Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Marshals’: The 13-Part Action Thriller Series Is Officially Beating the Backlash

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Taylor Sheridan has cultivated a remarkably dedicated TV audience over the past decade. His show, Yellowstone, established him as a recognizable name, and subsequent series like 1883 and Lioness were eagerly anticipated upon release. However, Marshals, despite arriving with similar expectations on Paramount+, faced unexpected challenges. Critics weren’t impressed, and many Yellowstone fans found it to be a less compelling, standard police procedural. It initially received the lowest critic ratings of any show connected to Sheridan. Surprisingly, though, over time, the show began to gain traction.

The new series Land Man, currently airing Sundays on CBS and streaming the next day on Paramount+, follows Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) as he leaves the ranch to join the U.S. Marshals in Montana, following a difficult personal tragedy. Unlike other shows in the Yellowstone world, Land Man moves at a quicker pace, focusing on individual cases each week rather than the drawn-out family storylines fans are used to. This change in style is both the source of criticism and the reason for the show’s popularity.

‘Marshals’ Reviews Are Mixed, But Nobody Seems to Care

The new show Marshals received a disappointing 43% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the first television project from creator Taylor Sheridan to be negatively reviewed. It’s also the lowest-rated show in the entire Yellowstone universe, with audiences giving it an even lower score of 29%. Critics generally agreed that Marshals focuses less on compelling characters – a hallmark of Yellowstone – and more on procedural storytelling, resembling shows like NCIS, though with more visually appealing locations. Some reviewers felt the show relied too heavily on established Yellowstone storylines, hindering the development of its own characters, while others believed it simply lacked the energy and excitement that made Yellowstone so popular.

Despite any challenges, Marshals has been a huge success. The first episode attracted 9.5 million viewers on CBS – the largest audience for a new scripted show in over seven years. The second episode gained even more viewers, reaching 17.2 million after a week of viewing across different platforms, and kept 83% of the original audience. These impressive numbers usually lead networks to quickly renew a show, and CBS did just that, confirming a second season of Marshals in March 2026, only weeks after it first aired.

The show is now a huge success! According to data from FlixPatrol, Marshals is the second most popular show on Paramount+ globally, right behind South Park. It even reached the #1 spot in 11 countries earlier this week, including Canada, Argentina, and several nations in Central and South America. To give you an idea of how well it’s doing, Yellowstone is currently at #4 on the platform, followed by Tulsa King at #5 and The Madison at #6. Surprisingly, Marshals is outperforming all of these shows, despite initial negative reviews.

What Marshals Is Actually About (& Who It’s For)

Many viewers have pointed out that Marshals doesn’t quite feel like a Yellowstone show, and that’s fair. However, it’s important to remember that this series was created by showrunner Spencer Hudnut, with Taylor Sheridan having a more limited role in the writing process than usual for this franchise. While Marshals doesn’t have the same slow, building suspense as Yellowstone, it makes up for it with a quicker pace and a focus on action.

There’s a definite audience for this type of story, even if some viewers expected Yellowstone with a slightly different look and were surprised. However, a large number of people were happy with the change. After eight years building the world of the Dutton family, Marshals marks the first attempt to expand the Yellowstone universe. Whether it becomes a critically acclaimed show or simply a popular one, it’s proven to be something people are tuning in to watch.

The new series Dutton Ranch, featuring Beth and Rip (played by Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser), will debut on Paramount+ on May 15, 2026, offering a return to the world fans love. In the meantime, Marshals currently holds the top spot and has 13 episodes to deliver.

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2026-04-12 18:36