Fans posting to the “Yellowstone” subreddit have conflicting opinions about Rip Wheeler’s possible fate. One fan compared Rip to “The Walking Dead” characters like Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and insisted he’ll never die on the show. u/threedice joked that Rip might find himself tied to a crime on “The Mayor of Kingstown.” Matters of plot practicality might also keep him alive; as other fans pointed out, if Rip dies, it’s quite likely that Beth will finally go off the rails for good and may cause havoc for her family members, including estranged adopted brother Jamie (Wes Bentley).
But plenty of people think that Rip and Beth will just plain ride off into the sunset during the final season for an ending that also seems quite plausible. After all, Cole Hauser has gone on the record saying he’d love to do a Rip and Beth-centric spin-off, and Paramount has definitely shown a willingness to create prequel and sequel programs connected to the Dutton clan. Taylor Sheridan is already producing a current day-set spin-off series that will keep the show’s universe going. Thus, multiple fans on the thread predict that Rip and Beth will join that upcoming Texas-set show. That naturally doesn’t guarantee that the characters will make it out alive, but it definitely tips the odds in their favor. Yet, as any “Yellowstone” fan worth their salt knows, those odds can shift without warning at any time.