Yellowstone Is Officially Replacing The Duttons

Published Sep 25, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT Sean is a senior writer for ScreenRant and has been writing about new TV releases since December 2023. He has received multiple advance screenings of popular shows and ideated his own coverage read by hundreds of thousands of readers. Sean is a self-published author of a Western novel. Sean has also written award-winning opinion pieces related to local politics while getting his Bachelor's degree in journalism. It's official, Paramount and Taylor Sheridan are replacing the Dutton family in Yellowstone. The Dutton family tree has been the bedrock of Yellowstone since the franchise began in 2019. In both the original shows and the Yellowstone prequel series 1883 and 1923, the Duttons, their family drama, and their fight to protect their massive Montana ranch have been the main reasons viewers tune in. While Yellowstone ended with season 5 in 2024, the show has continued on in two new spinoffs: Marshals, following Kayce, and Dutton Ranch, following Beth and Rip. Of those two shows, Dutton Ranch serves as the "true" sequel to Yellowstone. Even though it takes place in Texas instead of Montana, Dutton Ranch has the same structure as Yellowstone and the same focus on ranching and family conflicts. Conversely, Marshals distanced itself from the original series by switching to an episodic, police procedural format. Dutton Ranch, as the name implies, still follows the Duttons in the form of Beth, Rip, and their adoptive son, Carter. The first season is largely about Beth and Rip losing their Montana ranch and restarting in Rio Paloma, Texas in the aftermath of Yellowstone's ending. While Dutton Ranch certainly started out as a show about the Dutton clan, it's not going to stay that way for long, as Dutton Ranch season 2 already has a new protagonist in mind. Dutton Ranch Is Replacing Beth & Rip As The Show's Protagonists Dutton Ranch season 2 is preparing to replace Beth and Rip as the show's main characters. Kelly Reilly recently said that Dutton Ranch season 2 would be Ed Harris' show. Harris, who plays veterinarian Everett McKinney, had a smaller supporting role in season 1. Reilly and Cole Hauser, however, teased that Everett would be taking on a much bigger role in Dutton Ranch season 2 and stressed that the series isn't "the Beth and Rip show." Cole Hauser: "[Ed Harris is] such an amazing American actor that I think was used very sparingly this year. We’re going to make sure that he is a big part of helping us move forward in whatever capacity." Kelly Reilly: "I think Season 2 is going to feel very much more like Ed's show. This is not the Beth and Rip show. This is Dutton Ranch, and there are four lead characters, five. Annette Bening and Ed Harris, it’s such a privilege to have them come join our show." Based on Reilly and Hauser's comments, it seems Dutton Ranch season 2 will be the first time a Yellowstone show has featured main characters who aren't part of the Dutton family. Other Yellowstone shows have had non-Duttons in leading roles before, such as Sam Elliott's Shea Brennan in 1883. The focus, however, has always been on the Duttons and the history of their ranch, while characters like Shea have been responsible for concurrent side plots. Dutton Ranch's status as the main Yellowstone sequel also makes this shift in main characters even more important. Everett will probably continue to aid Beth and Rip in season 2, but he also has his own story to explore. His relationship with Beulah Jackson, for instance, should be a major focus that could steal attention away from the Dutton family. For the first time, a Yellowstone show won't primarily be about the Duttons. Dutton Ranch May Be Taking A Big Risk By Not Having Duttons As The Main Characters Choosing to switch the focus of Dutton Ranch season 2 away from Beth and Rip and onto Everett seems like a huge gamble. While Reilly was right to point out that Dutton Ranch isn't "the Beth and Rip show," they are the main draw to this series. They're fan-favorite characters from Yellowstone, and if they're not the focus of the series anymore, a lot of viewers may decide not to watch Dutton Ranch anymore. At this point in Yellowstone's tenure as a franchise, as well, Taylor Sheridan has asked viewers to get rather invested in the Duttons. Hardcore fans have watched 10 seasons of television split across four distinct shows and seven years by this point. We've seen the Dutton family's origins, their highest highs, lowest lows, deaths, love stories, and more. The Duttons have built up a lot of goodwill, and as great of an actor as Ed Harris is, Everett McKinney doesn't inspire nearly as much loyalty as Beth and Rip do. Every gamble has a possible upside, though. If Dutton Ranch can pull off this switch in main characters well enough, it could end up being a massive advantage. One of the best parts of Yellowstone was its massive cast filled with interesting characters. Kayce, Beth, Rip, Jamie, and even the ranch hands were just as much "main characters" as John Dutton III was. That litany of protagonists made Yellowstone into an epic, sprawling saga. By focusing on characters other than just Beth and Rip, Dutton Ranch could start mimicking Yellowstone's more epic qualities. Dutton Ranch season 2 may not feel like just Beth and Rip's story anymore, and it may start to find an identity of its own as a result of making Everett a more fleshed out character. Of course, that comes with the risks listed above, so Dutton Ranch season 2 will have to tread very carefully in passing the torch from one main character to the next. Release Date May 15, 2026 Network Paramount Network, Paramount+ Showrunner Chad Feehan Directors Christina Alexandra Voros Writers Jacob Forman, Hilary Bettis, Chad Feehan, Hayley Tibbenham, J. Todd Scott, K.C. Scott Creator(s) Chad Feehan