Yellowstone fans who hope that Marshals will answer some of that show’s dangling plot threads are in for good news!
The decision to make Marshals a spin-off of Yellowstone was unique. That long-running hit drama aired on Paramount Network, giving it a more adult edge amid the various soap opera antics. Marshals is more like a typical CBS procedural, as Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) works with a pack of US Marshals in Wyoming.
The first episode of the series established that Kayce’s beloved wife, Monica (Kelsey Asbille), had died of cancer after Yellowstone ended. That has him working as a single dad, but fans still wonder about other Yellowstone characters.
Talking to TVLine, showrunner Spencer Hudnut said that while they want to touch on the other Duttons, he doesn’t want to make it feel like Marshals fans have to be experts in Yellowstone to get the impact of the drama.
“We have such a rich backstory for Kayce and the Duttons, and obviously, we want to build off of that, but what I don't want to do is relitigate other storylines that Taylor [Sheridan] created and kind of settled. I think Kayce's father's death and brother's demise will always hang over him. It plays into all of the tragedy that Kayce has dealt with."
For those who don’t know Yellowstone as well, troublesome brother Jamie (Wes Bentley) was killed by his sister Beth (Kelly Reilly) and her husband Rip (Cole Hauser) for his part in the murder of their father, John (Kevin Costner). The second episode of Marshals had Belle (Arielle Kebbel) making a reference to how Jamie had “disappeared” with Hednut talking of how this is just common gossip for the cops on their new member.
"Jamie is definitely in the ether, as is the sort of lore of the Duttons. I think it does raise questions about Kayce in a way that any good U.S. Marshal would ask with some new guy coming onto the force."
While Marshals may play on that, there’s a good reason why it won’t go all-in regarding this plot line.
The key reason why Marshals won’t explore this plotline is that Beth and Rip are set to have their own Paramount+ spinoff, titled The Dutton Ranch. It’s logical that the coming show will do a better job exploring the ramifications of them murdering Jamie and keeping it all quiet.
This means it’s very unlikely the characters will pop in on Marshals anytime soon, if ever. However, Hudnut did hint that while he doesn't want to “go back and start retelling stories that Taylor (Sheridan) finished,” he believes that Kayce’s decision to turn a blind eye to his sister killing their brother “is something we may revisit down the road sometime.”
Hudnut also hinted at the possibility of Monica appearing in Kayce’s dreams and perhaps tying in more to that Jamie plotline. Kayce is trying to be a better man and adapt to this new job. However, the fact that he’s a lawman covering up a major crime is likely to weigh on him and either drive him on or haunt him too much to succeed.
So while Yellowstone fans can still enjoy the connections with Marshals, don’t expect this show to tie up everything in this universe!
Marshals airs Sundays at 8/7c on CBS.