In the finale of season two, John gives Beth a letter that says he accepts Rip as a son and that he's also gifting Rip a house on the ranch.
John calls Rip "son" in the flashback scene at the beginning of the episode, and later Rip affectionately refers to Carter as "son" too.
John Dutton took in the orphan no questions asked in return for him taking the brand to swear his loyalty, and Rip has become his most loyal enforcer, the unrelenting foreman of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch and unwavering protector of his darkest secrets.
While Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) isn't officially one of John's children or adoptive children, the handler does see him as a father-figure. Much like Jamie, Rip was taken in by the Duttons as a youngster after killing his abusive father and given a fresh start.
During the course of Season 2, John made the seismic decision to shake up the power dynamics of the Dutton ranch. In a move that resonated through the hills and valleys of Montana, John asked Rip to step down from his role as the ranch foreman, paving the way for Kayce, his own flesh and blood, to take over.
Kayce and John have been estranged for sometime at the beginning of the series. It is later revealed that part of what drove them apart was that Kayce got Monica pregnant and they planned to keep the baby. That is when John forced Kayce to take the brand.
Being Chosen by John
John Dutton (Kevin Costner) adopted two boys when they were young: Rip and Jamie. The two have different roles in the Dutton family, but are both considered blood relatives to the head of the household.
Brecken Merrill as Tate Dutton
Brecken Merrill plays Tate, Kayce and Monica's son and John's only biological grandchild.
Tate Dutton is a main character on Yellowstone and the child of Monica and Kayce Dutton.
John said in season 3, “When he married the woman who gave birth to you, we begged her not to do it because we knew…But I guess she thought she could save him.” It is possible that the Duttons adopted Jamie so that Garrett could no longer reach and harm him.
One of the most notable elements of the Yellowstone series is the iconic romantic relationship between Rip and Beth. The couple was once childhood sweethearts whose feelings for each other stood the test of time and bloomed into true love. For the show's past four seasons, we've enjoyed plenty of Rip and Beth moments.
Rip even tells Lloyd he loves him before going to town. You can tell it hurts both of them, that it had to be this way. But once it's done and over with, the two finally start to build their friendship back up again. This leads to the season finale, where Lloyd finally gets to be Rip's best man at the wedding.
The underlying reason for John Dutton's dislike of Jamie is their differing personality and views on life. It is why they often fight, argue, and even work against each other in various stages of their life. Of course, it's also possible that John dislikes Jamie because he's adopted and not a true-blooded Dutton.
John's youngest son, Kayce, originally had a difficult relationship with his father after he left the family to marry Monica Long-Dutton, a teacher on the Broken Rock Reservation.
Rip saw this as a sign of disloyalty to the ranch and began to form a dislike for Walker. Walker and Rip were not on the same page with each other when Walker agreed to work at Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Walker didn't know that being loyal to the ranch meant committing crimes to protect the Dutton family name.
John later explains to Monica that he branded Kayce for disobeying him when Kayce got Monica pregnant and Kayce refused John's demand to make Monica abort the child. John branded Kayce, which drove a wedge between the two and caused Kayce to enlist in the Navy where he became a SEAL.
So there you have it. Monica left Kayce because she was jealous, traumatized, tired, and fearful. Or maybe she just realized that he was not worth it.
Spencer Dutton
The second son of James and Margaret Dutton, Spencer was born some time after the family settled in Montana. Spencer also served in WWI and, like his father, remained haunted by his experiences on the battlefield.
Those are two men who like I just said there's brotherly love and there's competition to an extent and they fight it out like two bulls, and they move on. That's it. That's just the way of life on a ranch, especially the Dutton ranch. There you have it!
So, just who is Rip Wheeler? Rip Wheeler is a ranch hand at Yellowstone Dutton Ranch and husband to Beth Dutton. He has been a main character on the show since season one and works as John Dutton's enforcer when it comes to protecting the ranch.
She adopted a son (Carter) after finally marrying Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) in season four. Rip and Beth have always had a rocky, toxic relationship. Now, tasked with the immense responsibilities of being parents for the first time, many audience members feel like they are failing, and badly.
Does Beth Cheat on Rip? No, Beth does not cheat on Rip. In season 4, we see Beth go to Walker for comfort after she and her father fight. Fans speculated there might be something between Beth and Walker, who has a rocky relationship with Rip.
Cole Hauser – $200,000 per episode
Cole Hauser (Rip Wheeler) joins a number of castmates (other than Costner) who reportedly $200,000 per episode and $2.8 million in Season 5.
Eventually, Beth ended up popping the big question to Rip, asking him to marry her. Beth even made it much more romantic by presenting Rip with a simple ring. After learning that John had given them his blessings, Rip accepted Beth's proposal.