Share and Follow
Get ready, “Yellowstone” fans; the highly anticipated spinoff has finally arrived.
Making its debut on Sunday, March 1 on CBS at 8 p.m. and available on Paramount+, “Marshals” introduces us to Kayce Dutton, played by Luke Grimes. In this new chapter, Kayce takes on a fresh challenge by joining a team of U.S. Marshals led by his old friend Pete Calvin, portrayed by Logan Marshall-Green. The series blends Kayce’s rugged cowboy skills with his military background, creating an intriguing new dynamic.
The big question on everyone’s mind is how “Marshals” stacks up against its predecessor, “Yellowstone.” While it doesn’t quite capture the full essence of the original, it certainly brings enough to the table to satisfy fans eager for more Dutton family drama.
For those who need a quick reminder, “Yellowstone” was a runaway success crafted by Taylor Sheridan. Airing from 2018 to 2024 on Paramount, the series was akin to a cowboy version of “Succession,” centering on family patriarch John Dutton, played by Kevin Costner, and his adult children: Kayce, Beth (Kelly Reilly), and Jamie (Wes Bentley). As Pete states in “Marshals,” the Duttons were essentially the Rockefellers of Montana.
Following the dramatic events that concluded “Yellowstone,” only Beth and her husband, Rip (Cole Hauser), remain as Kayce’s surviving family members. Excitingly, they’re also set to star in their own spinoff, with details still under wraps for now.
Now, Kayce is moving on.
If “Yellowstone” was cowboy “Succession,” this new show is cowboy “SEAL Team” (which makes sense, since “Marshals” is produced by Sheridan but created by Spencer Hudnut, an alum of that show).
The main problem plaguing “Marshals” is that it exists because “Yellowstone” was a hit, not because Kayce is a riveting character. He was always the most boring member of the Dutton family. Audiences tuned in to “Yellowstone” to watch Costner be a gruff cowboy, Beth do outrageous antics, and Jamie scheme. Kayce was always just…there.
Astutely, “Marshals” seems aware of this. Kayce lacks the charisma to carry his own show, but “Marshals” co-lead Marshall-Green has it in spades.
It also pads out the ensemble with new characters on their team, including Belle Skinner (Arielle Kebbel), Andrea Cruz (Ash Santos) and Miles Kittle (Tatanka Means).
They’re all fairly generic stock characters – the rookie, the stoic career woman – but they’ve got a glimmer of interest that could carry the story forward. They do missions like busting drug deals in remote locations, (conveniently requiring the gang to ride on horseback). It also revisits “Yellowstone’s” plot lines about corporate greed threatening the environment, and the local Native American reservation.
As for the show’s “Yellowstone” connection, it’s both a strength and a weakness.
Viewers who skipped “Yellowstone” might be lost by the frequent references to Kayce’s past and the Dutton family. If they’re willing to roll with some mild confusion, however, it’s watchable as a standalone show. On the other hand, for diehard “Yellowstone” fans, there are familiar faces such as Chief Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) and Mo (Mo Brings Plenty). But, they might be left wanting, since the obvious crossover characters are Beth and Rip, who are name-dropped, but nowhere to be seen.
“Marshals” isn’t anything deep. It’s meat and potatoes, not a Michelin star meal. There’s already been a better show about a US Marshal (FX’s “Justified” starring Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins), and it doesn’t reach those heights.
It’s a basic gritty drama that should appeal to CBS’s core audience of Gen X and boomer dads – or, audiences who enjoy shows like “S.W.A.T.” and “SEAL Team.” That’s not a criticism; it’s a legitimate category of entertainment.
If you’re not into that hybrid genre that combines elements of cop shows, military, and procedurals — with a dash of cowboy action — it probably won’t have much to offer. But, if you enjoy it, “Marshals” delivers that.
It’s not high art, and it’s not trying to be. It’s a solid sequel series that captures the tone of “Yellowstone,” while also doing something different. On that level, it succeeds. That’s what a spinoff show should be.