Most of the time, a spinoff will be created in a way that means you don’t need to watch the original series. Just look at the likes of Sheriff Country and the various 911 shows. While watching the parent shows can help, there’s not as much of a need, as the stories end up remaining self-contained to their spinoffs. When it comes to Y: Marshals, things are likely a little different.
Yellowstone is the parent show, and you’ll probably want to watch it before you delve into the new spinoff series. The good news is you have time, because Y: Marshals won’t premiere until March!
Why watch Yellowstone before Y: Marshals
There’s no doubt that Y: Marshals is designed to be a standalone series. For many people, there’s going to be no issue in jumping into the show without watching Yellowstone, but there are going to be details missed that Yellowstone fans will understand.
The original series has already given us a look at Kayce Dutton’s character arc. He went from a troubled ex-Navy SEAL to a ranch hand. He went from a man living on his own and doing his own thing to a family man. In fact, Kayce’s son, Tate, will be part of the series, and there will be other members of Yellowstone that show up throughout the spinoff, so you’ll want to understand the relationship between these characters.
There’s also a need to understand the fight that Kayce is focused on now. In the promo, we know that he’s focused on a “war on violence,” and he wants to start a new chapter that protects the people of Montana. This is all due to the themes from Yellowstone. Kayce lived a whole other life while working on the family ranch, and it led to him becoming a marshal.
Understanding the Dutton legacy is also worth it, as this feeds into the turmoil and struggles Kayce has with moving on in his life. The Dutton Ranch has been around since it was created in 1883, and that puts pressure on everyone born into the family to keep it in the family’s hands. What happens when someone has another dream?
Y: Marshals has a different theme to Yellowstone
With all that being said, Y: Marshals isn’t necessarily a drama in the same vein as Yellowstone. It is designed to be a U.S. Marshal procedural, which means that it can be watched on its own. If you don’t mind not knowing more about Kayce Dutton’s backstory or the relationships that he has with other characters, then you don’t need to watch.
A good spinoff will be accessible to those who haven’t seen the original show who want to tune in, especially when it comes to a series that was on a streaming platform while the spinoff is a broadcast show. Yellowstone is just going to give more backstory and understanding.
Y: Marshals premieres on Sunday, March 1 at 8/7c on CBS. Yellowstone is available to stream on Paramount+.
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