I think it's one of the more interesting recent subplots in the age of streaming that one of the most venerable and ancient genres in TV has had a huge resurgence in the last couple of years – the western. There was probably a time when it felt like the genre was close to dead and buried, but one major showrunner might have reversed that course singlehandedly.
Taylor Sheridan was an established screenwriter and director when he turned his attention to Yellowstone, but that show has basically transformed his career, making him one of TV's most consequential recent figures. He keeps spinning off new franchises, too, and the latest is on Paramount+ right now doing massive numbers to again confirm Sheridan's potency. Marshals has been out since the beginning of March, but you (like me) might well have missed it entirely.
The show stars Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton, who featured heavily in the mainline story of Yellowstone but now has his own show to lead. In case you weren't keeping, Yellowstone itself is over, with (spoiler warning from hereon out!) the ranch that gave the show its title going back to a local tribe at the conclusion of the show, and that's left Kayce feeling more than a little directionless.
He's also bereaved, having lost his wife, and that seems to lead him towards a stark choice – either slouch into despair, or find a new sense of meaning. The show suggests he'll manage to do the latter, mostly by signing up to become a local member of the US Marshals, putting things right by enforcing the law. Sheridan's material has increasingly tended towards the socially conservative recently, and this might just play into that a little!
Normally when I write about shows like this there's an awkward factor to acknowledge – namely, that you can't actually watch them yet. That's where the good news comes in: Marshals is on Paramount+ right now, and it's doing big numbers while occupying the streamer's top spot in the charts.
It's also reportedly a great place to jump in even if you haven't watched Yellowstone, since its backstory isn't too hard to pick up and it wipes the slate clean in some ways. So, if you're curious about how Westerns are doing in the streaming age, this looks like a great chance to find out.
