Taylor Sheridan's Action Spy Series Is One Of The Biggest Shows In The World

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Taylor Sheridan as Cody, behind a sniper, in Lioness season 2, episode 8

Published Aug 3, 2026, 5:38 PM EDT

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Taylor Sheridan's spy thriller has roared back to the top, ranking among the biggest shows in the world.

Having built a modern television empire, Sheridan co-created the hit Western series Yellowstone (2018–2024) and created its acclaimed prequels 1883 (2021–2022) and 1923 (2022–2025). He has since expanded his Paramount+ lineup with ongoing shows such as the crime thriller Mayor of Kingstown (2021–), crime drama Tulsa King (2022–), and oil drama Landman (2024). Now, his action-packed spy series has returned with a new season and has become a global sensation.

The Sheridan-verse · Ranch Assessment Taylor Sheridan
Trivia Challenge

🏠 Yellowstone Protect the ranch

🐴 1883 The Oregon Trail

🌾 1923 Drought & dust

🔒 Kingstown Prison politics

🎼 Tulsa King Made man, new town

SADDLE UP →

The Dutton family has controlled the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States for over a century. In which state is the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch located?

A Wyoming B Montana C Idaho D Colorado

✓ Correct! The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch sits near the border of Yellowstone National Park in Montana. The show is filmed primarily in Montana, with the real-life Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby serving as the Dutton homestead.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Montana. The Dutton Ranch borders Yellowstone National Park in Big Sky Country. While the rugged landscape could pass for Wyoming or Idaho, the show is set — and largely filmed — in Montana.

John Dutton is the iron-willed patriarch who will stop at nothing to protect his family’s land. Which Oscar-winning actor portrayed him for the first four seasons of Yellowstone?

A Sam Elliott B Josh Brolin C Kevin Costner D Kurt Russell

✓ Correct! Kevin Costner brought gravitas and quiet intensity to John Dutton, anchoring Yellowstone as one of the most-watched shows on cable television. His departure ahead of Season 5B became one of the biggest stories in TV.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Kevin Costner. While Sam Elliott did appear in 1883, Josh Brolin has his own Sheridan series (Outer Range isn’t Sheridan’s), and Kurt Russell hasn’t joined the Sheridan-verse. Costner defined John Dutton.

In the prequel series 1883, a Civil War veteran leads his family on a brutal wagon-train journey from Texas to Montana to find a new home. What is the name of this original Dutton patriarch?

A James Dutton B Jacob Dutton C John Dutton Sr. D Emmett Dutton

✓ Correct! James Dutton, played by Tim McGraw, is the Civil War veteran who leads his wife Margaret and their children on the perilous journey west. His daughter Elsa narrates the series, and the family’s arrival in Montana establishes the Yellowstone Ranch.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is James Dutton. Jacob Dutton is the character Harrison Ford plays in 1923 — James’s brother. John Dutton Sr. doesn’t appear until later generations, and Emmett Dutton doesn’t exist in the Sheridan-verse.

On the Dutton Ranch, certain cowboys receive a permanent mark of loyalty — a hot-iron brand seared into their skin that signifies a blood oath to the ranch. What symbol is this feared brand?

A A “D” inside a circle B A horseshoe C A skull and crossbones D The letter “Y”

✓ Correct! The branded “Y” is the Yellowstone Ranch’s livestock mark, but for ranch hands, wearing it on their chest means a lifelong oath of silence and loyalty. “Taking someone to the train station” is what happens to those who betray it.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is the letter “Y” — for Yellowstone. The brand is both a ranch identifier and a mark of absolute loyalty. Characters like Rip, Kayce, and Jimmy all bear the “Y” brand, signifying they’ve sworn their lives to the ranch.

In 1923, the Dutton family battles drought, Prohibition, and encroaching modernity during the Great Depression era. Which legendary Hollywood actor plays patriarch Jacob Dutton?

A Robert Redford B Harrison Ford C Clint Eastwood D Tommy Lee Jones

✓ Correct! Harrison Ford stars as Jacob Dutton alongside Helen Mirren as his wife Cara. Ford’s casting marked his first major television role and brought massive star power to the expanding Sheridan-verse. The series is set during Prohibition and the early Depression.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Harrison Ford. In his first major TV role, Ford plays Jacob Dutton, brother of James Dutton from 1883. Helen Mirren stars opposite him as Cara Dutton. Their star power helped make 1923 Paramount+’s biggest premiere.

Beth Dutton’s volatile love story with a tough ranch foreman is one of Yellowstone’s most beloved storylines. The two eventually marry in a surprise ceremony. Who is Beth’s husband?

A Lloyd Pierce B Walker C Rip Wheeler D Jimmy Hurdstrom

✓ Correct! Rip Wheeler, played by Cole Hauser, is John Dutton’s most loyal enforcer and Beth’s husband. Taken in by John as a teenager after a traumatic past, Rip would do anything for the Dutton family — and his fierce devotion to Beth became a fan-favorite romance.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Rip Wheeler. Lloyd Pierce is the bunkhouse elder, Walker is a ranch hand and musician, and Jimmy Hurdstrom is the hapless cowboy who eventually gets sent to the 6666 Ranch in Texas. Only Rip won Beth’s wild heart.

In Mayor of Kingstown, a family serves as power brokers in a Michigan town where the prison industry is the only business. Which family navigates this dark world of incarceration and corruption?

A The McLusky family B The Reilly family C The Kingsley family D The Dutton family

✓ Correct! The McLusky family, led by Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner), acts as unofficial mediators between prisoners, gangs, police, and politicians in Kingstown, Michigan. The show is one of Sheridan’s grittiest explorations of the American justice system.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is the McLusky family. Jeremy Renner stars as Mike McLusky, who inherits the role of “mayor” — an unofficial power broker between inmates, gangs, and law enforcement. The Duttons are Yellowstone’s dynasty, not Kingstown’s.

One Dutton sibling is an adopted son and ambitious lawyer who frequently clashes with his family — sometimes even conspiring against them. His complex loyalty drives much of the show’s drama. Who is he?

A Kayce Dutton B Lee Dutton C Tate Dutton D Jamie Dutton

✓ Correct! Jamie Dutton, played by Wes Bentley, is the adopted son and Harvard-educated lawyer whose desperate need for his father’s approval and political ambition create some of Yellowstone’s most dramatic betrayals. His rivalry with Beth is legendary.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Jamie Dutton. Kayce is John’s biological youngest son (a former Navy SEAL), Lee is the eldest son who dies in Season 1, and Tate is Kayce’s young son. Only Jamie is the adopted lawyer who conspires against the family.

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Are you a ranch foreman — or headed straight to the train station?

↻ RIDE AGAIN

Shortly after its season 3 premiere, Lioness is back to being one of the biggest shows in the world. Created by Taylor Sheridan – who also serves as showrunner, writer, and executive producer – the Paramount+ spy thriller follows a CIA operative who leads a team of elite female operatives, known as Lionesses, who go undercover in the war on terror.

Now, following its season 3 premiere on August 2, Lioness is No. 1 on the Top 10 TV shows on Paramount+ in the world for today, August 3. It ranks above South Park in second place, Yellowstone, SEAL Team, Criminal Minds, The Legend of Korra, Dutton Ranch, Tulsa King, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and The Agency at No. 10.

Today, Lioness is the No. 1 show on Paramount+ in a total of 23 countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Salvador, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

The star-studded Lioness cast includes Zoe Saldaña in the lead role alongside Laysla De Oliveira, Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, James Jordan, Austin Hébert, Jonah Wharton, Stephanie Nur, Hannah Love Lanier, Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman, Thad Luckinbill, Michael Kelly, Genesis Rodriguez, and Ian Bohen.

Boasting an 82% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics, ScreenRant's Lioness season 3 review by Cher Thompson reads, "Taylor Sheridan's political thriller shifts gears for an intense mystery... Lioness, Taylor Sheridan's political crime thriller, heads into its third season with a massive twist that allows the show to excitingly shift gears."

Lioness season 3 airs new episodes on Paramount+ on Sundays at 3 a.m. ET.