Taylor Sheridan’s mind seems bigger on the inside — he’s turned the Yellowstone universe into a sprawling franchise that keeps growing in unexpected directions.
The super producer has been churning out shows set in the franchise for years, and there are many more in development.
One of the highest-profile confirmed offshoots focuses on Kayce Dutton, who has put the Yellowstone Ranch behind him and joins an elite unit of U.S. Marshals.
There, he combines his skills as a cowboy and Navy SEAL to bring justice to Montana, where he and his teammates must balance family, duty, and the psychological cost of serving as the last line of defense in the region’s fight against violence.
Y: Marshals Isn’t a Bad Idea
It’s a solid concept and one that will harken back to his time in the military, which, as his five seasons on Yellowstone can attest, changed his world-view and gave him some pretty nefarious skills.
CBS shows tend to take a more procedural approach, which will be a definite shift from the serialized storytelling that Yellowstone fans are used to.
Yellowstone and its prequels, 1883 and 1923, were deeply serialized—you couldn’t just drop in and out.
CBS procedurals, on the other hand, thrive on case-of-the-week structure, with conflict resolved by the hour’s end.
That format appeals to a different kind of viewer, though the best procedurals still weave in long-term arcs.
Y: Marshals may end up feeling the least like a Yellowstone spinoff, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
However, if it wants to stand on its own and still feel authentic to the franchise, certain elements must be retained.
A large part of Kayce’s Yellowstone arc involved him being a father to Tate and a husband to Monica.
Monica and Tate are essential to Kayce’s journey. They’ve grounded him through his darkest moments, and leaving them behind — or worse, harming them to jumpstart a new plot — would be a colossal misstep. If Y: Marshals is truly about Kayce’s next chapter, his family needs to be part of it.
Brecken Merrill and Kelsey Asbille have been with Yellowstone since the beginning, and keeping them immersed in the franchise with Y: Marshals is the only logical way forward at this point.
Kayce, Tate, and Monica have been through enough, and I hope they will have a period of peace following Yellowstone Season 5 and can stay intact as a family unit when the new show debuts on CBS in 2026.
The good news is that it will probably have a short run, at least for its freshman season, because it’s a midseason replacement.
Yellowstone Has Been a Massive Success
The network had much success when it aired Yellowstone encores, so it was only a matter of time before a broadcast-exclusive series materialized.
All the ingredients are there to make Y: Marshals a success.
But if it sidelines Kayce’s emotional core—his family—for the sake of drama, it’ll miss what made his story resonate in the first place.
This isn’t just a spinoff; it’s a chance to evolve these characters and let them grow into something new, together.
Okay, Yellowstone Fanatics! What is your take on the spinoff?
Let’s keep the conversation going — it’s the only way the good stuff survives.
Say something in the comments, share if you’re moved to, and keep reading. Independent voices need readers like you.
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