Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Marshals Episode 1.The first of the post-Yellowstone sequels is finally upon us as Marshals premiered on CBS. Following Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) in his new chapter as a Montana-based lawman, the neo-Western-flavored procedural offers no shortage of connections back to the original Dutton drama. Although Taylor Sheridan is far less involved this time around, the fallout from the original series appears to be making its way to the new sequel spin-off, which doesn’t exactly come as a surprise. However, Marshals‘ recent post-Yellowstone revelations may not just affect the CBS drama, but also the upcoming Dutton Ranch project as well.
‘Marshals’ Reveals the Public’s Perception of the Dutton Family Post-‘Yellowstone’
In the series premiere of Marshals, 15 months have passed since Yellowstone concluded — and Montana still has plenty of questions about what happened to the Dutton family. After Kayce and Beth (Kelly Reilly) sold the majority of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch to the Broken Rock Indian Reservation — mostly to avoid losing it to the combined efforts of the state government and Market Equities — the Duttons went radio silent. According to U.S. Marshal Belle Skinner (Arielle Kebbel), the assassination of Governor John Dutton (Kevin Costner) is still considered “unsolved” by the public, which may come as a bit of a surprise to viewers who remember that Market Equities stooge Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) very clearly ordered the hit. Additionally, Belle adds that Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley), the state’s former Attorney General, is still presumed missing — though we know that Rip (Cole Hauser) and Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith) disposed of his body at the Train Station after Beth killed him. This adds plenty of scrutiny to the Dutton name, and with Kayce joining the U.S. Marshals, this will no doubt put him in a compromising position.
With this confirmation, it appears thatthe next leg of the greater Yellowstone saga, namely through the Marshals spin-off and the upcoming Dutton Ranch continuation, has its next big obstacle to deal with. Frankly, it would be a disservice to the greater franchise narrative if these controversies weren’t further addressed. On one hand, now that Kayce is about to become a lawman in earnest (without the supervision of his father’s guiding and influential hand), he will be under oath to uphold the law — which could include disclosing the truth about his father’s death and brother’s disappearance in a court of law if challenged. On the other hand, the Dutton Ranch spin-off following Beth and Rip will likely have to deal with the consequences of Beth’s actions in the Yellowstone series finale, especially if it’s found out that any of her DNA is on his body (provided it’s discovered). If that happens it could open a can of worms that spills into Kayce’s work on Marshals, though it could be an interesting way to tie both projects together without having to rely on an actual crossover.
Right now, we don’t know how these investigations — if John’s death and Jamie’s disappearance are even still being investigated — will factor into Marshals or Dutton Ranch. It could be that, being the first Yellowstone sequel series, Marshals simply feels the need to address the series finale to ensure a shared continuity. It’s possible that the show doesn’t plan to delve into this much at all, but is instead teasing the information to pacify fans of the original neo-Western. However this ends up playing out or factoring into the future of the franchise, we know that this mystery will loom over Kayce and Beth’s heads as they attempt to move on with their lives. No doubt, the echoes of Yellowstone will continue to live on through them.
Could ‘Marshals’ Explore the Legal Ramifications of the End of ‘Yellowstone’?
Of course, we hope that Marshals dives further into John’s death or Jamie’s disappearance over time. While the latter is certain to be more connected to Dutton Ranch, as Beth was the one who killed their brother and her husband was the one who hid the body, the former could easily find its way back into the limelight on Marshals. After all, Kayce was the primary force behind uncovering their father’s murder, and he’s the one who faced down the assassin responsible: Grant Horton (Matt Gerald). Indeed, Kayce even traveled down to Texas to threaten the killer’s family, hoping to ensure that the Duttons are never attacked again by the contract killer. But if the CBS drama wanted to really lean into the Yellowstone continuity and further explore how John’s death affects Montana, it could reintroduce the man who aimed to hold the Duttons responsible for their years of crimes: Rob Kirkland‘s Bill Ramsey.
Although it may be more fitting to bring the Bozeman-based sheriff back on Dutton Ranch, considering his rivalry with Rip, Ramsey vowed back in Yellowstone Season 5 that he would bring the Duttons to justice, no longer willing to tolerate their bending of the law. As Kayce aims to join the U.S. Marshals, hoping to atone for his past and forge a new path, Ramsey may just be the perfect foil to challenge him and bring Marshal Harry Gifford’s (Brett Cullen) already clear reservations to the forefront. As Kevin Costner once said about the way he believed Yellowstone should end, the Duttons should probably all be in prison. No doubt, Kayce’s career change is paving the way for a genuine redemption arc for the character (one that the flagship series often failed to pay off), but that doesn’t mean that the truth about John’s demise shouldn’t come to light, nor that someone shouldn’t have to pay for what happened to Jamie (even if he was the worst).
Marshals airs Sundays on CBS and is available for streaming the next day on Paramount+.
