The new story direction for Marshals season 2 is great news for Yellowstone fans. Marking Luke Grimes's return as Kayce Dutton after Yellowstone's ending on Paramount Network in 2024, the project was also a major leap for the franchise. While Taylor Sheridan's universe has had a great record on streaming and cable, Marshals is the first time that it lives on network TV. Unsurprisingly, it didn't waste time finding its audience, but impressively, it quickly shot to the top of the ratings for the 2025-2026 cycle.
Despite only having 13 episodes thus far, Marshals has already established its identity, separating it from its predecessors from the same universe. Because it's on traditional broadcast, it is mostly procedural, with Kayce's new team — Cal, Belle, Andrea, and Miles, tackling a new case every week, with the expectation that by the end of the hour, the matter is resolved. That said, it's also understandable that those who loved Yellowstone and miss it wish that it would be more like its parent series.
Marshals Season 2's Return Paves The Way For A Dutton Ranch Crossover
As well-received as Marshals season 1 was, there were some aspects of it that could have been better. For starters, it never felt like Tate had a purpose beyond being an accessory to Kayce's story and a reminder of Monica's death. This was disappointing, considering how the character is old enough to have his own arc. Secondly, and involving the bigger franchise, was how it didn't have any crossover with Dutton Ranch — Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser's own Yellowstone sequel as Beth and Rip. While there were references to them, Marshals didn't have any crossovers despite their overlapping broadcast schedules.
With Marshals season 2 officially coming back, CBS can finally stage the much-anticipated reunion among John III's surviving heirs. Granted that the crossover could also take place in Dutton Ranch, Kayce's story being on network TV and having more episodes makes it a better avenue for the proposed narrative. This way, CBS can dedicate more than one episode to the story without it taking over a significant chunk of its run. For context, because Dutton Ranch is on Paramount+, season 1 only had 9 episodes, which will likely also be the case in its sophomore year.
How Taylor Sheridan Is Still Telling Yellowstone Season 6 In Two Different Shows
Marshals and Dutton Ranch were hits from the get-go, making their respective renewals unsurprising. Admittedly, both projects had to go back and undo the respective happy endings for Kayce and Beth, with the death of Monica and the fire at Dillon ranch, but it was the only way to make this new chapter of their lives have a compelling launch. It's no secret, however, that when Yellowstone ended, it was still at the top of its popularity, which meant that it could have gone for at least a couple of episodes. However, the death of John III, motivated by the exit of Kevin Costner, set up an early end.
With both Marshals and Dutton Ranch now carrying the torch of the neo-Western franchise, Beth and Kayce's respective stories are the best alternative to Yellowstone season 6. Of course, there are some changes to their narratives, but at its core, these characters would have been the new lead characters of the flagship anyway after the loss of John III. Now, the only thing that could make this better is a proper crossover between the shows with an on-screen reunion of the surviving Dutton kids.
CBS Sets Fall Dates for ‘Marshals,’ ‘Survivor’ and More
CBS has set its fall premiere dates, and as has been the case for the past few seasons, most of the network’s lineup will launch in early October.
Reality staples Survivor and The Amazing Race will debut a bit earlier, as will 60 Minutes. But all of CBS’ scripted series are set to premiere over six days starting Oct. 4. Marshals and Tracker — the two most watched shows on network TV last season, excluding live sports — are up first that night, remaining in the Sunday night spots they occupied last season.
FBI and CIA follow on Oct. 5, with each show moving up an hour (to 8 and 9 p.m. ET/PT) from their spots last season as CBS eliminated its Monday comedy block for 2026-27. True crime show Harlan Coben’s Final Twist follows at 10 p.m.
An all-NCIS lineup remains on Tuesday nights starting Oct. 6, with newcomer NCIS: New York sandwiched between the flagship series and prequel NCIS: Origins. CBS’ two other new fall series, comedy Eternally Yours and drama Cupertino, premiere Oct. 8 along with Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage and Elsbeth. Ghosts and Matlock are set for midseason premieres, but a pair of Ghosts specials will air on Oct. 29 and Dec. 10 tied to Halloween and Christmas. The Friday lineup of Sheriff Country, Fire Country and Boston Blue debuts Oct. 9.
CBS’ fall premiere dates are below. All times are ET/PT unless noted, and new shows are marked with an asterisk.
Sunday, Sept. 13
7:30 p.m.: 60 Minutes (approximate; follows NFL doubleheader)
Wednesday, Sept. 23
8 p.m.: Survivor
Wednesday, Sept. 30
9:30 p.m.: The Amazing Race
Sunday, Oct. 4
8:30 p.m.: Marshals (approximate; follows NFL doubleheader and 60 Minutes)
9:30 p.m.: Tracker
Monday, Oct. 5
8 p.m.: FBI
9 p.m.: CIA
10 p.m.: Harlan Coben’s Final Twist
Tuesday, Oct. 6
8 p.m.: NCIS
9 p.m.: NCIS: New York*
10 p.m.: NCIS: Origins
Thursday, Oct. 8
8 p.m.: Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage
8:30 p.m.: Eternally Yours*
9 p.m.: Elsbeth
10 p.m.: Cupertino*
Friday, Oct. 9
8 p.m.: Sheriff Country
9 p.m.: Fire Country
10 p.m.: Boston Blue
Saturday, Oct. 10
10 p.m.: 48 Hours
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