Yellowstone Is Officially Changing Genres With Spinoff's Season 2 Return

Published Oct 2, 2026, 5:08 PM EDT Exclusive: Marshals returns for season 2 this month, and there will be a genre change. Only one season has aired on CBS, but up until now, Marshals has been aligned with the other shows in the Yellowstone franchise as a neo-Western. Season 1 ended in May, with Kayce Dutton's cabin at the center of a shootout started by mercenaries. Cal and Belle Turek-Skinner were also on the receiving end of an attack. It turned out that Tom Weaver was behind the massive chaos, and after that shocking finale, Marshals returns for season 2 on October 4. In an interview with ScreenRant's Grant Hermanns, creator and showrunner Spencer Hudnut teased a major change for the Western. When viewers last saw him, Rainwater headed to Kayce's East Camp after his vehicle was ambushed on the way to the airport. As the shootout unfolded, Tate ended up saving Rainwater from being killed. That could have been his last day on Earth, but the danger has now passed. Hudnut explained that at the start of Marshals season 2, the Broken Rock high chief will finally make his way to Washington, D.C., which was his intended destination before everything went sideways in the finale. At the U.S. capital, he plans to "try to put a stop to this mine that is really the threat to his community," as Marshals becomes like a legal drama. That will be Rainwater's main focus this season. However, Hudnut warned that the character is not "lacking adversaries or challenge," so he will find himself roped into "some new trouble" as well. Spencer Hudnut: Fortunately, because of the Marshals and Kayce in particular, I think the danger passed for [Rainwater] at the end of season 1 when East Camp came under attack, and the Marshals and Kayce, and even Tate, came to the defense of Rainwater. So his real battle at the top of season 2 is he's going to Washington to try to put a stop to this mine that is really the threat to his community. That is the battle that we find him fighting at the top of the season. But Rainwater is not a man who's lacking adversaries or challenges, and so we will find some new trouble to get him into season 2, for sure." Yellowstone alum Luke Grimes stars in Marshals as Kayce, with Gil Birmingham playing Rainwater. Their fellow cast members are Logan Marshall-Green, Arielle Kebbel, Ash Santos, Tatanka Means, Brecken Merrill, Mo Brings Plenty, Brett Cullen, Morgan Lindholm, Ellyn Jameson and Riley Green. Yellowstone's Jefferson White will stop by during season 2, and Marque Richardson has been cast as an assistant U.S. attorney. Despite mixed reviews, Marshals season 1 saw strong viewership this year and quickly earned a renewal from CBS just days after its premiere. The series is one of the newest installments in the Yellowstone franchise, along with Dutton Ranch, which has also been renewed for season 2. 1883 and 1923 take place in the same universe, but they ended in 2022 and 2025, respectively. Now Marshals is on the verge of returning to the air. Aside from Rainwater's legal drama, the new season will also see Kayce on a very different journey as he does whatever he can to save Tate from Weaver's deception. Marshals season 2 premieres Sunday, October 4 at 8:30 p.m. EDT on CBS. Release Date 2026 - 2026-00-00 Network CBS Showrunner Spencer Hudnut Kayce Dutton transitions from life on the Yellowstone Ranch to joining an elite unit of U.S. Marshals in Montana. Merging his cowboy heritage and Navy SEAL expertise, he tackles the challenges of balancing family, duty, and the psychological toll of combating regional violence. Directors Christopher Chulack, Greg Yaitanes Writers Spencer Hudnut, Tom Mularz, Dana Greenblatt Main Genre Western Creator(s) Spencer Hudnut Executive Producer(s) Art Linson, Bob Yari, David Glasser, David Hutkin, Greg Yaitanes, John Linson, Luke Grimes, Michael Friedman, Ron Burkle, Spencer Hudnut, Taylor Sheridan Producers Sandra Nebel Seasons 2