In the lead-up to Yellowstone’s final episodes, there were a lot of questions about how Kevin Costner’s exit would impact the series and the characters. Then, when the last part of Season 5 premiered, it was quickly revealed that John Dutton was killed, and it was his kids’ job to figure out what to do with the ranch. With that in mind, Cole Hauser reflected on his character’s role in the family, and said that Rip’s choices in these final moments were “what John Dutton would want.”
Before saying that, Hauser explained he would be “there 100%” for his wife Beth “and the family.” Also, about a week before the finale aired in December 2024, he said Rip would continue to “figure out the best way forward.” In the end, he told People, that’s “what John Dutton would want,” saying:
That's what John Dutton would want. That's what he's been taught throughout his life.
I think he’s right; what Rip did is what John would have wanted. He fiercely protected his wife, and at every turn, they both did what they thought was best for the ranch.
While John’s wish was to keep the ranch whole and in his family, and he spent his life fighting to do just that, I don’t think he’d be upset with what Rip, Beth and Kayce did.
By the end of Yellowstone, it was inevitable that the Duttons couldn’t keep that land and maintain it. So, Beth and Rip took Jamie out of the picture while also making sure Market Equities wouldn’t be a problem anymore. That effectively put a stop to the outside corporate forces who were trying to take the property.
Ultimately, the land went back to Thomas Rainwater and the Broken Rock people, fulfilling the prophecy-like statement made in 1883 when James Dutton was given permission to stay there. By doing this, it could live on untouched by civilization and those who were trying to take it.
That’s thanks to the choices Rip, Beth and Kayce made at the very end, and I think John would have approved. They found a way to keep the land intact while also protecting the family, and I assume Costner’s patriarch would have appreciated all this.
In the end, Rip did what he’d “been taught throughout his life,” he protected the Duttons. He lived up to the expectation set by the Yellowstone brand, and he more than proved his loyalty to Beth and the family as a whole. Therefore, yes, I do think Rip’s actions in the last moments of this show are exactly what John would have wanted.
To go back and make up your mind on this matter yourself, you can stream Yellowstone with a Peacock subscription. Then, make sure to stay tuned here because Rip and Beth’s story will go on with a spinoff, and we can’t wait to see how they continue the Duttons' tale in the wake of the flagship Western.
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