Marshals Is Good Actually And Yellowstone Fans Should Stop Complaining

It's come to my attention that some fans of Taylor Sheridan's "Yellowstone" franchise don't like "Marshals," the CBS spin-off about Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) fighting crime in Montana. I get it, the show is pretty far removed from "Yellowstone," "1883," "1923," and "Dutton Ranch," which are character-driven, family-focused Westerns. "Marshals," meanwhile, is a basic procedural that repurposes Kayce — an actual murderer — as a U.S. Marshal. It's a stretch, but since when did fans of the "Yellowstone" franchise care about logic?

Granted, "Marshals" probably didn't need to exist. Kayce and his family receive one of the happier endings on "Yellowstone," and "Marshals" completely ruins it by killing off his wife. I 100% agree with the sentiment that this show only got made to squeeze more juice out of this franchise before Sheridan leaves Paramount for NBCUniversal, but that doesn't mean it's bad.

If anything, "Marshals" is the most interesting "Yellowstone" spin-off since "1883"; like that show, it takes the action away from the Dutton family's ranch. More than anything, "Marshals" lets its main character do what he does best without being nagged. With that said, let's discuss why people should be a little kinder to Spencer Hudnut's procedural.

Taylor Sheridan made "Yellowstone" with the goal of letting the characters dictate the story. Most of the shows in the franchise are family-focused dramas that aren't too concerned with plot, and that's what makes them awesome. At the same time, franchises stay interesting by mixing things up every once in a while. That's why the more plot-focused, action-heavy nature of "Marshals" is a breath of fresh air.

"Marshals" takes elements of "Yellowstone" and applies them to the formula that's made countless CBS procedurals so successful. The case-of-the-week format allows the creators to tell a wide range of stories that don't involve ranching or the Duttons protecting their land, making the fictional universe feel more expansive. One episode will see Kayce and his team take on biker gangs. Others involve escaped convicts causing havoc in general stores. We even learn more about the Dutton family's history, as "Marshals" keeps introducing random enemies from the past who aren't mentioned once on "Yellowstone." Call it retconning if you will, but it's fun.

That said, "Marshals" often feels like old-school "Yellowstone" as it's so over-the-top and full of soap opera. As such, it isn't that far removed from the other shows in the "Yellowstone" saga. "Marshals" embraces the ridiculousness of its mothership series without trying to cover it up with more elevated qualities. That isn't a bad thing, as the "Yellowstone" saga is gloriously entertaining whenever it goes off the rails. 

If you want to see the Duttons contend with family struggles, ranching drama, and potential land disputes, "Dutton Ranch" is the 2026 "Yellowstone" spin-off for you. Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) are more suited to those types of stories. Kayce, meanwhile, is at his best when he's unleashing his inner soldier, and "Marshals" lets him do that.

"Yellowstone" allows Kayce to showcase his action prowess every once in a while — like that time he rescues his son, Tate (Brecken Merrill), in the Season 2 finale — but he also embarks on spirit quests and grapples with marriage woes. "Marshals," on the other hand, largely sees him ignore his kid so he can shoot people. What's more, the unceremonious death of Monica Dutton (Kesley Asbille) in "Marshals" Episode 1 means that he has more time to put bullets in bad guys.

Let's face it, most "Yellowstone" fans hated Monica while she was alive, with many feeling she held Kayce back by forcing him to choose between her and his family. The beauty of "Marshals" is that Kayce doesn't need to pick either, as the series is more interested in having him save Montana from wrongdoers. He doesn't have to deal with nagging from his loved ones. Everyone just shuts up and lets him shoot, and that's where he excels.