Yellowstone season 5, episode 11, entitled “Three Fifty-Three” reveals the true threat to Rip and Beth’s relationship. The couple has a long history that began when they were teenagers, and Rip came to the Yellowstone Ranch after killing his abusive father and running away. Many years later, the two found their way back to each other while working on the ranch, and they got married in season 4 before taking in an orphan, Carter, who needed the ranch as much as Rip did when he was young. Thus, it seems like these two characters’ Yellowstone ending should be happy, but John’s death may change that.
Rip was in Texas when Beth discovered that Yellowstone’s John Dutton was dead but quickly came home to support her. He still doesn’t know, however, that Beth’s sterility is due to the botched abortion of his child when they were teenagers, which has led to widespread speculation that the truth could come out and ruin their relationship. However, Rip and Beth will likely face a different, more current threat now that John’s death has put the future of the ranch in jeopardy.
Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 11’s Flashbacks Show Beth & Rip’s Different Attachments To The Ranch & Its Lifestyle
Rip Seems More Attached To The Ranch Than Beth
Rip only went to Texas to serve the ranch’s needs. A herd of cattle had been exposed to a serious disease, so he headed a team of cowboys who transported the cattle to the 6666 Ranch in Texas until the disease could be controlled. While the trip’s length was indefinite, it was clear that Rip considered it an extension of his work for the Yellowstone Ranch and had no intention of leaving Montana permanently.
However, the flashbacks in “Three Fifty-Three” demonstrate that Beth doesn’t have the same feelings about the lifestyle associated with maintaining a ranch. At the end of her surprise visit to Texas, she tries to convince Rip to stay with her a little longer, which he cannot do because he has to get back to the 6666 to continue overseeing the transport and care of the cattle. This is an extension of Beth’s desire to steal him away from the ranch for some alone time in the previous episode; these two events taken together suggest that Beth doesn’t want to be a rancher’s wife and wants Rip to focus more on her and less on the cattle drive.
Why Rip & Beth Have Contradicting Attachments To The Ranch In Yellowstone
The Ranch Saved Rip’s Life While Beth’s Attachment Was To John, Not To The Land
Rip’s loyalty is to the Yellowstone Ranch, with or without John. The ranch saved his life when he was a scared teenager who had just killed a man in defense of his family. Yellowstone‘s John Dutton III was an important part of that because he was the ranch owner who decided to allow RIp to stay in exchange for working on the ranch, but Rip has worked the land ever since and thus associates the ranch with the opportunity he had for a better life. However, Beth does not feel the same way about it.
[W]hile Beth will always be loyal to John’s memory, living on the ranch itself is associated with pain and she would rather live in Texas with Rip.
Beth’s primary loyalty has always been to her father, and the ranch is his legacy, so she might be motivated to fight for its survival on those grounds. However, her childhood was filled with pain. She was living on the ranch when her mother took a fatal fall off a horse, which Beth was blamed for, and when Jamie took her to get the abortion which ruined her ability to have children. Thus, while Beth will always be loyal to John’s memory, living on the ranch itself is associated with pain and she would rather live in Texas with Rip.
What’s The Best Ending For Rip & Beth In Yellowstone
Moving To Texas Would Represent A Fresh Start, But They Need To Fight For Their Legacy
Ultimately, it might be best for Rip and Beth to move to Texas so that they can enjoy a life together that is not tainted by Beth’s painful memories or continued proximity to Jamie, assuming he survives. Jamie and Beth’s relationship in Yellowstone has always been toxic, and Jamie’s betrayal of the family makes it impossible for Beth to have any chance at happiness if he is anywhere nearby. Her desire to leave is understandable.
Rip will not be willing to turn his back on the ranch that saved his life, but Beth doesn’t see a way to save it right now.
However, before Rip and Beth can consider a new life in Texas, the issue of the ranch’s future in Yellowstone must be settled. Rip will not be willing to turn his back on the ranch that saved his life, but Beth doesn’t see a way to save it right now. Thus, Rip will have to help her find her fighting spirit again in Yellowstone so that they can save the ranch and then decide how to achieve their dreams for a more peaceful, happy future, even if that means moving away after all is said and done.
