Updated

Updated · Fox News · May 29

Rip Wheeler Shoots Entire Herd in Episode 4 as Foot-and-Mouth Disease Wipes Out Ranch Dreams

Updated

Updated · Fox News · May 29

Rip Wheeler Shoots Entire Herd in Episode 4 as Foot-and-Mouth Disease Wipes Out Ranch Dreams

Q: Will the tragic cattle plague ignite a brutal war between the Duttons and their new Texas rivals?

Yes—everything currently points to the cattle outbreak becoming a major trigger for a violent showdown, even if the series has not yet explicitly confirmed full-scale war. The episode establishes the immediate disaster: Beth and Rip lose their entire herd to foot-and-mouth disease, forcing a mass cull that destroys their business and leaves Rip emotionally shattered. The added reporting says the direct source was an infected bull sold through a fraudulent broker using forged health papers, and Rip has already retaliated by burning the broker’s trailer and property. That alone signals the conflict is moving beyond a business setback. What makes a broader ranch war likely is the surrounding context. “Dutton Ranch” has already framed Beulah Jackson and her family as ruthless Texas rivals, and outside coverage has noted strong suspicion of deeper foul play tied to the outbreak. The show’s own setup says Beth and Rip want peace, but “war keeps coming to their doorstep,” while the Jackson ranch is described as willing to do anything to protect its empire. So the plague appears less like an isolated tragedy than a catalyst. Even if the broker was the immediate mechanism, the narrative is clearly steering toward escalation, especially with other violent subplots already involving the Jackson orbit. The safest reading is that the outbreak will not just deepen the feud—it is likely to harden it into open conflict in the episodes ahead.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 29

Episode 4 opens with Rip Wheeler and his crew killing the entire cattle herd after foot-and-mouth disease is discovered, turning Beth and Rip’s Texas restart into a fresh disaster.
The cull is framed as both a financial and emotional blow: the infected herd is a total loss, and even a cow saved from their Montana ranch is put down.
Reddit viewers called the Friday Paramount+ episode "heartbreaking" and among the best in the Yellowstone universe, with many singling out Cole Hauser’s performance.
The series premiered May 15 with two episodes and now rolls out weekly on Paramount+, where the Yellowstone spinoff is already drawing strong viewership.