'Yellowstone' Fans Discuss Plot Hole of Rip Wheeler's Financial Situation in Season 3 Finale

Avid viewers of the hit series "Yellowstone" are still hung up on the much-talked-about Season 3 finale. They took to a popular online forum to discuss what may have been a plot hole concerning Rip Wheeler's financial situation.

On Reddit, a "Yellowstone" fan wondered out loud why Rip Wheeler, played by Cole Hauser, has zero savings. In the Season 3 finale, he dug up his mother for her wedding ring, a scene that set tongues wagging.

The fan, who seemed to have all the time in the world, went on to compute Rip's finances and arrived at the conclusion that he should have $100,800 at his disposal.

The Reddit user, who was baffled over Rip's inability to buy a new ring, first laid out assumptions before doing his mathematical computation of Rip's finances. The fan wrote:

"If Rip started working for the Yellowstone Ranch in his teens...that means he has earned $268,600 net over 17 years."

The fan then analyzed Rip's expenses, which included his deceased mother and brother's headstone and his lifetime expenses on clothing and other personal items for 20 years.

The show's avid viewer also accounted for Rip's lifetime expenses on beer, rifles, pistols, knives, and other weapons. The fan assumed that Rip may have spent $25,000 for "fancy spurs," including expensive cowboy items.

The fan arrived at $167,800 for the "Yellowstone" character's lifetime expenses. Deducting that amount from the computed lifetime income, Rip "should be sitting on $100,800."

While waiting for a brand new season, fans continue to discuss the latest one.

In the latest season of the hit Paramount series, Rip came to the realization that Beth Dutton, played by Kelly Reilly, was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

The season finale saw Rip solving a dilemma when he realized that he could not afford a ring for his wedding proposal. In the end, he decided to dig up his mother's grave to get her own wedding ring.

But Beth, it turned out, had also planned to propose to Rip. She asked for his hand, just before the episode shocked viewers with scenes of the Duttons being gunned down.

Season 3 ended on a major cliffhanger that had many fans, including country music star Carrie Underwood, upset and excited at the same time. Fans are now eager for the return of the modern Western drama on their televisions.

The hit Western series, which premiered in June 2018, also stars Hollywood A-lister Kevin Costner, who plays John Dutton, the head of the largest contiguous ranch in the States.

While waiting for a brand new season, fans continue to discuss the latest one. Aside from Rip's finances, fans also pointed out a likely plot hole regarding Kayce Dutton's (Luke Grimes) plan to sabotage businessman Malcolm Beck's plans.

Kayce and Dan Jenkins (Danny Huston) hatched a scheme to plant an explosive device in one of Becks' private planes. But the season finale saw the Duttons simply shooting the Beck brothers.

For some fans, it was a loose end that needs to be addressed in the upcoming season, which is expected to debut in the summer of 2021 based on the timing of the past season's premiere.