Yellowstone star has one wish for final episodes

Cole Hauser has one important goal when it comes to finishing out Yellowstone’s final episodes, and it’s one we can all agree with.

Most Yellowstone fans will have the same hopes and dreams for Season 5 Part 2 (a decent explanation for John Dutton’s absence, for one). But above all, fans will be wanting an ending that’s at least a little satisfying, and wraps up the ongoing Dutton story as best it can, considering the circumstances.

Thankfully, one major player from the Yellowstone cast wants exactly the same thing. Cole Hauser, who plays John Dutton’s right-hand man, Rip Wheeler, has confirmed [via Country Living] that he just wants the show to “finish strong.”

“I’m so focused on finishing Yellowstone the way it needs to be finished right now — well, just the show itself,” he said. “We’ll see where that leads, but I know that there’s some stuff on the horizon when it comes to Taylor’s ideas for Kelly Reilly and myself and some of the other cast. I’m excited to see where he goes creatively with that but right now it’s just, let’s finish strong; let’s do the best we can.”

By “stuff on the horizon” for his and Kelly Reilly’s characters, he could be referring to their potential appearance in the upcoming spinoff, Yellowstone 2024. This next step in the Dutton timeline will likely continue directly on from the events of the Yellowstone conclusion, so it would make sense for both Rip and Beth to play some sort of role in the follow-up.

Rip has always been a fan-favorite Yellowstone character. A killer with a heart of gold, Rip’s heartbreaking backstory and unwavering loyalty to John and his family have made him one of the only sympathetic characters on the show. (And that’s saying something, because Rip is pretty deplorable, too.)

As for his time on the show and the role itself, Hauser also had something to say about that. Evidently, it was destiny that brought him to Rip.

“You know, it’s always interesting if you look at your career, and especially as an actor, you usually have one or two kind of defining roles, you know, if you’re lucky, and this is one that I just I think was a match made in heaven — it’s the one I kind of dreamt up; Taylor [Sheridan] helped me do that,” he said.

For more, check out our guides to Yellowstone 1923 Season 2, and check out our list of the best Yellowstone episodes.