As the first true sequel series in the ever-expanding Yellowstone universe, Marshals faced a massive challenge from the very beginning:

how do you continue one of the biggest TV franchises of the decade while still building a completely different show?

For showrunner Spencer Hudnut, the answer was clear:

don’t try to recreate Yellowstone.

Instead, build something adjacent to it.

Created by Hudnut and executive produced by Taylor Sheridan, Marshals shifts the Dutton universe away from ranch politics and into modern law enforcement. Set several years after the end of Yellowstone, the series follows Kayce Dutton, played once again by Luke Grimes, after he leaves ranch life behind and joins a tactical federal task force in Montana.

According to Hudnut, balancing Yellowstone’s legacy with Marshals’ new identity became the defining creative struggle of the series.

“You’re coming off one of the biggest television shows of the last decade,” Hudnut explained in a recent interview. “It would be foolish to completely disconnect from it. But at the same time, Marshals has to stand on its own.”

Unlike Yellowstone, which focused heavily on land ownership, family power struggles, and ranch warfare, Marshals leans into procedural crime storytelling mixed with military-style action. Hudnut described the show as a modern western crime drama driven by former Navy SEALs using tactical operations to combat violent crime across Montana.

That shift in tone was intentional.

Hudnut — previously known for his work on SEAL Team — wanted Marshals to feel faster, rougher, and more action-oriented than Yellowstone while still preserving the emotional DNA of Sheridan’s universe.

“The setting is the key,” Hudnut said. “You still have Montana, the American West, and these emotionally damaged characters trying to survive in violent environments.”

One of the show’s biggest emotional anchors is the relationship between Kayce and Pete “Cal” Calvin, played by Logan Marshall-Green.

The two characters share a military history dating back to their deployments as Navy SEALs in Afghanistan. According to Hudnut, that wartime bond — and the trauma attached to it — became central to the entire series.

“Kayce returned from war and immediately walked into another battlefield: the Dutton family,” Hudnut explained.

By the start of Marshals, Kayce is emotionally shattered after losing Monica and multiple members of his family. Cal becomes the person trying to help him rediscover purpose.

Hudnut also revealed that Marshals Season 2 continues digging deeper into the pair’s shared “dark past,” including a traumatic incident from their military service that slowly unfolds throughout the season.

Even with the new direction, Sheridan’s influence reportedly remains everywhere inside the writers’ room.

Hudnut admitted he initially struggled with inheriting characters from such a massive franchise.

“I think early on I was accidentally trying to write a Taylor Sheridan imitation,” he said. “It took me a few scripts to realize I was hurting the show by trying to become Taylor.”

According to Hudnut, Sheridan actually encouraged him to stop trying to recreate Yellowstone and instead let Marshals evolve naturally into its own series.

That freedom helped shape the procedural structure of the show.

Unlike traditional CBS crime dramas, Marshals intentionally minimizes investigative exposition in favor of emotional storytelling. Hudnut explained that even scenes involving cases or tactical missions are designed primarily around character psychology.

“What I learned from Taylor is that every character needs to want or hide something in every scene,” he said.

That philosophy also extends to the show’s handling of real-world issues.

Marshals reportedly explores topics such as:

• violence near the northern border,
• crimes affecting Native American reservations,
• and the crisis surrounding missing Indigenous people.

The return of Gil Birmingham as Thomas Rainwater further ties the series to Yellowstone’s deeper political themes.

Hudnut praised Birmingham’s performances, admitting the character was initially intimidating to write because of how iconic Rainwater had become in the original series.

Beyond the emotional storytelling, Hudnut also spoke honestly about the practical difficulties of producing a Yellowstone-scale show with significantly less money and time.

“We’re trying to make something that feels as big as Yellowstone with half the schedule and a much smaller budget,” he admitted.

Still, despite the pressure, Hudnut believes Marshals finally found its own voice midway through the first season.

“I think around Episode 4 was when I realized this show could become its own thing,” he said.

And for Yellowstone fans still unsure whether the spinoff can survive outside the ranch itself, Hudnut seems confident about one thing:

Marshals is not trying to replace Yellowstone.

It is trying to evolve the Dutton universe into something entirely new.