“Yellowstone” star Kevin Costner on the new film “Horizon”
Actor and director Kevin Costner says his new film “Horizon: An American Saga” is an honor for fans of “Yellowstone.”
USA TODAY’s Yellowstone first look week begins with the passionate couple at the center of Taylor Sheridan’s hit series – Beth and Rip.
For all the drama and intrigue of the Dutton family, fans could count on one constant in the changing fortunes of “Yellowstone”: the decades-long romance between John Dutton’s fiery daughter Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Dutton’s longtime right-hand man on the ranch Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser).
The unlikely love story will become even more important in the long-awaited second half of Season 5, which begins on November 10 (8 EST/PST) without John Dutton, as Kevin Costner has parted ways with the “Yellowstone” franchise. The Paramount Network has claimed since May 2023 that Season 5 will be the last of “Yellowstone.” The network declined to comment on a report in Puck, later confirmed by other media outlets, that said negotiations were underway to continue “Yellowstone” with Beth and Rip as the main characters.
Whatever the case, the power couple, featured exclusively in USA TODAY’s first look, will be even more in the spotlight as patriarch Dutton disappears from the neo-western series.
More exclusive photos: “Yellowstone” – First insights into the week: Kayce and Monica Dutton survive the second half of the 5th season
And Paramount Network’s Labor Day Weekend “Yellowstone” marathon (beginning Friday at 10 a.m. EDT/PDT) will pick up every “Yellowstone” episode (also streaming on Peacock) and also tell the unconventional love story of Rip and Beth. The affair began in the pilot episode when Rip spotted Beth early on at the Dutton ranch, smoking a cigarette in her bathrobe.
“You look nervous, Rip,” Beth says in one of the character’s classic lines. “Like a stray dog who can’t enjoy the house because he’s so worried about the broom.”
Somehow, their love story has flourished and the couple survived the familicide attempt in the season three finale and made it to their impromptu wedding in the season four finale despite John Dutton’s objections. At the start of season five, which premiered back in November 2022, John Dutton was sworn in as governor of Montana, with Beth as his chief of staff, giddy with newfound power.
But there were already signs of trouble: Beth declared war on her brother Jamie (Wes Bentley), blaming him for the evil force behind her own infertility. The long-simmering family feud between sister and scheming brother could have serious repercussions in the final episodes – even on the rock-solid relationship between Rip and Beth.
In a clip posted on Yellowstone’s Instagram page earlier this month, Rip can be seen growling at Jamie: “My job is to protect this family and you are the worst thing for them.”
In the final episodes of Season 5, many important questions about Yellowstone need to be answered, including how the series will handle the absence of Costner’s Dutton. One of the biggest questions is also whether Rip and Beth will stay together, continue on with a new Yellowstone, or become part of a spin-off series.
Check back with USA TODAY all week for more first looks at the final season of “Yellowstone.”
