The season finale for Dutton Ranch didn’t do anything to lessen anticipation for a crossover with another Yellowstone universe show. Is it just a coincidence that Marshals (on CBS) ended the same way?
New cast interviews hint toward the shows becoming intertwined for Season 2. However filming timelines may make this impractical.
- Dutton Ranch Season 1 finale ended with several very big cliffhangers.
- Season 2 of Dutton Ranch was confirmed last month but Paramount+ hasn’t shared any details about a timeline.
- The show’s primary cast — including Ed Harris and Annette Bening — are expected to return.
Spoiler alert! I’m going to talk freely about the events of Season 1 of Marshals and Dutton Ranch. If you don’t want to know how these shows end, come back later.
The Dutton Rules podcast team will go live on Tuesday (July 7) at 2PM CT. As always, we welcome your questions, comments and conspiracy theories.
Why a Dutton Ranch x Marshals Crossover Is Likely
When Yellowstone ended, Beth Dutton and her little brother Kayce Dutton were on very good terms. He kept a piece of property on the old John Dutton Ranch and she moved with Rip and Carter to Dillon, Mont., but an early episode of Marshals indicated they kept in touch.
Actors Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser and Luke Grimes have also spoke fondly of one another. There’s just no natural resistance in the real or fictionalized world.
Related: Dutton Ranch Season 2 – Everything We Know
That’s the big-picture explanation for why the two shows could potentially have a crossover, but there’s another compelling reason: Season 1 of Dutton Ranch and Marshals ended up paralleling each other in very interesting ways.
Kayce joined the US Marshals in a constant battle with a cartel-run fentanyl operation in and around the Broken Rock Reservation.
Meanwhile in Texas, Beth and Rip discovered their new business partners were really nothing more than a cartel-run fentanyl operation.
Marshals ended with a cliffhanger when the Season 1 villain kidnapped Tate Dutton and took off for Texas. Dutton Ranch ended with a cliffhanger when the Season 1 villain kidnapped Carter and took off for… actually, it’s not clear where they’re hiding out, but the mountains of Montana are made for these sorts of indiscretions.
Kayce may very well need some muscle to recover Tate, and Beth/Rip could use a friend in law enforcement to recover Carter.
Of course all of this would heighten attention on both shows, which would be huge for Marshals. The show drew decent ratings but received a mix response from viewers.
There’s just one big problem.
Why a Dutton Ranch and Marshals Crossover Isn’t Likely
Logistically, this would require a massive amount of organization and maybe even a time travel machine. At the moment, neither show is especially organized.
Dutton Ranch is bringing in a new showrunner for Season 2 and it’s not the same guy in charge of Marshals. The two shows are also on different filming schedules.
Season 2 of Dutton Ranch was just confirmed two weeks ago and, at that time, not every cast member had come to terms with the network. That means filming is a ways off. A spring 2027 Season 2 premiere feels possible if they hustle.
Meanwhile, Season 2 of Marshals is set to premiere in the fall. Tate’s kidnapping will need to be addressed immediately and if the show holds true to the network procedural formula, it will be resolved within a few weeks. How could Beth and Rip possibly be involved with that?
A creative (read: far-fetched) solution would be to actually advance the plot of Dutton Ranch during the first few episodes of Marshals. That would mean bringing Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly to CBS for a few episodes to help recover Tate and Carter. This concept is bananas with a capital B, but that would be one way to go about a collaboration on this timeline.
Dutton Ranch Cast Talk About Marshals Crossover
Talking to TV Insider, Reilly and Hauser played very coy when asked about both shows ending with a kidnapping. She said, “Maybe” and smiled when asked if the events were coordinated; he went on about how much he loves working with Grimes.
But they were very open to the idea of a collaboration and admitted Beth’s fondness for her brother may force the issue. The only reason it didn’t happen earlier is rushed planning.
Marshals viewers know Kayce Dutton’s wife Monica dies of cancer before the start of Season 1.
“I think that happened before our show started in a story world,” Reilly shared. “I imagine Beth and Rip had gone to Monica’s (funeral) … (Because of) the time thing, we didn’t see it in our story, but I would absolutely imagine that there’ll be some checking in on her brother, and we just didn’t see it this year.”
This was a “missed opportunity,” Reilly added, “but we’re all both trying to start up these big shows.”
This surprisingly sober evaluation comes before she and Hauser reinforced how they’d like to collaborate with Grimes again. All things considered, a spring hand-off makes most sense.
Imagine this scenario:
Season 2 of Marshals needs a little heat ahead of the finale. Previews show Beth and Rip working alongside Kayce. Fans freak out a little, ratings grow and then the next week Season 2 of Dutton Ranch debuts.
If there’s overlap, it’s likely to involve very different plot elements for at least one of these shows.
Dutton Ranch: 10 Burning Questions Season 1 Must Answer
Just two episodes of Dutton Ranch Season 1 remain but we count at least 10 burning questions the show must answer to leave us satisfied. Is that even possible?
This list includes spoilers through Ep. 7, “Den of Sin.” We’ve ranked them from least to most important.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
17 Most Stunning Yellowstone Franchise Deaths
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes