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
11 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.
Will the tragic cattle plague ignite a brutal war between the Duttons and their new Texas rivals?
How does the show's FMD plot reflect the escalating threat of new virus strains to real-world ranchers?
With its showrunner gone amid cast friction, can the hit series survive its own off-screen drama?