on the Paramount Network on Sunday, November 10 at 8 p.m. ET.
