Is this black and white photo of Cole Hauser’s Yellowstone character Rip Wheeler his grittiest yet and is it hinting at what is to come in season four?
Just look at our bad*ss cowboy. This black and white photo, posted by Rip Wheeler actor Cole Hauser, may be one of Rip Wheeler’s most iconic.
“Throw back to S1 @emersonmiller pic. Captured the loneliness of #rip“
Although the photo only shows Cole Hauser’s silhouette, we would recognize our beloved character anywhere. We know that Rip looks eerie and dangerous here, but we can’t help but love him. Like a cuddly possum with rabies.
Rip Wheeler and Beth Dutton
Don’t get us wrong, Rip Wheeler is both scary and deadly, but he has a soft spot for Beth Dutton. He has ever since he first got on the ranch as a teenager as they bonded over their traumatizing childhoods. The two fell hard, and while Rip got attached, Beth packed up and moved away.
Since Lee’s death, Beth has moved back to Montana for good, helping her father scare away anyone brave enough to put up a fight. This means Rip and Beth are back in the same vicinity and can rekindle their love.
On their very first date, our oddly morbid Bonnie and Clyde couple re-sparked their flame while watching wolves take down a bison in the National Park. Romantic right?
How could we forget the moment where Rip takes two bullets in the torso to save Beth from being assaulted and beaten to death. That is one of the best scenes from the whole show, in our opinion.
Wedding Bells and Haunting Memories
After more ups and downs, Beth finally asks her father, John Dutton, for his permission to marry Rip Wheeler. John explains that Beth must be the one to propose because Rip will feel like it is putting John in an awkward position because he raised him. John notes that this is not the case. However, Beth still has to make the move.
Beth buys a ring for Rip and presents it to him while sitting on the steps to one of the ranch houses. However, Rip Wheeler does not exist on this Earth.
When Rip was just a kid, he was beaten by his father. One day, his dad took it too far and killed his younger brother and mother. When Rip woke up from his beating, he armed himself with a frying pan and served the same fate to the evil man.
Rip fled the scene and was pronounced missing. He found a home with John Dutton and the cowboy in the bunkhouse, but the police never knew what happened to the boy. Therefore, there is no record of Rip Wheeler. That is why he cannot marry Beth legally.
Beth doesn’t care about the legality of marriage but the concept of it. The two agree to exchange vows and promise to love each other forever. However, forever may have happened sooner than they would have hoped after Beth was involved in a bombing at her office. It is still unclear if she survived.
Rip Wheeler may cause hell in the upcoming season, which will air in less than one month. Buck up, it may be a bumpy ride.
