I just finished season 1 of both Marshals and Dutton Ranch, and it really feels like they are setting up some kind of crossover. The endings almost seem too convenient to ignore.

The thing is... I'm not sure if it's a good idea.

Dutton Ranch feels like classic Yellowstone. Drama, family, violence, great character moments.

Marshals feels much more like a procedural, almost CSI/FBI style where every episode is about a case. It's not bad, but it's a very different vibe.

I think a full crossover could actually hurt Dutton Ranch if they try to turn it into a procedural.

On the other hand... I'd absolutely watch a 1 or 2 episode event where Kayce and the Marshals have to help Beth and Rip rescue Carter (or the other way around). That could be awesome without changing either show's identity.

What do you guys think?

Curious what everyone else thinks because I can't decide if this would be the best thing for the Yellowstone universe... or a huge mistake.

Ed Harris a little upset of his role as he explains in this interview - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbCxGZ9sPR1/?igsh=amZqOGJwZGxuNGUz

A very happy 49th birthday to Kelly Reilly 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊

Right? Coolest guy ever Travis? Best character.

Any chance they bring back his character? He is the reason I watch it. He is such a fascinating character in the show. I always felt Beth was extremely hard on him, for one mistake and he did seem to care about others in a way I felt he cared for Beth…I know he’s dead but hey anything possible maybe something happens.

As I watched season 1 wrap up, with all the shenanigans on the 12p ranch or whatever it’s called. I keep thinking about the name of the show. They didn’t call it “Beth and Rip” or “The Wheelers”, it’s specifically about that little poe dunk ranch. So whatever is happening at the 10J ranch is temporary, at best.

How does everyone think that plays out? What about the Dutton Ranch becomes important in season 2?

Am I the only one that hates this casting?? I think they absolutely NAILED Josh Lucas as young John and Kyle Red Silverstein as young Rip but I think they absolutely bombed Kylie Rogers as young Beth. She’s just a terrible actress and I cringe at all of her scenes it’s so forced IMO

How does Tate go from 3 to 18 in five seasons, while all the adults haven’t aged a day? Is it just me? 😂

(No spoilers yet pls lol)

The plan they are making to impeach John... I feel like something bad is going to happen, I can just feel it.

How does a man commit suicide with a lethal amount of dope in him? Why did they shoot him up between the toes? That's to OD him. So, why shoot him in the head? Lot of holes in this series

Can I still watch Yellowstone, or am I cooked

I've never watched a show where I began liking someone a lot to where after 3 seasons I can't stand the man. The BS he spews to Lloyd and the newest adoptee that doesn't deserve a name makes me sick. He was that boy and yet he doesn't think anyone deserves a chance. And instead of building him up to be a hand, he puts him down every chance he gets. And the way Beth handled him shows why she's not fit to be a parent. But the way he treats Lloyd takes the cake. There's no one on that ranch that's been there longer or proven he belongs there more than Lloyd. It's pushing people that far that gets you killed.

Which one you guys like better? I’d say Dutton Ranch but I enjoy both very much! I think long term wise Dutton Ranch can keep its spark longer then Marshals can. Interested to see what others think! (RIP and Kayce were always my favorites so I enjoy both shows very much)

How anyone would ever work for them again after what they did to Walker and Lloyd. Nothing but murdering bullies. No one is going to be loyal to bosses they can't trust. They just destroyed all the goodwill that existed on that ranch. How does injuring the men you need to produce for you make an oz of sense? At EVERY job there are people that don't like each other. If it's too much of a distraction, you fire one. That's it. I can't imagine ANY of those cowboys ever doing anything extra on that ranch ever again. And where do the replacements come from? The only new hands to join the show in 2 seasons just got fired. Who is the dumbass that let them in there in the first place? No consequences for him as usual. That one with the pink hair was better than some of them.
I loved 1883 and 1923, but the longer I watch this the more disgusted I get. And who would ever ever hire Beth to work in financials? Did she even finish high school? She has no respect for anyone at anything. The two of them deserve each other

If Taylor Sheridan handed you the reins for Jamie’s storyline and said: “Do what you want so long as Jamie remains a villain of the story.”

What would you change? Is there anything you’d do differently?

I’m sure many of us would likely change the pregnancy plotline if not just for the fact that the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare's (HEW) made some tangible consent guidelines in 1979, and the Hyde Amendment impacting the IHS’ ability to use federal funds as a federal service itself for abortions in 1976. (Mind you, the Hyde Amendment is its own can of worms, but just setting the record that the historical timeline doesn’t really suit Sheridan’s narrative)

So, here’s what I’d change and how:

1. Pregnancy Plotline

I think my approach to this would likely be that Jamie tells John about Beth being pregnant and her desire for an abortion. Whether or not the scene of Jamie still going to the clinic and being told sterilization via hysterectomy is their mandatory procedure is up-in-the-air depending on how faithful we want to be to historical accuracy. (Maybe they go, he's told the same thing by the receptionist, tells Beth they can't go to this clinic, and leave. Or perhaps he never takes her to that clinic because of historical timeline purposes). And I think Beth’s character can still remain largely the same by this change.

Assuming Jamie doesn’t know who the father is, (I assume Beth would never tell, especially if Jamie says they have to go to John) that could still ensure Rip isn’t beat within an inch of his life and/or killed. And in order to ensure Beth’s character still has that same pain, I think that maybe John could take her to a trusted provider, but a medical anomaly happens. I.e., uterine perforation the day of the procedure, hemorrhaging/uterine atony, placenta accreta, or some of the tissue from the initial abortion remains and thus Beth develops septicemia that is antibiotic resistant, etc. etc.

With Beth’s character psychology, I still think this change would result in her blaming Jamie and not John. So, the pathological hatred would remain, and it could push forward that line in season one that Jamie tells Beth: “If you need to hate me to not hate yourself, I can be that for you.” He accepts the brunt of her hatred not just for the misplaced fault of Evelyn’s death, but also for his “betrayal” of her confidence by telling John in the first place. Her pain would be misplaced, but still valid pain and still follow that deep devotion to John.

2. External Forces/Characters on Impact

I think I’d also introduce a confidant or a love interest that for once is not interested in using him. Maybe a transplant from another state, someone who is unaffected by the Dutton name and thus just a friend or lover to Jamie the character (or “the person” in narrative) not Jamie, a son of the Dutton family. And if those goals don’t align with the main cast, it could be really interesting to see how Jamie weighs out doing this for himself and his partner/friend, or the family. Maybe this could be a follow-up to Sarah Atwood, or an obstacle that requires M.E. to change targets. Maybe they try to frame Kayce or Beth for murder instead of a staged suicide if Jamie is not won over by Sarah. Or do you think Jamie’s character should still be played by Sarah? Either way, I can’t help but be fascinated by who he could have become if he had a foundation of love and acceptance without conditions or an expectation to perform to John’s approval (even if it’s late in the show). And how that villain arc would play out and how sympathetic he could remain.

What do you think? What are your ideas?

Now that the first season of Dutton Ranch is finished, I wanted to share my thoughts and compare it to the other spin-off ‘Marshals’. 

From a general overview, both shows are really fucking good. Dutton Ranch is clearly the wider favourite. The more closely tied to the Yellowstone story, the writing and story are deeper, and it follows Beth and Rip, among other things. Whereas Marshals has its fans, but is more criticised for being weaker across the board (writing, acting and performance, etc).  But if I were given the choice to pick between the two, I'd pick Marshals. For me, there's more that pulls me to Marshalls than there is to Dutton Ranch.

So, what did Marshals do for me that Dutton Ranch didn’t? Well, to start with, personally, I don’t get massively hung up on writing; I’m a very easy pleaser. I’m much more of a visual person than a writing and dialogue person, so that’s one of Marshal's bigger criticisms to take out of the equation. 

Then there’s the visual aspects. Dutton Ranch continued the Neo-western theme of Yellowstone, which isn’t a bad thing. While I like the western themes of Yellowstone and DR, i’m more of a Tactical/special ops guy. I like the aesthetic of shows like S.W.A.T. and SEAL Team. So right away, Marshals is already more appealing to me as it has that primetime procedural drama feel mixed with the history of Yellowstone. 

Also, there’s Kayce. Unlike a lot of people, I mostly dislike Beth, mainly cause of how she treats Jamie, whom I relate to a lot. Though that being said, Dutton Ranch has improved my impression of Beth… probably because she doesn’t have Jamie there to piss her off. Anyway, where many people’s favourite is usually Beth (which is understandable), I’ve always preferred Kayce. He wasn’t particularly surrounded by the shadows of the ranch like others were. He wasn’t morally grey like John, or Beth, or overly attention and validation-seeking like Jamie; he was just decent. And always tried to do the morally right thing. My only issues with his arc were when he had issues with his marriage in the early seasons, and my love-sick romantic ass couldn’t handle the relationship drama. I don’t really have many strong feelings either way about the characters in Dutton Ranch, other than maybe Rip. Despite his morally grey nature… I quite enjoy his character. It's nice to continue seeing him not take shit from anyone.

Then there’s the title sequence. Being the less direct continuation of Yellowstone, the titles are much shorter than previous Yellowstone series (which is the only down for me; it’s such a good theme, and I would have loved for there to be more of it). However… despite being the less direct continuation of Yellowstone, it still sounds more like the Yellowstone theme than Dutton Ranch. While almost every aspect of the DR titles harks back to Yellowstone, like the other spin-offs (1883 and 1923), they have the sound of Yellowstone, the familial elements of the Yellowstone theme… but the melody isn’t there. And for me… it's all about the melody. I like the Yellowstone theme, i like to hum along to it… which makes enjoying the title themes of DR, 1883 and 1923 difficult. Cause I know it's a Yellowstone series, so i want to hum along to the Yellowstone melody… but i can’t when they don’t follow the same pattern

So, with all that on the table, if you want a true continuation of the Yellowstone story? Dutton Ranch is your answer. It keeps the same level of intensity, depth and development that Yellowstone had while continuing to tell a new story away from Yellowstone. And if you like trying new things and seeing where it takes you, go for Marshal’s. It's got Kayce and his ties to Yellowstone's history as a story connection while going in a different direction and trying something new.

And to close off, please remember, this is a purely subjective review. While I understand the objective perspectives, this review is about what i am drawn to and why. 

The vegan, activist Summer is carrying a quart of cow milk. You can't even excuse it by saying it was for John, as he wasn't in the room yet. What's even better is in the next scene it's EXPLICITY SAID that she doesn't have dairy products.

Isn't it strange that Jaime is the only one with the first name of an ancestor in the Dutton line?

And not just any name, James is the "patriarch's" name.

Why do you think that is?

It's odd that John would name his only son who doesn't share the "Dutton" bloodline after him.