5 Yellowstone Characters Who Could Return On Marshals

Nearly two years after “Yellowstone” ended its five-season run on Paramount Network, the Dutton family’s legacy lives on via spin-offs like “Marshals,” and TVLine has a wishlist of characters from the original series we’d love to see on the CBS procedural.

Don’t get us wrong, we’re grateful that “Marshals” has managed to incorporate several key characters from Kayce’s former life on “Yellowstone,” including his son Tate (Brecken Merrill), Broken Rock chairman Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), and Rainwater’s right-hand man Mo (Mo Brings Plenty) — but we still think there’s room for more guests at this particular party.

We do acknowledge that adding more “Yellowstone” characters back into the mix could muddy up what the spin-off is building for itself. In fact, showrunner Spencer Hudnut basically told TVLine as much when he said, “We have such a rich backstory for Kayce and the Duttons, and obviously we want to build off of that, but what I don’t want to do is relitigate other storylines that Taylor [Sheridan] created and kind of settled.”

To that end, TVLine has put together a list of five “Yellowstone” characters we think have the capability of shaking things up on “Marshals” without relitigating any previously resolved storylines. That list includes several Dutton family members, an estranged nephew, and even an important person who is no longer among the living.

Read on for a list of five “Yellowstone” characters we’d like to see on “Marshals,” then drop a comment with your own additions. Which familiar faces need to reappear in Montana?

Kayce didn’t have many non-familial allies on “Yellowstone,” but in the original series’ final season, viewers were introduced to Cade McPherson, who previously served alongside Kayce during their Navy SEAL days. “Marshals” has managed to mine plenty of story from some of Kayce’s other former SEAL teammates — Cal (Logan Marshall-Green) has been a series regular from the jump, while country singer Riley Green also dropped by for a four-episode arc as Garrett — so we have no doubt that the show could drudge up more history between Kayce and Cade, making his visit both impactful and exciting.

The hiccup with this one, of course, is that Cade was played by Jake McLaughlin, who’s currently well-employed on ABC’s “Will Trent,” where he plays homicide detective Michael Ormewood. (Come to think of it, “Marshals” could also probably benefit from a homicide detective.) Several stars — not to mention shooting schedules — would have to align in order for Cade to appear on “Marshals,” but hey, crazier things have happened!

We’re not saying that the writing on “Marshals” is bad, but no one dishes out savage one-liners quite like Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), whose take-no-crap attitude is still alive and well on another “Yellowstone” spin-off, Paramount+’s “Dutton Ranch.” Even if she only drops by for a quick visit, we’d love to hear some brutally honest remarks from Kayce’s sister about the way he’s running their old stomping grounds. We especially think she’d have a lot to say about Dolly Weaver (Ellyn Jameson), with whom Kayce is now romantically involved, and Dolly’s father Tom (Chris Mulkey), who is still trying to get his dirty paws on East Camp — unbeknownst to Kayce, who fully believes that Tom bears no hard feelings about his decision not to sell his land.

Would Beth immediately sniff out the Weavers’ shadiness, giving Kayce a much-needed warning about the family? Would Kayce take those concerns seriously? It’s a lot think about, and we’d love to see it all play out on screen.

And because Beth and her husband Rip (Cole Hauser) are pretty much a package deal at this point, let’s also throw in a request for him to visit Kayce in the future. A two-for-one!

We know that Beth and Rip’s surrogate son Carter (Finn Little) has his plate full as one of the stars of “Yellowstone” spin-off “Dutton Ranch,” especially now that he and Oreana (Natalie Alyn Lind) might have a baby on the way, not to mention that he was kidnapped by the cartel the last time we saw him. Still, that doesn’t mean he couldn’t also find his way over to “Marshals” someday. 

Putting Carter’s relationship with Oreana aside, the wayward teen has had a difficult time adjusting to life in Texas, following the loss of Beth and Rip’s new Montana property to a wildfire. He just doesn’t quite know what to do with himself, so a trip back home could help put things into perspective for him. Carter’s recent interest in a potential law enforcement job also has us thinking — wouldn’t it be fun if Carter became a U.S. Marshal at some point in the future, even if it isn’t for another few seasons?

The “disappearance” of Kayce’s older brother Jamie (Wes Bentley) continues to loom large on “Marshals,” with several characters mentioning the mysterious cold case throughout the CBS procedural’s first season. (Psst! We know that Beth and Rip were responsible for Jamie’s death, but don’t tell anyone.)

“Marshals” showrunner Spencer Hudnut previously confirmed to TVLine that “Jamie is definitely in the ether, as is the sort of lore of the Duttons,” adding that “it does raise questions about Kayce in a way that any good U.S. Marshal would ask with some new guy coming onto the force.”

But Jamie isn’t one of the Duttons we’re hoping will visit “Marshals.” Instead, we’d like to see Jamie’s somewhat forgotten son, who was born at some point between Seasons 3 and 4 of “Yellowstone.” As far as we know, Jamie Jr. is currently being raised off-screen by his mother Christina (Katherine Cunningham), and since this franchise loves to unceremoniously kill off female characters, what if a tragedy were to befall Christina, paving the way for Kayce to assume custody of his nephew? As Kayce’s son Tate (Brecken Merrill) gets older, it could be fun watching him evolve into Jamie Jr.’s protector; God knows that kid needs something to do on this show.

The “Yellowstone” fandom’s collective heart broke when it was revealed in the “Marshals” series premiere that Kayce’s wife Monica (Kelsey Asbille) had died of cancer, a loss that continues to shape Kayce’s journey. Because Monica’s death occurred off-camera, the fans never really got to say goodbye to her, something that a visit to “Marshals” could rectify. We’re not saying that the CBS drama needs to pull a surprise resurrection, but a flashback to a never-before-seen moment between Kayce and Monica would go a long way with viewers.

When TVLine asked “Marshals” showrunner Spencer Hudnut about a potential appearance from Monica, he said, “I don’t want to guarantee anything, but it’s definitely not off the table. I think it would be really satisfying to see them back together.” Hudnut who was previously the showrunner of CBS’ “SEAL Team,” added, “I’ve worked on another show where we may have brought back a deceased spouse.”