A lot of planning went into Yellowstonespin-offs Marshalsand Dutton Ranch. That news might come as a bit of a surprise to fans, who witnessed the flagship series wrap up in controversial fashion in December 2024. But earlier that summer—long before Paramount admitted the open secret that the Yellowstone season 5 finale was also its series finale—101 Studios CEO David Glasser was already thinking about what comes next.

According to Marshals showrunner Spencer Hudnut, Glasser opened one of their initial conversations about spin-offs by asking, “ ‘Would you rather watch a spin-off about Kayce Dutton or Beth Dutton?’ ”

“Because he’s David Glasser, he, of course, will have both shows on the air,” Hudnut told The Hollywood Reporter. True to his word, that’s exactly what happened. The correct answer to Glasser’s question is that there’s no reason fans should have to choose between them. At the same time, the immediate follow-up query is whether audiences will ever see the surviving Dutton siblings together onscreen again.

“I certainly think the Yellowstone audience deserves seeing Kayce and his sister together, again, at some point,” Hudnut continued. “They ended Yellowstone at a really good place, and they both have lost so much family that it would seem like their bond would be even stronger than ever.”

Marshals, starring Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton, has been a ratings success for CBS despite poor reviews from critics. Where other Taylor Sheridan shows like Landman and Lioness rank as “certified fresh” hits among critics and audiences alike on Rotten Tomatoes, Marshals is currently sitting at a dismal 28 percent audience score. Without Sheridan’s involvement, Hudnut (SEAL Team) and Co. have basically turned Kayce’s ongoing story into a run-of-the-mill law-enforcement task-force procedural.

Dutton Ranch, starring Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler and Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton, looks to directly continue Yellowstone’s tone much more than Marshals does. Not only is Sheridan writing the series, but most of his Paramount+ team—including The Madison director Christina Alexandra Voros—are turning their attention toward Dutton Ranch next as well.

Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) and Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) return to ranching in the upcoming ‘Dutton Ranch.’

“There’s so much potential in having all of these spin-offs in the universe, you would love to see what could come of that,” Voros responded when she spoke with THR. “Everything is sort of its own satellite in a way. But I’m down for synergy.”

So it’s either that the crossover is already in the works and that’s why the creative heads are acting so vague about it, or there’s just so much red tape around it that they don’t want to disappoint fans. These spin-offs can’t look too much like Yellowstone 2.0 after all, because Peacock still owns the exclusive rights to stream the flagship series. But if Paramount can work out the crossover, I’m certain that more Yellowstone was the one thing fans actually wanted after the main series ended too soon. Plus, it would be too sad if these Dutton siblings never talked to each other again.

As John Dutton (Kevin Costner) said in Yellowstone season 5, “You’re a part of this ranch until the day you die.”