Marshals Season 2 Is Focusing On The Wrong Yellowstone Legacy

Published Oct 13, 2026, 5:01 PM EDT Cher Thompson is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, where she covers everything from explosive reality TV moments to cast interviews about the twists and turns of scripted dramas. With a background in creative writing, marketing, and teaching, Cher knows how to spot both the storytelling genius and the guilty pleasures in pop culture. Her work blends wit with insight, making readers feel like they’re chatting with a friend who just happens to know way too much about TV. While Marshals is always going to have Yellowstone looming over it from a spinoff perspective, the new series is focusing on the wrong legacy as it moves forward in its second season. Throughout Marshals season 1, the Yellowstone spinoff worked to ensure that it was operating as a series of its own, but did what it could to pull in viewers of the original with ties to the Dutton's overall. While Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) is the focal point of the series, Marshals has a larger ensemble cast, this one primarily composed of characters who aren't related to him by blood. With there being so few Dutton family members shaping Marshals as a series, the way the show has chosen to pull Yellowstone into its stories can be on the nose, at times. Throughout the first two episodes of Marshals season 2, the series has been heavy-handed surrounding its use of the larger Yellowstone legacy, making it clear that Kayce is still a part of the larger Dutton family despite them not being present in his new life. Though there's some merit to constantly referencing the Dutton family, the way Marshals has gone about it feels far too over the top. Despite there being a fair amount of time spent referencing Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille) throughout Marshals season 1, the series moving int a post-Monica world and still feeling the presence of a Yellowstone character hanging over the series has been tricky. Unfortunately, Yellowstone's legacy may not be the best for Marshals to uphold. Marshals Is Focusing On The Dutton Legacy Rather Than Building A New Branch CBS As a series that will always be somewhat wrapped up in its parent show, Marshals functioning as a Yellowstone spinoff is the best thing it can do for viewers, but it appears to be refusing to forge its own path at the same time. While there should always be echoes of Yellowstone in Marshals, the CBS spinoff series needs to be able to stand on its own, and bringing Yellowstone's legacy into every decision it makes isn't the best way to find independence. Throughout Marshals season 2's first episodes, the over-wrought use of the Dutton legacy has proven too much. Between Tate (Brecken Merrill) feeling like he was spending time with his late grandfather prior to being kidnapped by Tom Weaver and Kayce talking extensively about fatherhood, legacy, and the Dutton way, the Yellowstone influence on Marshals has been heavy-handed. While gently reminding viewers that Marshals stemmed from Yellowstone isn't an issue, there's a big difference between the gentle touch and the way Marshals is operating. With entire scenes dedicated to the Dutton men waxing poetic about their family, both in good ways and bad, Marshals has chosen to go all-in on its Yellowstone connection, and it's for the worse. Kayce & Tate Need Something From Marshals Outside Of Their Family Name CBS Although the fact that they are Dutton men matters, Kayce and Tate need something else to focus on as they move forward in Marshals season 2. Despite the fact that their family name makes them bigger targets in the world, the reality of the situation is that Kayce and Tate don't have much of a different path than any of the other characters on Marshals. Moving past their baggage about being part of the Dutton family needs to be a piece of their story as the series moves on, or their characters are going to be swallowed whole moving forward. While it's clear that the Dutton name will continue to be an issue as Marshals proceeds, Kayce's work with the rest of the team is what's more important for his character as the series pushes ahead. As for Tate, his life is changing as he grows older, and as he ventures into adulthood, there are far more interesting things Marshals could be focused on for him than the way he feels about his family's past. As Marshals season 2 continues to carve out its independent identity, the Dutton family needs to put less importance on where they've come from than where they're headed. Release Date 2026 - 2026-00-00 Network CBS Showrunner Spencer Hudnut Directors Christopher Chulack, Greg Yaitanes Writers Spencer Hudnut, Tom Mularz, Dana Greenblatt Creator(s) Spencer Hudnut