Marshals Episode 5 Hints At The Return Of A Controversial Yellowstone Character

Early in "Marshals" episode 5, Luke Grimes' Kayce Dutton mentions a character named Travis. This is a reference to the "Yellowstone" character Travis Wheatley, who was played by creator Taylor Sheridan. The horse trainer and rodeo rider appeared sporadically throughout that original series from the very beginning. But Travis became a controversial figure in "Yellowstone" season 5, with many fans considering his presence to be an overall negative for the beloved show. Could Travis upset them all over again by showing up on Grimes' spin-off?

So far, "Marshals" has not been able to figure out what it's about, and episode 5 added yet another storyline to the mix. Thankfully, this was arguably the best storyline yet, with Kayce and his Marshals hunting down a sex trafficker who's been pilfering young girls from the Broken Rock Reservation. It provided much more momentum and tension than previous episodes, telling a story that ended in a cliffhanger that was surprisingly effective for a show that has previously felt downright inert.

Part of what made the episode successful was the way in which "Marshals" moved away from "Yellowstone" to embrace its own story. But the mothership series and its prolific creator are never far away, as evidenced by Kayce's reference to Travis early in episode 5. Could the father of "Yellowstone" actually show up in the spin-off?

As it went on, "Yellowstone" lost its way due to multiple missed narrative opportunities and storylines that felt a little too convenient. But for some fans, Taylor Sheridan's Travis Wheatley absolutely ruined "Yellowstone" season 5, with the creator writing himself a nice little hero arc that saw Travis steal the spotlight for much of the show's final season. The horse trainer started as a minor character, but by the end was very much the savior of the Duttons and their fortunes.

As such, many fans surely recoiled when Kayce Dutton mentioned Travis in episode 5 of "Marshals." The installment saw Kayce's son, Tate Dutton (Brecken Merrill), attempt to connect with his late mother's stallion, which we saw Kayce trying his best to tame in the pilot episode. Unfortunately, Kayce doesn't seem to have been very successful: The horse injures Tate, prompting his father to try selling it. At a Wyoming gas station, Kayce and Tate fail to offload the steed, after which Kayce says, "I'm gonna call Travis, find a home for this bronc."

We don't actually see the phone call take place, but this is the first time Sheridan's character has been acknowledged on "Marshals." The show hasn't shied away from referencing the mothership series, and now it has confirmed that Travis is still very much present. Does this mean that he'll swoop in to save the day à la "Yellowstone" season 5. It's unlikely, but you can't be too sure when it comes to Sheridan.

Before he created one of the largest TV empires in history, Taylor Sheridan tried to forge a career as an actor. The "Yellowstone" creator fittingly got his start on "Walker, Texas Ranger," before going on to play roles in multiple TV shows. Sheridan had a small recurring role in "Veronica Mars" and played Deputy Chief David Hale on two seasons of "Sons of Anarchy." But his real successes came after he transitioned to writing, first with 2015's "Sicario," then with movies like "Hell or High Water" and "Wind River." When he returned to TV, he did so as a writer, penning "Yellowstone" and creating a small-screen juggernaut in the process.

You can't really blame him for inserting himself in that show. Not only did he have acting experience, he was about as close to a real-life cowboy as any TV writer's ever been. The show even used his horses, so it made sense that he would become an on-screen presence as Travis Wheatley, the man responsible for John Dutton's broncos. But his increased presence as the seasons went on didn't seem to go over too well with fans.

That brings us to "Marshals." Sheridan didn't write the "Yellowstone" sequel series, which is part of its problem. Instead, he took an executive producer role — though, based on interviews given by showrunner Spencer Hudnut, Sheridan was pretty hands-off overall. The question is, can Sheridan resist a chance to show up on-screen again? It would make sense for Travis to appear, seeing as Kayce still lives in the same area in which "Yellowstone" took place. With "Marshals" teasing Travis' return, it might only be a matter of time before the heroic horse trainer arrives. Whether he'd be welcomed by fans, however, remains unclear.