Taylor Sheridan wasn’t nearly as involved behind the scenes during Season 1 of Dutton Ranch as many viewers may have realized.

According to star Kelly Reilly, that wasn’t always an easy adjustment. After years of bringing Beth Dutton to life through Sheridan’s writing, she wasn’t sure the series would work without his creative voice leading the way.

But after making it through the first season, Reilly says things are changing again — and Sheridan is ready to become much more involved in Season 2.

A Big Change

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Reilly admitted she wasn’t sure what Dutton Ranch would look like without Sheridan’s creative voice guiding the series.

Read More: Taylor Sheridan’s Hit TV Shows Shut Out at 2026 Emmy Awards

“I was very uncertain of what this would be without his words,” she said. “I didn’t know if it was gonna work. I didn’t know if she was going to work.”

The actress, who reprises her role as Beth Dutton, said it felt as though part of the character “had to die” before she could figure out who Beth was in this new chapter.

Behind the scenes, Season 1 also underwent a major leadership change, with Chad Feehan stepping down as showrunner and Benjamin Cavell taking over.

Earning Season 2

Reilly said there was an adjustment period as the cast and crew learned how to move forward without Sheridan serving as the show’s day-to-day creative force.

Everything comes to an end, and his time with these characters as creative leader, it ended. So there was a moment where we were trying to figure out, ‘How do we do this without him?’

Now, she says the hard work has paid off.

“We talk to him now about what the next season could be, and he wants to be involved,” Reilly revealed. “So that feels like we earned this second season from all the work we’ve done before.”

Back in the Saddle?

Sheridan’s renewed involvement comes as his television empire continues to grow.

Read More: ‘Dutton Ranch’ Season 2: Everything We Know

The writer and producer launched the Yellowstone universe before expanding it with 1883, 1923, Dutton Ranch, and Marshals.

He’s also the creative force behind hit series including Landman, Mayor of Kingstown, Lioness, and Tulsa King.

While Reilly didn’t say exactly what Sheridan’s increased involvement will look like, it appears the creator of the Dutton family will have a much larger hand in shaping Season 2 than he did the first time around.

Taylor Sheridan’s TV Shows, Ranked

Taylor Sheridan has become one of the most in-demand writers and directors in the world! Read on to see his best and worst television projects, ranked.

No. 12: ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’

Well … what can we say? Nobody’s perfect, and Lawmen: Bass Reeves is, so far, the only real stain on Sheridan’s TV legacy (besides the last bit of Yellowstone).

The Western drama following the Black lawman who was the real-life inspiration for the Lone Ranger was great on paper.

However, the show just didn’t end up delivering on its promise, delivering a series of almost unrelated episodes instead of a compelling narrative thread.

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No. 11: ‘The Last Cowboy’

The Last Cowboy is a reality show from Sheridan, following professional horse trainers as they compete in high-stakes professional reining.

It’s actually very compelling if you’re into roping and horses, but it’d be a tough sell for anyone else.

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No. 10: ‘Mayor of Kingstown’

Mayor of Kingstown is great … just not quite as enjoyable as some of Sheridan’s other shows.

Jeremy Renner leads the cast for the prison-based show about inequality, unequal justice and political corruption.

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No. 9: ‘Marshals’

Marshals is a brand-new show from Sheridan. The Yellowstone spinoff follows the youngest Dutton, Kayce, as he accepts a job as a U.S. Marshal to try to get over the death of his wife, Monica. The show is a huge hit right out of the box, and it’s already renewed for a second season.

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No. 8: ‘Tulsa King’

Tulsa King is something of an outlier in Sheridan’s body of work, using humor almost as much as drama and violence to tell its story.

Sylvester Stallone stars as an unlikely mob boss in the gangster drama, which has also become a major hit.

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No. 7: ‘The Road’

The Road is a real departure for Sheridan. The show featured Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and Gretchen Wilson as they took a group of aspiring country stars on the road to discover which one could hold the audience best.

The show dispensed with many of the tropes that hamper reality singing competitions, resulting in a gritty realism that was refreshing.

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No. 6: ‘The Madison’

The Madison is one of Sheridan’s newest offerings, and it offers a sharp contrast to much of the rest of his work. The emotional TV drama explores themes of loss, grief and perseverance in a way that’s surprisingly sensitive, given Sheridan’s penchant for machismo. As a result, it’s turning into an early fan favorite that has already been renewed for a second season.

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No. 5: ‘1923’

It would be practically impossible to make a bad show starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. 1923 picks up where 1883 left off, showing how the Duttons were able to consolidate their land holdings and become some of the biggest landowners in the U.S. while fighting off challenges from those who wanted to take what they had built.

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No. 4: ‘Lioness’

With a killer cast led by Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldana, Lioness is a high-intensity international thriller following an elite CIA unit. The show balances action, violence and personal drama in a way that ties it all together seamlessly.

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No. 3: ‘Landman’

Billy Bob Thornton leads the cast of Landman, which has become a runaway hit over two seasons so far.

The show follows the oil business in West Texas, and its mix of drama, violence, dark humor and some sweet family elements makes it a home run on every level.

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No. 2: ‘1883’

It was a little bit too dark for some fans, but 1883 was quite simply a fine television show.

Led by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, the show told the backstory of how the Duttons headed West from Texas to Montana to establish the Yellowstone Ranch.

The show’s unflinching violence and depiction of how arduous a trek that really was, was too much for some, but it provided some of the most compelling television in recent years.

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No. 1: ”Yellowstone’

Well, of course! Season 5 and all of its flaws notwithstanding, Yellowstone is still the flagship show that launched Sheridan’s TV empire.

Not only that, but at its best, Yellowstone really did make for incredible television; well-written, compelling and featuring superb performances from an excellent cast.