No, Rip is not John Dutton's biological son, but John unofficially adopted him as a teenager after finding him orphaned and traumatized, and Rip considers John his father, viewing him with immense loyalty as a father figure. John officially acknowledged Rip as a son in a letter, solidifying their bond, even though Rip isn't a blood Dutton and later married John's daughter, Beth, becoming his son-in-law as well.
At the end of season 2, John indicates in a letter he thinks of Rip as a son. Rip commits a number of felonious murders and acts as an enforcer for John Dutton's criminal activities as part of his work for the ranch.
Rip is 110% loyal to JD because how much JD has done for him, short of saving his life, he's been there every step of the way for rip since he was a young child. He owes him everything and will go to the ends of the earth to protect the man that saved his life.
Rip Wheeler is an employee at Yellowstone. He is the "fixer" and sometimes the bruiser for the Dutton Family. He is also the husband of Bethany Dutton and John's son-in-law.
John Dutton III
He has complicated — but loving and loyal — relationships with his four children: Lee, Jamie, Beth and Kayce. He also has a close relationship with his grandson, Tate.
In Season 5 of Yellowstone, we can expect love to be in the air not just for newlyweds Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, but for Beth's son-not-son, Carter (Finn Little). For those of you who need a refresher, Beth invited Carter to live and work on the Dutton ranch after he lost both his parents.
John Dutton III
He's the eventual governor of Montana and a father of four: Lee, Beth, Kayce, and (the adopted) Jamie. His wife, Evelyn, died in a horseback-riding accident. He was the patriarch of the Dutton ranch until his tragic death in Yellowstone season 5.
After being released from prison, Rip hired him on the spot. After receiving the Brand, Walker began slacking off on the Ranch and refused to partake in some actions with the other Hands, as well as running his mouth off, frustrating Rip to the point where he wanted him dead.
1 Elsa Dutton
Elsa Dutton's death is doubtlessly the saddest in the Yellowstone franchise.
In the season one finale, Beth sabotaged her relationship with Rip by turning a flirtation with ranch newcomer Walker (Ryan Bingham) into a full-blown affair. While Beth and Rip had never properly defined their relationship, Beth's decision to sleep with Walker left Rip feeling betrayed.
It's the short of partner (pronounced "pahrd-ner" sort-of). Common term used forever in the west/southwest of the U.S. for a friend/acquaintance/family member. Pretty much every western movie ever has someone calling someone else that.
Kayce and John had 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.
What did Beth whisper to the casket? The Dutton family finally has a service for John, where Beth once again promises to avenge her dad. After laying a white rose on his casket, Beth leans down and whispers, "I will avenge you," then leaves the service.
The fourth season ended with Jamie Dutton, the adopted son of the powerful Dutton family, killing his biological father, Garrett Randall.
In 1997, Beth accidentally caused her mother's horse to rear and buck her off, causing her death. Life got even harder for her when John started to resent her. She started to rebel by drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes.
As Rip holds him back, Beth stabs him in the chest with a giant knife. They dump his body in Wyoming and claim that Beth acted in self-defense. Just like that, no more Jamie. If Yellowstone continues with a Beth and Rip spin-off, the married couple will need to find some new enemies to fight.
Cole Hauser, the actor who plays Rip Wheeler in ""Yellowstone,"" gained 20 pounds of muscle for the role. He also worked to achieve a more physical appearance by practicing typical cowboy activities, such as tying and cutting.
He was told she would be sterilized and he could take her to a better clinic in Larger City, but he was afraid someone at Larger City Clinic would leak that the Dutton girl had had an abortion. Having her butchered up at a rez clinic wouldn't get out.
Brecken Merrill as Tate Dutton, Kayce and Monica's son and John's only biological grandchild, and heir to the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.
John Dutton II was the late father of John Dutton III and the previous owner of Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. He died years before the start of the series.
In the final episode of Yellowstone, John Dutton's remaining two children, Beth and Kayce, sell the Yellowstone Ranch to their Broken Rock Indian Reservation neighbors for pennies on the dollar, if the tribe agrees never to sell or divide it.
The "1-2-3 Rule" for horses is a critical guideline for monitoring a newborn foal and mare: the foal should stand within 1 hour, nurse within 2 hours, and the mare should pass the placenta (afterbirth) within 3 hours of birth; any delay in these milestones requires an immediate call to a veterinarian to ensure the health of both animals.