‘Yellowstone’ Spinoff ‘Marshals’ Gets Good News After Record-Breaking Premiere

Negative reviews from critics and Yellowstone fans have not stopped Marshals from remaining a major hit on Paramount+. The spinoff sequel follows Luke Grimes’ Kayce Dutton after the events of Taylor Sheridan’s acclaimed neo-Western series.

According to FlixPatrol, Marshals is the No. 2 show worldwide on Paramount+, behind the animated powerhouse South Park. The two shows have been locked in a heated battle for Paramount+ supremacy, with South Park reclaiming the No. 1 spot today after Marshals ended the month in the top spot.

In the United States, Marshals is ranked No. 4, down three spots from yesterday. However, since new episodes drop on Sundays, it makes sense that the show would see a brief rise on the Top 10 chart on Monday and Tuesday, as subscribers catch up on the spinoff.

Marshals Expands the Yellowstone Universe

Marshals was created by Spencer Hudnut, who also serves as the showrunner. The new spinoff follows Kayce as he joins an elite unit of U.S. Marshals. Logan Marshall-Green, Arielle Kebbel, Ash Santos, and Tatanka Means co-star as U.S. Marshals Pete, Belle, Andrea, and Miles, while Gil Birmingham, Brecken Merrill, and Moses Brings Plenty reprise their Yellowstone roles as Thomas Rainwater, Tate Dutton, and Mo, respectively.

Despite premiering with record-breaking viewership on CBS, Marshals hasn’t been an all-around hit, as critics and Yellowstone fans have been split over the direction the show has taken Kayce Dutton. The premiere episode wrote out Kayce Dutton’s wife, Monica, in a shocking way that has stirred up a bit of controversy within the fandom. Critics also believe Marshals is erasing the perfect ending Kayce received in the Yellowstone finale. It makes sense that Marshals, unlike past Yellowstone spinoffs 1883 and 1923, would experience some growing pains, as it’s the first franchise entry to air its first-run episodes on a major network instead of a streaming service or cable channel. It is also the first to shake up its format. Marshals feels closer in tone to procedural dramas like NCIS than the gripping neo-Western stakes shown in Yellowstone, so it will take some adjusting before fans settle into these changes.

Luckily, time is on Marshals‘ side, as CBS has already renewed the show for a second season. The spinoff received one of the quickest renewals ever from the Eye Network, with the Season 2 order coming just 12 days after its series premiere. “Marshals delivered a breakout performance, capturing a massive audience across platforms and quickly establishing itself as one of TV’s most powerful new series. The overwhelming viewer response speaks to the strength of the Yellowstone world, the bold character driven storytelling from the creative team and the dynamic cast performances led by Luke Grimes,” said CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach.

More Yellowstone Is on the Way This Year

Image via Paramount

The first season of Marshals will consist of 13 episodes, with the season finale set to air on CBS on May 24. This means that Yellowstone fans will experience a double-dipping of franchise stories, as The Dutton Ranch is slated to premiere on Paramount+ on May 15. Its first season, which will comprise nine episodes, will run through July 3.

The Dutton Ranch focuses on Kayce’s sister, Beth Dutton, and her husband, Rip Wheeler, played by Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser, respectively. The spinoff follows the couple as they “gamble everything on a new life in South Texas, but the promise of building a future far from the ghosts of Yellowstone quickly collides with brutal new realities and a rival ranch that will stop at nothing to protect its empire,” per the logline.

A new episode of Marshals airs every Sunday on CBS until May 24.