Taylor Sheridan‘s new Western series gets back in the saddle.
Sheridan’s Yellowstone shows are some of the most popular Western series of all time. While the main show ended in a controversial way after Kevin Costner’s John Dutton III was killed, the franchise continues strongly through multiple spinoff series. There are two completed prequel shows — 1883 and 1923 — and a couple of sequel series, with Sheridan’s involvement in the genre including other Westerns not in the Yellowstone universe, like the new arrival, The Madison. While that show has proven itself popular, it is Sheridan’s new divisive Yellowstone spinoff series that is finding streaming success again, with more episodes to come.
The Sheridan-verse · Ranch Assessment
Taylor Sheridan
Trivia Challenge
🏠 Yellowstone Protect the ranch
🐴 1883 The Oregon Trail
🌾 1923 Drought & dust
🔒 Kingstown Prison politics
🎼 Tulsa King Made man, new town
01
The Dutton family has controlled the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States for over a century. In which state is the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch located?
✓ Correct! The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch sits near the border of Yellowstone National Park in Montana. The show is filmed primarily in Montana, with the real-life Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby serving as the Dutton homestead.
✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Montana. The Dutton Ranch borders Yellowstone National Park in Big Sky Country. While the rugged landscape could pass for Wyoming or Idaho, the show is set — and largely filmed — in Montana.
02
John Dutton is the iron-willed patriarch who will stop at nothing to protect his family’s land. Which Oscar-winning actor portrayed him for the first four seasons of Yellowstone?
✓ Correct! Kevin Costner brought gravitas and quiet intensity to John Dutton, anchoring Yellowstone as one of the most-watched shows on cable television. His departure ahead of Season 5B became one of the biggest stories in TV.
✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Kevin Costner. While Sam Elliott did appear in 1883, Josh Brolin has his own Sheridan series (Outer Range isn’t Sheridan’s), and Kurt Russell hasn’t joined the Sheridan-verse. Costner defined John Dutton.
03
In the prequel series 1883, a Civil War veteran leads his family on a brutal wagon-train journey from Texas to Montana to find a new home. What is the name of this original Dutton patriarch?
✓ Correct! James Dutton, played by Tim McGraw, is the Civil War veteran who leads his wife Margaret and their children on the perilous journey west. His daughter Elsa narrates the series, and the family’s arrival in Montana establishes the Yellowstone Ranch.
✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is James Dutton. Jacob Dutton is the character Harrison Ford plays in 1923 — James’s brother. John Dutton Sr. doesn’t appear until later generations, and Emmett Dutton doesn’t exist in the Sheridan-verse.
04
On the Dutton Ranch, certain cowboys receive a permanent mark of loyalty — a hot-iron brand seared into their skin that signifies a blood oath to the ranch. What symbol is this feared brand?
✓ Correct! The branded “Y” is the Yellowstone Ranch’s livestock mark, but for ranch hands, wearing it on their chest means a lifelong oath of silence and loyalty. “Taking someone to the train station” is what happens to those who betray it.
✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is the letter “Y” — for Yellowstone. The brand is both a ranch identifier and a mark of absolute loyalty. Characters like Rip, Kayce, and Jimmy all bear the “Y” brand, signifying they’ve sworn their lives to the ranch.
05
In 1923, the Dutton family battles drought, Prohibition, and encroaching modernity during the Great Depression era. Which legendary Hollywood actor plays patriarch Jacob Dutton?
✓ Correct! Harrison Ford stars as Jacob Dutton alongside Helen Mirren as his wife Cara. Ford’s casting marked his first major television role and brought massive star power to the expanding Sheridan-verse. The series is set during Prohibition and the early Depression.
✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Harrison Ford. In his first major TV role, Ford plays Jacob Dutton, brother of James Dutton from 1883. Helen Mirren stars opposite him as Cara Dutton. Their star power helped make 1923 Paramount+’s biggest premiere.
06
Beth Dutton’s volatile love story with a tough ranch foreman is one of Yellowstone’s most beloved storylines. The two eventually marry in a surprise ceremony. Who is Beth’s husband?
✓ Correct! Rip Wheeler, played by Cole Hauser, is John Dutton’s most loyal enforcer and Beth’s husband. Taken in by John as a teenager after a traumatic past, Rip would do anything for the Dutton family — and his fierce devotion to Beth became a fan-favorite romance.
✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Rip Wheeler. Lloyd Pierce is the bunkhouse elder, Walker is a ranch hand and musician, and Jimmy Hurdstrom is the hapless cowboy who eventually gets sent to the 6666 Ranch in Texas. Only Rip won Beth’s wild heart.
07
In Mayor of Kingstown, a family serves as power brokers in a Michigan town where the prison industry is the only business. Which family navigates this dark world of incarceration and corruption?
✓ Correct! The McLusky family, led by Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner), acts as unofficial mediators between prisoners, gangs, police, and politicians in Kingstown, Michigan. The show is one of Sheridan’s grittiest explorations of the American justice system.
✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is the McLusky family. Jeremy Renner stars as Mike McLusky, who inherits the role of “mayor” — an unofficial power broker between inmates, gangs, and law enforcement. The Duttons are Yellowstone’s dynasty, not Kingstown’s.
08
One Dutton sibling is an adopted son and ambitious lawyer who frequently clashes with his family — sometimes even conspiring against them. His complex loyalty drives much of the show’s drama. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Jamie Dutton, played by Wes Bentley, is the adopted son and Harvard-educated lawyer whose desperate need for his father’s approval and political ambition create some of Yellowstone’s most dramatic betrayals. His rivalry with Beth is legendary.
✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Jamie Dutton. Kayce is John’s biological youngest son (a former Navy SEAL), Lee is the eldest son who dies in Season 1, and Tate is Kayce’s young son. Only Jamie is the adopted lawyer who conspires against the family.
Round-Up Complete Your Ranch Record
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Are you a ranch foreman — or headed straight to the train station?
According to FlixPatrol, Marshalsis back as the most-watched TV show in the world on Paramount+. Previously, the Western series had been dethroned by the animated South Park, which it has now overtaken to reclaim the streaming service’s global top spot. Marshals has aired 10 episodes so far, with three more left before the Yellowstone spinoff’s 13-episode first season concludes on May 24, with the finale, “Wolves at the Door.” Marshals‘ success at Paramount+ means it leaves behind other series from Sheridan on the streamer’s global charts, as Yellowstone stands in 3rd, while Tulsa King is in 5th right now.
Kayce in MarshalsCBS
Marshals is currently trending in 28 countries on Paramount+. The new Western series from the Yellowstone franchise ranks as high as the most-watched TV show on the streaming service in 20 nations. Those countries include Brazil, Ireland, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and more. Nationwide, although Marshals is successful, it does not quite get there. At the time of writing, Marshal stands as the 3rd most-watched TV show on Paramount+ in the United States. South Park, which the Western series has just surpassed worldwide, ranks above it in the US chart, in 2nd. The top spot on Paramount+ goes to NCIS.
While Marshals is not the most-watched TV show on Paramount+ in the United States, Sheridan’s Western series leaves behind a few major shows. Justin Hartley’s Tracker, one of the biggest shows on TV, stands at 6th, with Criminal Minds in 7th, the iconic SpongeBob SquarePants in 9th, and more. Despite its streaming success, Marshals has proved itself more divisive than expected. On Rotten Tomatoes, the recent release holds a disappointing 42% score from critics. Marshals received an even worse score from the audience, currently standing at a poor 28%. On IMDB, the Western is at a 6.0 score, faring better.
Continuing the story of Luke Grimes’ Kayce Dutton, Marshals both brings back Yellowstone characters and introduces new players as viewers get used to Kayce’s new line of work. That said, some choices, like a particularly major death, have led to the show facing criticism from viewers and critics alike. Despite that, Marshals‘ global hit status on Paramount+ is an exciting sign for the show’s future. Before the first season has even come to an end, Marshals has already been renewed for season 2, signaling that Sheridan’s new Western series will be around for quite some time.
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