A New ‘Yellowstone’ Spinoff Just Broke a 7-Year Rule—And That Has Me Worried

For 7 straight years, Taylor Sheridan has been the singular voice behind every major chapter in the Yellowstone universe. From the gritty, neo-Western family drama of the flagship series to the heart-wrenching tragedy of 1883 and the intergenerational power struggle in 1923, Sheridan was, and still is, the soul of the Dutton saga. Each series has felt unmistakably like a Sheridan creation and that’s all thanks to his signature gritty yet poetic writing and vision.

Y: Marshals, the upcoming Kayce Dutton spinoff, will be the first entry in the franchise not written by Sheridan is raising eyebrows—and for good reason. While he’ll still be attached to some degree, the creative reins are being handed off. While that might not sound like a disaster, it does break a creative streak that’s defined the franchise’s success from day one. And if Sheridan isn’t writing Kayce’s next chapter, the question becomes: can the Yellowstone universe survive without its most important voice?

Taylor Sheridan’s Vision for Yellowstone in Unmatched

There’s Something Powerful in the Way that Sheridan Threads his Stories

What Taylor Sheridan did throughout his years of breathing life in Yellowstone is, and was, almost unheard of in the TV industry. The only other time I heard about a writer tackling every script was Julian Fellowes’ work on Downton Abbey. Fellowes crafted every script for every season on his own, which gave the acclaimed series a unique voice and vision. The rhythm and pacing of the dialogue, the character arcs, and the tone of the series remained intact throughout Downton Abbey’s entire run. Fellowes has even written every Downton Abbey film since then, with the final film hitting theaters later this summer.

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The same can be said for Sheridan and his work on Yellowstone. In fact, when Sheridan stepped away during Season 3 and Paramount hired a writer’s room, the actors rioted and Paramount called Sheridan back so that he could rewrite every script for that season. He did so while also directing a film with Angelina Jolie in New Mexico. This is not to say that having a writer’s room is a bad thing, but there is a definite benefit to having one voice and vision for a series, especially one that is so distinct, like Yellowstone. Sheridan’s masterful sense of grit and drama made Yellowstone the successful franchise that it is today. At the end of the day, he created, wrote, and executive produced every episode of Yellowstone,1883, and 1923.

The Kayce Spinoff Takes a Massive Creative Shift

Genre Isn’t the Only New Thing About Y: Marshals

With Yellowstone officially over, we fans hoped to hear that there would be more spin-offs coming. None of us were ready to really say goodbye to the Duttons. Sheridan gave Yellowstone the proper send off, but the story didn’t really end. It was clear there was so much more to explore and that because of many obstacles, including the spat with Costner, Yellowstone needed a fresh chapter. Mere days after the series finale, rumors surfaced, then quickly confirmed that the story would continue. The first confirmation was the now-titled Dutton Ranch, which would focus on Beth and Rip.

As far as we know, Sheridan will write the series alongside writing the final prequel series (that we know of), 1944. So, it was quite a surprise when Kayce Dutton’s spin-off, Y:Marshals, was announced to also learn that it would not only be a genre shift but also a written one as well. The brand-new spin-off will be a procedural that will follow Kayce as he takes on a new role as a marshal to combat the violence in the Montana region, especially the violence on the reservation. This is going to be a massive tonal shift as it won’t follow a serialized format, and while it’s true that it could be a hybrid, it is going to be a big change for fans of the Yellowstone franchise.

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What makes this even more worrisome is the fact that Sheridan won’t be writing, nor will he be a showrunner on the series either. He will be an executive producer. While this could be a great direction that could breathe new life into the franchise, it doesn’t come without massive risks. There will be a new vision for the character and his arc, and there will be an inevitable tonal shift as network procedural dramas may not have the same creative freedoms as shows on cable or streaming services have. From a narrative perspective, the procedural format might force Kayce’s character to take on a different path, not one that may fully align with the Kayce we all knew in Yellowstone.

On top of that, procedural dramas don’t always have the time to dig into the interpersonal relationships and family dynamics, which were both the heart and foundation of Yellowstone. A procedural crime drama will have to focus on the case-of-the-week setup, which may or may not work for the world that Sheridan built. This is not coming from a place of negativity, as I, for one, am very excited to give this series a go, especially as a fan of Yellowstone, but there is genuine concern that the franchise might be spread too thin. Granted Sheridan being an executive producer, alongside Luke Grimes who will reprise his role as Kacey, gives me hope the changes will only be limited to the genre and format.

Can the Yellowstone Franchise Thrive Without Sheridan?

As Long as Sheridan Has Creative Control, It Most Definitely Will

Y:Marshals seems to be in good hands. The new showrunner, Spencer Hudnut, was behind CBS’s extremely popular SEAL Team which starred fan-favorite David Boreanaz. With the new spin-off taking on a more crime procedural direction and tone, Hudnut being at the helm only makes sense. SEAL Team thrived for 7 seasons on CBS, and the idea that the Kayce Dutton led spin-off could see that same success is quite an exciting one. Y:Marshals also got Sheridan and Grimes’ seals of approval as Hudnut approached both of them with the idea.

This is significant because Grimes felt that Kayce’s story had come to a close, and that if he were to ever pick his cowboy hat back up, the story and vision needed to be worth it. Seeing as to how he is not only reprising his role but executive producing as well, fans can be hopeful that there is something worth checking out and perhaps even investing in. Y:Mashals also being on CBS, network TV, there won’t be as much graphic violence or nudity in the series, which could ultimately be a good thing for the franchise.

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This 1 Beth Dutton Line Has Me Even More Excited About the Next Yellowstone Spinoff

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Ultimately, there wouldn’t be a Kayce Dutton if it weren’t for Taylor Sheridan, and his involvement will always be necessary regarding any Yellowstone spin-offs. Not hearing Sheridan’s imprint on the dialogue will be jarring at first, but it’s not something that will make me bail on the spin-off, especially if everything else aligns with what Sheridan has built. There needs to be a sense of respect and value for the foundation that Sheridan built so that a series like Y:Marshals could have legs and gallop.

While fans should come to Y:Marshals in Spring of 2026 with an open mind, it will be very interesting to see how different the series will feel and how evident Sheridan’s role as executive producer will be. His voice has been so crucial for Yellowstone, and he gave fans such a distinct gritty tone for 5 Seasons, but Y:Marshals won’t be the series that has Sheridan’s full attention, as there’s a lot coming down the pipeline, two of which Sheridan will write and more than likely direct. Despite being worried, I am also quite excited to see where the Yellowstone franchise goes next. There’s so much more story to cover, and the Dutton family is far from done. Only time will tell whether these spin-offs will hold up to the original, and the one key factor that will play a big role in that is the man behind the story, Taylor Sheridan.