Dutton Ranch Fixes The Main Issues Yellowstone Fans Have With Marshals

"Marshals" is a pretty entertaining show, but it's very far removed from the rest of the "Yellowstone" franchise. Every other series in Taylor Sheridan's Western universe tells serialized stories about the Dutton family contending with threats to their land and legacy. "Marshals," meanwhile, is a procedural drama that mostly favors episodic storytelling and a case-of-the-week format. If you keep up with the discourse, you'll see that many "Yellowstone" fans don't like it. That said, "Dutton Ranch" might be the show that pulls them back in.

In many ways, "Dutton Ranch" is about fresh starts and establishing new legacies. Be that as it may, the latest of Sheridan's many "Yellowstone" spin-offs is rooted in family-oriented storytelling, ranch disputes, and cowboys being cowboys. These are the things that drew audiences toward "Yellowstone" in the first place, so why fix what isn't broken?

At the same time, franchises would be boring if all of their shows were the exact same. In fact, I'd argue that "Marshals" deserves praise for doing something different, even if its ties to "Yellowstone" are basic (potentially due to behind-the-scenes legal complications). "Dutton Ranch" is a true sequel to "Yellowstone," but it boasts enough fresh qualities to stand out as its own unique entity.

The first two episodes of "Dutton Ranch" are reminiscent of "Yellowstone." Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) are still in love, and it doesn't take long for them to butt heads with others. There is also a murder and lots of ranching, but the show explores familiar "Yellowstone" concepts through a different lens.

On "Yellowstone," Beth and Rip are associated with Montana's most powerful ranching family. As such, they spend their days fighting to protect their land from outsiders. However, Beth and Rip are the outsiders on "Dutton Ranch," having moved to Texas to start over, and their rivals are like the Duttons of the Lone Star State.

It would be easy to make "Dutton Ranch" another show about land disputes. That might happen, as it seems like only a matter of time until Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening) tries to destroy Beth and Rip. So far, though, she's only had a mild disagreement with Beth and has yet to show any obsession over acquiring their turf. Beulah and her family's story is also explored through a nuanced lens, so it's a stretch to call them outright villains. In fact, their clan is very similar to the Dutton family tree, so Beth and Rip might even relate to them.

"Dutton Ranch" isn't in any rush to ignite a war, but that's what makes it interesting. "Yellowstone" is more invested in characters than plot, and the latest spin-off goes further with this idea. The story is taking more time to unravel, and the moral ambiguity is grayer than ever before. Some folks might find it boring, but O.G. fans will view it as an expansion of everything that makes "Yellowstone" great.

"Dutton Ranch" is currently streaming on Paramount+.