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To say expectations were high for Marshals, the first Yellowstone spin-off to launch with the aim of continuing the current-day Dutton Family storyline, would be an understatement. The show launched earlier this week, and almost 10 million viewers tuned in to see what was in store for Luke Grimes’ Kayce Dutton—a massive viewership for a new series.
Unfortunately, the reviews haven’t been particularly kind to Marshals, with critics and audiences alike noting a distinct shift in tone and style—ditching the long, character-driven story arcs that defined the success of Yellowstone, Landman, and creator Taylor Sheridan’s prior series for something more procedural. There’s a reason for that, of course: Sheridan’s only involvement in Marshals beyond being the creator of the broader universe is as an executive producer, and he hasn’t had much involvement in the writing or execution of Marshals. That may explain the change in style, but it doesn’t mean Yellowstone’s audience is going to like it.
The series has kicked off with a 6.5 rating on IMDb, a 46 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes’ critic-led Tomatometer, and a 41 per cent on the audience-led Popcornmeter. So, what are people saying about Marshals so far? Let’s dig in and find out.
What are the Critics Saying about Marshals?
On the whole, the critical response to Marshals has been pretty divided. Between the shift in storytelling style to a general distaste for the overarching path set out for Kayce Dutton in this new series—one where he’s another man treading a path of vengeance after something bad happens to his wife—critics largely came away from the series’ first episode pretty bored.
Esquire’s Josh Rosenberg said the fact Sheridan hasn’t been involved in Marshals beyond giving it the go ahead is clear: the show moves away from the preceding series’ trademark grit and moves toward being another CSI-style ‘crime-of-the-week’ show.
“Kayce’s life is now a kind of TV show that you’ve seen countless times before. It doesn’t have the same artfulness behind it,” Rosenbuerg said.
Variety’s Alison Herman, meanwhile, called the series “workmanlike” in its approach, with “cookie-cutter” character motivations and archetypes, and lacks the gravitas of Sheridan’s prior efforts.
“Marshals lacks the campy panache of a true Sheridan project; this isn’t Landman,” Herman said. “These Marshals are here to get the job done with minimal fuss, and so is their namesake show.”
The Hollywood Reporter’s Angie Han added that the series wasn’t quite the fresh start CBS was likely hoping for, and that by robbing the show of its emotional core, Marshals might have alienated both returning and new audiences.
“If you’ve managed to avoid caring about the Duttons up to this point, Marshals offers no persuasive reason to start now,” Han said.
It’s worth adding here that not every critic disliked what they’ve seen so far. Screen Rant’s Ana Dumaraog said that while the new procedural direction was a risk, it has the potential for a big payoff if done right. Similarly, Decider’s Johnny Loftus said the show fits well within CBS’ wheelhouse, and that Luke Grimes is “up to the challenge” of leading a Yellowstone spin-off.
What About the Audience Opinion?
Audience reactions are similarly polarised, with some fan reviews on Rotten Tomatoes calling the show “amazing”, while others call it a “disappointment”. If Rotten Tomatoes’ 41 per cent Popcornmeter is anything to go by, the negatives are outweighing the positivity so far though.
“Those wanting a mirror image of Yellowstone will be disappointed but I for one loved it,” wrote one review on Rotten Tomatoes. “It’s exactly what it needs to be!”
Another viewer called the show “Yellowstone CSI/Seals” and “a show catering to people who buy Yellowstone merchandise to look like a Dutton and it’s a train wreck”.
Opinions were just as divided over on Reddit, with commenters calling Marshals ‘disappointing’, ‘formula fiction’ and ‘NCIS: Missoula’, while others came to the show’s defence.
“I’ll watch, but I won’t feel good about it,” said one viewer.
Another said they had hoped the show would be better, but that it was about the quality they expected from network tv. “I felt like I was watching a crime drama (insert name here). I probably won’t watch it again.”
“Unpopular opinion here, but I thought the pilot was pretty good,” wrote another. “The complaints here feel like they were written before the show even aired.”
Why Isn’t Taylor Sheridan Involved in ‘Yellowstone’ Anymore?
At this point, you may be wondering why Taylor Sheridan isn’t as involved in the day-to-day operations of these spin-offs, especially since he created the Yellowstone franchise and is still part of the creative process. The truth is that Paramount (which owns CBS) has the rights to anything Yellowstone, and Sheridan signed a massive US$1 billion deal with NBC Universal that’ll kick off once his contract with Paramount ends.
Under this new deal, Sheridan will begin cooking up feature films for NBC Universal as soon as this year, and he’s already on the hook for around 20 new shows set to stream exclusively on NBC’s Peacock service.
In order to keep the Yellowstone money coming in, though, Paramount is keen to keep expanding the series beyond Sheridan’s involvement. His TV contact finishes up in 2028, giving the network a few years of runway to kick off a post-Sheridan Yellowstone universe—with his help, of course. His other shows, such as Tulsa King and Mayor of Kingstown, have been continuing on without him past the initial work to get the series’ off the ground, and Landman looks to be next after a successful first two seasons.
This means that while Sheridan is still hands-on across a few of his Paramount-based projects, he’ll eventually leave for greener pastures and his previous series’ will either continue on without him, or wither on the vine. Fans of his work will have plenty of new shows and movies to look forward to either way.
What Does This Mean for Future ‘Yellowstone’ Spin-offs?
Sheridan’s increasing (lack of) involvement, as well as Marshals rocky start, have raised the eye of anyone looking forward to CBS’ upcoming slate of Yellowstone spin-offs. It’s a bit soon to call a time of death on the show just yet (only one episode has aired so far, though critics were able to watch the first three ahead of launch), the divided response to Marshals has some fans—and likely Paramount—a bit spooked.
Dutton Ranch, a second sequel spin-off following Kayce’s sister Beth efforts to kick start a new Dutton-led ranch, is set to launch sometime this year: and while it looks like it’ll be more aligned with the original Yellowstone formula, it’s also being helmed by a new batch of creators in an effort to divorce the series from Sheridan.
Another prequel series, 1944, is also in the works—likely set after the 1923 series, though details are fairly scarce on what that actually means—while another known as 6666 has been put on indefinite hiatus after Sheridan purchased the real-life Four Sixes ranch where the show was to be set. “I’ve told to be patient,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
While it’s very likely we’re going to see a few more Yellowstone spin-offs in the next few years, Marshals has so far proven that there’s more to the series success than just a name.
How to watch Marshals
Marshals: A Yellowstone Story is available to stream in Australia on Paramount+. The series premiered on March 2, 2026, with new episodes releasing weekly on Mondays at 1:00 p.m. AEST (or 2:00 p.m. AEDT).
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