If Rip Wheeler was a book, he’d be one of those old leather-bound ones that sit quietly on a shelf, never begging for attention, but when you open it, it’s filled with pages of raw emotion and secrets. Much like a cowboy who never needs to say much but lets his actions do all the talking, Rip is a man who doesn’t wear his past like a badge. In fact, he’s got so many layers, that you’d need a shovel to dig them all out, but Rip is not in the business of volunteering his life story.
So who is Rip Wheeler? The simplest answer would be: he’s a fixer, a bruiser, and—quite possibly—the most underrated character in Yellowstone. The long-time ranch foreman for the Dutton family, Rip doesn’t just make sure the cattle are safe; he ensures that the Duttons stay standing—sometimes literally and sometimes metaphorically. But don’t get it twisted. Like any good heart, he’s got his fair share of scars in his past to prove it.
Yellowstone’s Rip is completely undocumented?
Ah, Rip’s past. The part of his life that’s as dark and bloody as the Montana skies at sunset, but not quite as spoken about.
Let’s start with the part of Rip’s story that the show insists we left in the past: the murder of his father. When he was just a teen, his abusive father decided to go on a killing spree. In a twist of fate (or destiny, depending on how you see it), he was forced to kill him in self-defense. It wasn’t exactly a fair fight: one kid, one angry father, and nowhere to go.
Rip’s mother and brother were tragically murdered in the process. So, this poor kid is left standing in a bloodbath with the world closing in on him. But no one came to help Rip. Instead, he hid, covered in blood, waiting for whatever the world would throw next.
John Dutton, the patriarch of Yellowstone, finds the broken teenager and sees potential. Does he call the cops and let justice play out? Well, no. John Dutton isn’t interested in the justice system—he’s more interested in creating his own. Instead of helping Rip re-enter society as a free teenager (who, by all legal rights, would have been cleared of charges), John decides to erase Rip’s existence altogether. He brings him in, gives him a job on the ranch, and—voila!—Rip becomes part of the Dutton family.
But here’s the thing: in doing so, Rip becomes “undocumented”.
Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone: Rip’s Mysterious Past Misses the Mark?
Now, fans of Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone aren’t exactly thrilled about this gaping plot hole. Why the secrecy? If Rip was acting in self-defense—one of the few situations where murder isn’t just justified, but legally excused—why didn’t John just let him go free? According to the folks on Reddit, the answer is a bit more sinister than just protecting a kid from the law.
One fan highlighted the absurdity of this by pointing out that, despite Rip having no documentation (like a driver’s license), he is still able to drive a large truck and a horse trailer across state lines, which would require valid identification and a driver’s license in real life.
While this theory makes for a juicy plot twist, it doesn’t quite explain the logistical nightmare that Rip’s “undocumented” status would cause in the real world. Like, how does he open a bank account? How does he get health insurance? Forget marriage licenses—how does he buy a bottle of whiskey without a birth date on file?
Anyway, in a recent interview with Screen Rant, Cole Hauser teased us with a little insight into how his character is about to evolve in the second half of Season 5.
Yeah, ultimately, it’s time to grow up. I think he’s laid the foundation for not only how to run the ranch, but as far as the intricacies of the bunkhouse and dealing with certain things that I’ve done for the last 20 years there.
Yellowstone fans, it’s time to face the music – Sheridan has dropped the ball! Rip’s past has been tossed out like last season’s leftovers, and honestly, it never needed to be on the plate in the first place. Having Rip with no official identity?
That’s a plot hole big enough to let an entire stampede of cattle charge through! And let’s not beat around the bush—Rip was just a teenager when he defended himself and ended up killing his father. In any courtroom, the kid would’ve been given a hall pass straight to freedom. This whole ‘mysterious past’ angle? What was the point?
Yellowstone Season 5 is available on Peacock Premium.