After nearly a decade building one of television’s most dedicated fan bases, Taylor Sheridan has done something few expected. His new CBS and Paramount+ series Marshals entered the scene with weak reviews and low ratings. Critics called it flat. Fans said it felt more like NCIS than Yellowstone. Yet viewers keep showing up in record numbers.
Marshals stars Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton, returning from Yellowstone to take on a new role within an elite team of U.S. Marshals in Montana. Following a personal tragedy, Kayce leaves the ranch behind to chase criminals instead of cattle. The show favors fast action and weekly cases over family drama. That stylistic shift caused the initial backlash, but it’s also driving its rapid success.
When Marshals premiered, it carried a 42% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Sheridan’s lowest to date. Audience scores landed at just 28%. Reviewers said it traded the deep emotional beats of Yellowstone for procedural storytelling and scenic filler. Some argued it depended too heavily on the Dutton name. Others claimed it missed the very spark that turned Yellowstone into a cultural giant.
Still, those poor reviews haven’t stopped viewers. The series premiere attracted 9.5 million live broadcast watchers, the largest for a scripted CBS debut in more than seven years. The following week, episode two pulled in 17.2 million across platforms and kept 83% of the audience. CBS quickly announced a renewal for season two in March 2026, confirming strong momentum before the current season even ended.
New data from FlixPatrol shows just how far the show has climbed. Marshals now ranks as the second most-watched series on Paramount+ worldwide, trailing only South Park. Earlier this week, it held the number one spot in 11 countries, from Canada to Argentina and across Central and South America. For comparison, Yellowstone sits at number four. Tulsa King follows at five, and The Madison at six. A show labeled a dud has quietly beaten most of Sheridan’s own lineup.
Viewers may have wanted another chapter of Yellowstone, and instead they found a procedural thriller that appeals to a broader crowd. Sheridan’s expanding universe now includes eight years of Dutton family storytelling, and Marshals marks its biggest shift yet. Whether critics warm to it or not, people are watching, and that’s the only number the networks care about.
The next chapter arrives soon. Dutton Ranch, starring Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser, premieres on Paramount+ May 15, 2026. The spinoff returns fans to familiar ground with Beth and Rip at the center. Until then, Marshals sits on top of the ratings, proving again that Taylor Sheridan knows how to keep the brand alive.
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English (US) · 