Cole Hauser's Comments About Yellowstone Ending Seem Overly Emotional (Considering He's Playing Rip Again), But I Have A Theory

Cole Hauser as Rip looking shocked with his eyes widened in Yellowstone.
(Image credit: Paramount Network)

So, yes, Yellowstone is over. I get that. However, the number of upcoming Yellowstone shows, and specifically the new Rip and Beth spinoff, don’t have me feeling all sorts of sentimental about leaving the Montana ranch. That's because, to quote Taylor Swift, it feels like the “end of a decade, but the start of an age.” However, Cole Hauser was feeling emotional about it all in a video about Taylor Sheridan’s flagship show. While I feel like it was a bit much (since he will be playing Rip again), it also sparked a theory about his new show and how connected it will be to the OG series.

Cole Hauser’s Comments About Yellowstone Ending

Now, don’t get this twisted, I think Hauser’s comments are sweet, and Season 5’s final episodes did indeed mark an end of sorts. However, in Yellowstone’s Instagram video about the “lasting legacy” of this series, what he said gave off the vibe that he would never play Rip again, and that’s not the case at all. Before we get into that though, here’s what the actor said:

It's been such an honor to play this character. And this year is a lot about picking up the pieces. There's a real sadness to just have to wrap everything up, but everything has to move on. That seven years that we spent there has a special place in a lot of people's hearts.

Isn’t that giving off the energy that he's saying goodbye to Rip? I guess he may not have known about the spinoff when they filmed this interview, but, oddly, it was released long after we learned about the Rip and Beth spinoff and saw the end of Yellowstone’s final season.

However, it’s important to note that I think Hauser is being very genuine here. And the more I ruminate on his comments, the more I start to theorize about just how involved the other Duttons and characters from Yellowstone will be in his new spinoff.

I Have A Theory That This Might Mean The Rip And Beth Spinoff Is Very Disconnected From Yellowstone

At the end of Yellowstone, John Dutton’s family ranch was given back to the Indigenous people who lived there long before them, and Beth and Kayce went their separate ways. While Kayce negotiated a deal to keep one small portion of his family’s land, Beth moved away with her husband Rip and their basically adopted son Carter to Dillon, Montana.

Read About What’s Coming To The Small Screen This Year

Julia Schlaepfer as Alexandra and Brandon Sklenar as Spencer Dutton holding hands and looking forward in 1923.

(Image credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+ )

Rip and Beth’s spinoff likely won’t be on the 2025 TV schedule, but plenty of Taylor Sheridan’s other shows will be, including the Yellowstone prequel, 1923.

Going into Rip and Beth’s spinoff, I assume we’ll pick up where we left off, their new home. My guess is that the old Dutton ranch and most of the characters they interacted with there won’t be involved, and Hauser’s sentimental comments about saying goodbye to Yellowstone make me believe this theory even more.

While I assume Carter and Lloyd will be part of Rip and Beth’s story, I don’t really think anyone else will be. Other than the fact that these characters were on Yellowstone, I don’t see their new show having much to do with the old one. Hauser’s recent comments about wrapping everything up and moving on only add more fuel to this theory fire I have cooking.

Overall, I think Rip and Beth’s new show will be very disconnected from Yellowstone and feature a new home, new characters and new challenges. So, while I still find Hauser's comments about the OG show ending a bit over-emotional, I do get where he was coming from.

Now, the wait is really on to see what will happen when we finally see Rip and Beth again. However, in the meantime, you can stream Yellowstone, and see where Hauser and Kelly Reilly’s journeys began, with a Peacock subscription.

Riley Utley
Weekend Editor

Riley Utley is the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. She has written for national publications as well as daily and alt-weekly newspapers in Spokane, Washington, Syracuse, New York and Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated with her master’s degree in arts journalism and communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Since joining the CB team she has covered numerous TV shows and movies -- including her personal favorite shows Ted Lasso and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She also has followed and consistently written about everything from Taylor Swift to Fire Country, and she's enjoyed every second of it.