Yellowstone has been up and down as not just an individual show, but as an entire expanded universe, full of century-old prequels and recently, actual spinoffs with its former cast members. Now, Dutton Ranch premieres this week, and it has set a very surprising Rotten Tomatoes record for the franchise.
As it stands, the Rip and Beth spinoff has a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, the only such score in any show in the entire extended franchise. Here’s how it stacks up against the others:
- Dutton Ranch – 100% critic score
- 1923 – 94% critic score
- 1883 – 89% critic score
- Yellowstone – 83% critic score
- The Madison – 63% critic score
- Marshals – 42% critic score
There are two other 2026 premieres on that list, as the goal has been to widen the Yellowstone net very quickly. That would be The Madison, technically in the same “universe,” and Marshals, the two being the lowest-scoring of them all. There are only two individual seasons with a 100% score: Yellowstone season 3 and 1923 season 2. Dutton Ranch has a 100% as a series for now, though that could change as more reviews come in. Here’s the synopsis:
“Rip Wheeler and Beth Dutton gamble everything on a new life in South Texas, but the promise of building a future far from the ghosts of Yellowstone quickly collides with new realities and a rival ranch that will stop at nothing to protect its empire.”
Despite being a well-regarded spinoff of Taylor Sheridan’s famed series, he is not the creator of the series, that would be Chad Feehan, nor does Sheridan write or direct any of the episodes, though obviously he acts as a producer. Sheridan is on his way to winding down his time at Paramount, even as he still continues to make hits like Landman, the most popular show on Paramount Plus. Sheridan will leave for NBC Universal in 2029 after some disputes with Paramount over time. The NBC deal will also allow him to potentially get back to making movies (more Wind Rivers and Sicarios please).
Here’s what critics are saying about Dutton Ranch so far:
- Fandomwire: “Dutton Ranch is a pulpy, brooding, and feverishly addictive neo-Western crime saga, proving the Sheridanverse still has dust on its boots and blood on its hands.”
- Screenrant: “Ultimately, Dutton Ranch is perfect for anyone who loves and misses Yellowstone, but its appeal goes beyond that.”
- The Daily Beast: “The most straightforward and satisfying franchise entry since the original.”
Dutton Ranch premieres with a double episode release on Friday, May 15, and will run through July 3. Let’s see how it goes for ourselves.
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