'Marshals' Review: This Kick-Ass Spinoff Has the 'Yellowstone' Magic
What if you had a Yellowstoneshow that was less of a dynastic drama, and more of a police procedural? Or, to make it simpler, what if you pulled Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) out of the Yellowstone status quo, and put him in a show with a vibe closer to Tracker or Reacher? The answer to those questions isn't hypothetical, it's the new TV series Marshals, the first sequel to Yellowstone, and one of the easiest to like new shows of 2026.
Here's why Marshals has that feel-good Yellowstone magic, but also is very much its own show, and a fresh beginning for Luke Grimes as a leading man of action. No major spoilers ahead.
If you've ever been curious about what all the Yellowstone fuss is about, but its been too many seasons and too many years to feel like you can catch up, Marshals is an interesting series because as much as it rewards Yellowstone fans with returning characters and specific connections, you don't need to have seen its parent show at all. Everything about the pilot episode of Marshals feels like the way TV used to be made in the 1990s: a spinoff show reintroduces you to a character you love, but creates an entirely new situation and story.
Although Marshals is plural, this is very much a show, at least initially, that's focused on the journey of Kayce Dutton. A former Navy SEAL, turned rancher, the set-up of Marshals is all about how Kayce is pulled back into the game of being a protector. The cast is rounded-out with a few familiar faces from Yellowstone, including Gil Birmingham as Thomas Rainwater, Mo Brings Plenty as Mo, as well as Brecken Merrill as young Tate Dutton, Kayce and Monica's son, who is, technically, the living heir to the Yellowstone legacy. There's also plenty of new people on the team, including fellow U.S. Marshals, including Belle Skinner (Arielle Kebbel), Andrea Cruz (Ash Santos), Miles (Tatanka Means), Pete Calvin (Logan Marshall-Green), and country star Riley Green as Garrett. As the show begins, we're definitely meant to see these folks as a crew who we're going to get to know better, with plenty of secrets and conflicts brewing underneath.
Interestingly, Marshals is not exclusively written by famed Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, but instead, helmed by Spencer Hudnut. Though, Hudnut has made it clear that Sheridan is very involved with the series, noting in January 2026 that "He [Sheridan] was very generous to me in terms of his time and helping shape this show. He’s been incredibly gracious throughout. Whenever we hit a problem, [he ’d] be there to help solve it. But you know, his influence is in every sort of aspect of this show."
But, because Sheridan isn't writing all these scripts (like on Landman or 1923) does that make Marshals have a different flavor? Well, yes and no. In some ways, Marshals is slightly less angsty than Yellowstone or Landman, and seems to have a more conventional cop drama feel to it, albeit one set Montana. As Kayce's longtime pal Pete says in the pilot episode "This may look like God’s country, but the devil’s running free out here." This is a very Sheridan-esque line, and one that sets up Marshals to be a clear-cut show about good guys and bad guys; cowboys who know how to get things done, against, well, everyone else. If that kind of thing rubs you the wrong way, just know this: Marshals isn't trying to score political points with anyone, and Kayce's allegiances are always with the people, not with the badge. In short, he's a true folk hero, insofar as he cares about the folks, not the system.
This is the nice thing about Marshals; it retains the Sheridan sense of morality, in which there's no chance, ever that Kayce won't do the right thing. He'll struggle with the risk of doing the right thing, but not the actual choice of doing it. Like with the recent Season 2 finale of Landman, in the pilot of Marshals, a wild coyote provides an on-the-nose metaphor about a threat that's always looming out their at the edges, and whether or not Kayce will (literally) pull the trigger to help out is only a question for a little while.
In this way, Marshals may not be as twisty or unpredictable as 1923 or the recent season of Landman, but it has that same sparkle and magic of the other Sheridan westerns. It's the sort of show that doesn't ask much to get invested, and rewards you with the simple pleasure of feeling good after you've watched an episode. In a world of morally grey anti-heroes, Kayce Dutton is here to be the perennial good guy on horseback. And frankly, its good to have him back.
Marshals Season 1, Episode 1, Streaming Time
Marshals debuts with its first episode, "Piya Wiconi" on CBS on Sunday, March 1 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. If you have a standard Paramount+ account (called an "essentials" plan), you can stream the episode the next day. If you have an Paramount+ Premium account, you can watch it live on Sunday. Otherwise, Marshals streams on Paramount+ on Monday, March 2.