Marshals Review: Kayce Leaves The Duttons In The Past In Yellowstone's First Procedural

2 weeks ago 10

Published Feb 22, 2026, 12:00 PM EST

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The Yellowstone franchise is back with Marshals, as Kayce toes the line between preserving the Duttons' legacy and starting a new beginning. A little over a year since Yellowstone ended, Taylor Sheridan's neo-Western universe is back in modern times with its very first sequel spinoff. Marking the return of Luke Grimes as John Dutton III's youngest child, Kayce is tasked to open this new era of Yellowstone storytelling on network TV.

Created by Spencer Hednut, Marshals takes place in the same setting as the flagship. Unlike Beth and Rip, who left their former family ranch to relocate to a smaller one 40 miles outside of Dillon, Montana, Kayce still lives in East Camp — the same settlement he shared with Monica and Tate towards the end of Yellowstone's run. This allows Marshals to bring back other familiar faces such as Thomas Rainwater and Mo.

Since Marshals is a new beginning for Kayce, it also features fresh characters, particularly his new team. Logan Marshall-Green, Tatanka Means, Ash Santos, and Arielle Kebbel play Pete Calvin, Miles Kittle, Andrea Cruz, and Belle Skinner, rounding up the titular squad. Admittedly, this new direction for the Yellowstone franchise is a risk, but based on the first three episodes of Marshals, it has the potential for a big payoff.

Kayce Keeps The Dutton Legacy Alive On Marshals — For Better Or Worse

As the first spinoff from the universe that doesn't revolve around a whole Dutton clan, Marshals' initial hook is Kayce. While Beth and Jamie's respective arcs were centered on their relationship with John III, their youngest brother's personal story had always been an introspection of how he fit within the dichotomy between the ranch and the Broken Rock Indian Reservation. Being married to Monica and father to Tate heightened this internal conflict.

Despite significant changes to his current situation, Marshals does a good job evolving this road for Kayce. While John III is dead and the ranch is no longer a family matter, he is still haunted by the legacy of the Duttons in Montana. This is a great way to keep the clan relevant, even as the Yellowstone franchise moves away from their collective story. Marshals demonstrates that Kayce's long struggle with his identity will continue to be a part of his arc, even without the physical presence of his family or their ranch.

The first three episodes of Marshals is heavy on Yellowstone lore, unsurprisingly. It's a great way to make viewers feel familiar, as if to emphasize that this is the natural continuation of the show that, arguably, ended too soon, considering its success. This has pros and cons in terms of the spinoff's storytelling, however. Revisiting the events of the flagship, particularly its final season, allows the CBS series to answer lingering questions that it didn't have the time to address during its run. On the flip side, it undoes some of the best aspects of its ending, although mostly by necessity.

Marshals Shows Yellowstone Franchise's Potential Beyond The Duttons

While Taylor Sheridan opens this new era of Yellowstone with Kayce at the forefront, Marshals' story doesn't just revolve around him. Sure, the main focus is establishing his new normal, as it paints a clear picture of how things have been for him and Tate since the flagship wrapped up, but the spinoff also stays true to its title, which is that, this is meant to be a show about the marshals. Marshals offers an idea of what a Yellowstone show packaged as network TV's tried-and-tested police procedural format.

Impressively, Hednut is able to introduce all members of Kayce's team in a way that makes each other interesting in their own way. Hints of their backstories are dropped throughout the first three episodes of Marshals, which informs of their behavior and perspective during tense moments, or even when it comes to welcoming the youngest Dutton kid into their squad. It's a good way to endear the rest of Marshals' ensemble to viewers so as not to only put the pressure on Grimes' character to always be interesting.

If Marshals continue this character set-up for the rest of the ensemble, it can solidify the idea that the Yellowstone franchise can expand in more ways than one. The show can prove that non-Dutton characters can thrive in this setting, and it will allow CBS to continue exploring other offshoot options beyond John III's lineage. For now, Marshals is a great addition to the 2025-2026 TV cycle, and if it maintains its start, it's safe to say that it will return beyond this season.