Marshals Doubles Down On Taylor Sheridan’s Divisive Strategy-Shift In Season 2

New details about Marshals season 2 has been released, and it confirms that CBS is fully committing to Taylor Sheridan’s shift in strategy despite being divisive. Marking the Yellowstone franchise’s debut on traditional broadcast, the series brought back Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton at the forefront of the universe, as he navigated a world after the death of Monica. Forced to forge a new path different from what he wanted, he joined the U.S. Marshals, with their adventures becoming the crux of the project.

Despite breaking new broadcasting barriers, Sheridan’s Yellowstone spinoff immediately proved its popularity. Marshals is officially the most-watched show on network TV for the 2025-2026 cycle, which is an impressive feat, considering that it premiered late in the season. It dethroned Justin Hartley’s Tracker after being on top for most of its run. Unsurprisingly, CBS is ordering more of Kayce’s story, but as successful as it has been, not everything about it is universally loved. Unfortunately for those, Marshals season 2 has no plans of abandoning its divisive storytelling format that is different from Yellowstone.

Marshals First-Look Images Highlight Its Procedural Nature

Logan Marshall-Green's Cal and Luke Grimes' Kayce looking intently at someone while holding their rifles in Marshals season 1

Just a few weeks after the Marshals season 1 finale, CBS has announced that production for season 2 has already started in Utah, where the debut year was also filmed. The news came with a couple of images that show Grimes back as Kayce, riding a horse and carrying a gun, with an intense look on his face. Meanwhile, a more lighthearted snap features Tatanka Means and Ash Santos coming back as Miles and Andrea. No additional narrative information has been shared, but the selection of photos to announce Marshals season 2’s production start emphasizes how it will stick to the project’s procedural storytelling.

With Monica’s death firmly in the past, while Beth and Rip’s story plays out in Texas via Dutton Ranch, CBS’s Yellowstone sequel can now fully embrace its procedural approach. The change in title to focus on the U.S. Marshals was the first indication of this narrative shift for the franchise. Marshals season 2‘s production update announcement, featuring aspects of its story that are tied to that instead of leaning on its Yellowstone connections or other supporting characters from the flagship, like Thomas Rainwater and Mo is an indication that CBS is fully embracing its procedural approach that puts its fresh players at the center of the series, even though it has been divisive.

Why Marshals Being A Yellowstone Procedural Is So Divisive

Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton running with a gun in season 1 of Marshals

The change to become a procedural should have been expected when it was announced that Marshals would be airing on CBS instead of Paramount+ or even Paramount Network. On network TV, the format reigns supreme, primarily because it allows projects to run for more episodes than their streaming counterparts. Each year, there are at least 10–20 episodes, which is a lot of time to fill. By shifting Marshals to being a procedural set in the Yellowstone universe, Sheridan ensures that it can run longer than its flagship.

Taylor Sheridan’s Dutton Ranch Is Free To Watch Like Yellowstone

As the Yellowstone franchise continues, Taylor Sheridan’s latest Western spinoff is free to watch without the need for a Paramount+ subscription.

However, since this is a major shift compared to what viewers of the neo-Western franchise are used to, some haven’t been as receptive. They criticize the weekly formula of tackling and solving a case, with a sprinkling of overarching storylines that play out throughout the year. Coming from Yellowstone, wherein each episode was packed with major reveals and twists, Marshals can come off as boring. That being said, it’s worth noting that the longest-running shows on TV are procedurals, so if Grimes’ show finds the perfect balance between its old and new ways, it can be universally embraced.

Enjoy ScreenRant’s primetime coverage? Click below to sign up for my weekly Network TV newsletter (make sure to check “Network TV” in your preferences) and get the inside scoop from actors and showrunners on your favorite series.