Not Marshals, Not 1923: Fans Dubbed This The Most Popular Yellowstone Spinoff Series

Following its 2018 premiere, Paramount's western drama "Yellowstone" swiftly become a bonafide cultural phenomenon. The hit show not only went on to run for a total of five seasons, but also spawned several successful spinoffs both during and after its original run. However, reactions to these shows have been somewhat mixed with one, in particular, emerging as the clear favorite among diehard "Yellowstone" fans, if online reviews are anything to go by. The first "Yellowstone" spinoff was a limited prequel series entitled "1883," which premiered in 2021. The show was a massive hit with critics and audiences alike. It currently holds approval ratings of 89% and 78% with the two groups, respectively, on Rotten Tomatoes. Meanwhile, follow-up prequel series "1923" represents a stark divide between critics and audiences. Per RT, while professional critics consistently — and overwhelmingly — praised "1923," everyday viewers found it middling at best, with only 55% of users giving it a positive review.

Critics and audiences were once again united on the next "Yellowstone" spinoff series, "Marshals," though probably not in the way the show's creators were hoping for. Notably, "Marshals" brought the franchise from the worlds of cable and streaming to that of broadcast television in March 2026, but it has a paltry 48% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, next to an even more dismal audience grade of 27%. Fortunately, "Yellowstone" immediately scored a layup in May 2026 with the sequel series "Dutton Ranch." At the time of writing, the streaming series has not only tied "1883's" Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 89% percent, but has surpassed the prequel as the de facto fan-favorite "Yellowstone" spinoff by securing an audience score of 83%. So, why exactly has "Dutton Ranch" been so well received?

"Dutton Ranch" marks a significant step forward for the "Yellowstone" franchise, leaving its spiritual home of Montana behind to follow fan favorites Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) as they build a new life in Texas. Evidently, this was a welcome shift for critics. As Slate wrote in their July 2026 review, "[S]eeing Beth and Rip scrabble to build a new ranch [...] is way more fun than watching them serve another baby boomer holding onto an overinflated 'legacy.'" That being said, "Dutton Ranch" still maintains enough familiar elements from "Yellowstone" to keep longtime fans engaged. In fact, one Rotten Tomatoes user noted that while they were initially skeptical about the sequel series, given "Yellowstone" creator Taylor Sheridan's very limited involvement in it, they were pleasantly surprised by what new showrunner Chad Feehan and his team brought to the table.

Meanwhile, over on Reddit, users not only heartily agree that "Dutton Ranch" is the strongest "Yellowstone" spinoff to date, but they argue it may actually surpass the original series itself too. "Didn't Expect it, But [Dutton Ranch] May Be Better Than Yellowstone Ever Was," read the title of a May 2026 thread on the website. At least one commenter fully concurred, writing, "Let's be real, Beth and Rip's storyline is way juicier than any of the rest of the family lol I mostly watched Yellowstone for those two characters!...well mostly for Beth, Rip was just a bonus." Other users in the thread broadly agreed that "Dutton Ranch" was, at the very least, a worthy follow-up, with many positively comparing it to "Marshals." "Dutton Ranch is filet mignon. Marshals is a McDonald's Big Mac," one wrote. Ouch.