Here's Why Rip Goes to Texas In Yellowstone Season 5

The Yellowstone Season 5, Part 2 premiere featured Cole Hauser's Rip Wheeler at the Four Sixes (6666) Ranch in Texas, but many struggle to remember why he went there in the first place.

Yellowstone's grandiose return (which was record-breaking in an unfortunate way) included many flashbacks to Texas. Those scenes largely featured Rip and emotionally proved that the way of the cowboy is quickly dying in an age controlled by technology.

The reason for Rip's journey to Texas was set up and highlighted at the end of Yellowstone Season 5, Part 1, and it is safe to assume that they wouldn't have traveled there unless it was necessary.

Why Did Rip Take the Yellowstone's Cattle to Texas?

In Yellowstone's Season 5, Part 2 premiere, fans spent time with Rip, Walker, Teeter, Ryan, and Jake as they made their way down from Montana to the Lonestar State of Texas.

The characters' journey was anything but a vacation as they had to transport all the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch's cattle down to the Four Sixes Ranch with them.

This happened because, in Season 4, it was revealed that the cattle were exposed to brucellosis, an extremely deadly disease that could have spread through and killed not only all of the cattle but the cowboys and ranchers, too.

Brucellosis is a bacterial disease that causes flu-like symptoms. It can be transmitted through inhalation, so if the Yellowstone cattle had been infected, it would have spread like wildfire.

It is also important to mention that the disease can be transferred through eating or drinking products from infected animals. That means if a cow had the disease and a human consumed its milk or ate meat from it, they would also be at risk of getting infected.

So, Rip and the others had to move the cattle to Texas for the time being so that the Yellowstone Ranch could be disinfected and made sanitary for the cattle to return.

Will More Yellowstone Scenes Be Set In Texas?

A lot of screentime from Yellowstone's Season 5, Part 2 premiere was dedicated to the plotline in Texas, seemingly setting up more scenes there in the coming episodes.

Due to the death of John Dutton (find out if Jamie was involved in killing John), that could all change, especially regarding Rip.

Rip was supposed to be leading the team that went down to Texas, but after Beth called him, told him of John's death, and asked him to come back, he immediately left and went back to Montana.

However, Walker, Teeter, Ryan, and Jake all seemingly stayed in Texas, meaning they will likely stay down there to watch the cattle.

Considering all those characters (and the protection of the cattle) are vital to the show, fans can likely expect more Season 5, Part 2 scenes to take place in Texas.

Yellowstone is streaming on Peacock, and new episodes premiere every Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.

Find out why Yellowstone Season 5, Part 2 is not on Paramount+.