The Dutton family has now occupied more than a century of television history—and somehow the Yellowstone universe just keeps getting bigger.
There was a time when watching Yellowstone required one simple decision: Press play on season 1. Now there are two prequels, two direct sequel series, and at least one Montana drama that keeps getting invited to the family reunion even though it is not technically related. Taylor Sheridan has built a very large television ranch, and someone needs to tell us which gate to enter first!
It sounds complicated, but there are really only two reasonable approaches. Release order begins with Yellowstone, then circles back through 1883 and 1923 before continuing with Marshals and Dutton Ranch. But our vote goes to watching all the Yellowstone series in chronological order. Starting with the earliest Duttons makes the whole saga feel like one long family story, and it gives John Dutton’s fierce attachment to the ranch more context once you finally reach the present day. The sacrifices behind that land are no longer abstract, because you watched them happen!
So whether you’re meeting the Duttons for the first time or planning a full rewatch, here’s the best order to watch Yellowstone and its many spinoff series. Just remember: Chronological order may make the family tree easier to understand, but it will not make the family itself any less complicated.
Our recommended order: 1883, 1923, Yellowstone, Marshals, and Dutton Ranch—followed by The Madison as a bonus.
1. ‘1883’
Begin where the Dutton ranch begins. 1883 follows James and Margaret Dutton as they leave Texas with their children and join a dangerous wagon journey west. It’s a complete, one-season story, so you can settle in without accidentally committing yourself to 53 episodes before bedtime.
More importantly, 1883 explains how the Duttons reached Montana and why that particular piece of land became inseparable from the family. Watching it first adds a bit more context to every later speech about protecting the ranch. You may occasionally want to yell, “Your ancestors crossed the Great Plains for this!” at the modern Duttons. (This is normal.)
2. ‘1923’
Next, move ahead 40 years to 1923. Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren play Jacob and Cara Dutton, who are trying to hold onto the ranch through Prohibition, economic hardship, brutal weather, and some very determined enemies. The Duttons have reached Montana, but “happily ever after” has not reached them.
Both seasons of this installment belong here because they bridge the gap between the family’s arrival in 1883 and John Dutton’s modern dynasty. They also reveal more of the lineage connecting those early settlers to the characters in Yellowstone. By the end, the ranch feels less like John’s inheritance and more like something generations of Duttons sacrificed their lives to protect. This understanding will come in handy later!
3. ‘Yellowstone’
Now it’s time for the main event. Yellowstone follows John Dutton and his adult children—Beth, Kayce, Jamie, and Lee—as they defend the largest contiguous ranch in the country from developers, politicians, and, frankly, one another.
This is where watching chronologically really pays off. You already understand what the family endured to build the ranch, so John’s refusal to surrender an inch of it makes more sense—even when his methods do not. The series ran for five seasons and establishes nearly everything needed for the modern spinoffs, including Beth and Rip’s relationship, Kayce’s complicated loyalties, and the eventual fate of the Yellowstone Ranch. Don’t skip ahead to either sequel unless you’re comfortable having the original ending thoroughly spoiled!
4. ‘Marshals’
After the Yellowstone finale, follow Kayce into Marshals. The series picks up his story as he leaves ranch life behind and joins an elite U.S. Marshals unit in Montana, putting his cowboy instincts and Navy SEAL training toward a new purpose.
We’re placing it before Dutton Ranch because it premiered first and is listed first in Paramount’s official post-Yellowstone viewing order. It also keeps viewers in Montana a little longer before Beth and Rip carry their branch of the family south. Familiar characters including Tate, Mo, and Thomas Rainwater help connect the new law-enforcement drama to the original series, even as Kayce begins building a life that’s no longer centered on his father’s ranch.
5. ‘Dutton Ranch’
Once you’ve checked in with Kayce, head to Texas for Dutton Ranch. The sequel follows Beth, Rip, and Carter as they try to start over on a new ranch in South Texas. “Start over” is doing some generous work there. Beth and Rip may have changed states, but danger, land disputes, and people making the mistake of underestimating them remain very much part of the package.
Technically, you can watch Marshals and Dutton Ranch in either order once you’ve completed Yellowstone, since they follow different branches of the family. Still, watching them by release date feels cleanest. It also lets Beth and Rip’s series serve as the final chapter of this particular binge—and ending with Beth Dutton generally ensures you won’t drift quietly off to sleep.
Bonus: ‘The Madison’
Here’s the slightly confusing one. The Madison is a Taylor Sheridan drama set in Montana, but Paramount+ has explicitly clarified that it is not a Yellowstone spinoff. Its central Clyburn family actually has no connection at all to the Dutton family tree!
That means there’s no required spot for it in the timeline and you can watch it whenever you please. We would save it for last. After several generations of cattle wars and Dutton grudges, its story about a New York family rebuilding after tragedy offers a different lens on Montana. Think of it as a neighboring ranch: not part of the same property, but close enough that fans of sweeping scenery and emotionally complicated families will probably want to wander over.
What About ‘1944’ and ‘6666’?
Neither belongs on the watchlist yet because neither is available! 1944 has been announced as another historical Dutton chapter and would presumably fit between 1923 and Yellowstone. The long-discussed Four Sixes Ranch series, 6666, remains on hold. Until either one actually arrives, there’s no need to leave an empty seat on the couch—or attempt to organize a show that currently consists mostly of a title and our collective curiosity.
