Dutton Ranch Reactions: Is Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone Spin-Off Worth Watching?
by Joe Roberts · /FilmIs Texas ready for Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler? We're about to find out as the former custodians of the Yellowstone Dutton ranch head south for the new spin-off, "Dutton Ranch." The show emerges amid controversy after the "Dutton Ranch" showrunner was fired, but Paramount has otherwise seen success with the first "Yellowstone" spin-off, "Marshals." Soon we'll see if audiences are as excited for Beth and Rip's new adventure as they were for Kayce Dutton's. Based on the initial reviews, they certainly should be.
It's still early days, but "Dutton Ranch" has debuted with an impressive 100% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. That number is based on just eight reviews, and will almost certainly fall as more takes come in. But it's an auspicious start for a show that has a heck of a lot to live up to. "Yellowstone" was one of the most popular shows on TV, and according to a Variety report, "Marshals" is the most-watched new series of the season. Initial reactions suggest Beth and Rip's series will repeat that success.
At the time of writing, there's just one review from a "top critic" on RT, but that's positive, too. Nick Schager of The Daily Beast praised "Dutton Ranch" for operating from the principle that "there's no need to fix what audiences believe was never broken in the first place," which ultimately results in "the most straightforward and satisfying franchise entry since the original." Fans who have struggled with "Marshals" and its apparent lack of direction will no doubt be pleased to hear that — and there's plenty more praise to come.
Dutton Ranch looks like a return to form for the Yellowstone-verse
One of the biggest complaints among fans of "Marshals" has been that the show doesn't feel like "Yellowstone," but it looks likely that "Dutton Ranch" won't follow that same path. The new spin-off follows Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler as they pack up and head for the South Texas town of Rio Paloma, where they buy a ranch and transform it into the titular fiefdom. The pair are already fan-favorites, which bodes well for the series. But based on initial reviews, it looks as though "Dutton Ranch" has also managed to preserve the all-important Taylor Sheridan-crafted tone of "Yellowstone," which means we'll be getting a heck of a lot of melodrama shot in a prestige format with the odd moment of real poignancy.
FandomWire's M.N. Miller described "Dutton Ranch" as a "pulpy, brooding, and feverishly addictive neo-Western crime saga" that proves the Sheridanverse "still has dust on its boots and blood on its hands." Peter Martin of ScreenAnarchy seemed to like the way in which the show "motors through the first four episodes with a propulsive energy that pulls the various narrative threads together with clever style." And the praise just keeps coming, with Brittany Frederick of Fangirlish reassuring viewers that creator Chad Feehan is "working directly out of the wildly successful Sheridanverse playbook."
Even those not entirely convinced have still conceded that "Dutton Ranch" is surprisingly watchable. The worst thing Andrew Murray of The Upcoming could say about the new spin-off is that "those who have already struggled to buy into [the Sheridanverse's] cowboy soap opera sensibilities are unlikely to find much here to change their minds." But even Murray was taken in by the show's "sweeping vistas and stellar performances."
Dutton Ranch is poised to fix the main issue with Marshals
With such positive reviews and a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, "Dutton Ranch" couldn't have gotten off to a better start (though, remember, Rotten Tomatoes is the website that Sean Connery's "Darby O'Gill and the Little People" is a perfect movie). Of course, the real test will come when the show actually debuts. Fans have suffered through a lot to get to this point, with "Yellowstone" losing its way mid-way through its run and "Marshals" continuing the franchise's most depressing trend – not to mention the fact that, if it weren't for Luke Grimes and several other "Yellowstone" alums, the spin-off feels like it belongs in a completely different universe. Based on the first reviews, however, "Dutton Ranch" doesn't just look like a good show, it looks like the savior of the Sheridanverse.
As M.N. Miller went on to say in their review, "The cast is excellent here, full of brooding intensity, the closest the Sheridanverse has ever come to capturing the original's tone." That will be the key to making "Dutton Ranch" an enduring success rather than a flash in the pan. While "Marshals" has already been renewed for a second season, it remains to be seen how long fans will stick with a series that not only departs from the distinct Taylor Sheridan tone, but actually represents a downgrade in quality when compared to the original's writing and production values. Thankfully, "Dutton Ranch" maintaining the feel of "Yellowstone" seems to be a common thread in the reviews.
The spin-off will debut two episodes on Paramount+ on May 15, 2026, followed by a weekly Friday release schedule. Episodes will also air on the Paramount Network at 8pm every Friday.