Taylor Sheridan has the opportunity to pull off one of the most iconic crossovers of all time. And whether he grabs that golden opportunity by the reins or epically fumbles it, one thing’s for sure: Yellowstone fans deserve to see Marshals and Dutton Ranch collide.

After Yellowstone wrapped its fifth and final season in 2024, several fan-favorite characters returned to TV screens in two 2026 spinoffs. The Luke Grimes-led Marshals checked in with Kayce Dutton (Grimes) and his son Tate (Brecken Merrill) in Montana, where Kayce now works as a U.S. Marshal. And the Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser-led Dutton Ranch saw Beth (Reilly), Rip (Hauser), and their son Carter (Finn Little) try to build a booming beef business in Rio Paloma, Texas.

Despite shared DNA, the two very different premises and locations made for distinct, largely untethered seasons — until their Season 1 finales essentially ended the same. On May 24, Marshals Season 1 wrapped with Tate in danger after he unknowingly hopped a plane to Texas with antagonist Tom Weaver (Chris Mulkey). And on July 3, Dutton Ranch Season 1 closed with the cartel kidnapping Carter. While we may never know if those similar storylines were intentional or a happy accident, both sophomore seasons will presumably see the kidnapped boys in Texas, which means that Kayce — and potentially his team! — will likely have to enter Dutton Ranch territory to get Tate back.

Besides the fact that I can’t imagine a world in which Kayce goes all the way to Texas without visiting Beth and Rip, I admittedly struggle to imagine a world in which Beth and Rip take down a whole cartel themselves. As we saw in Season 1’s finale, the duo has a small but mighty army in Everett (Ed Harris), Azul (J.R. Villarreal), and Zachariah (Marc Menchaca). But surely a team of U.S. Marshals would be better equipped to deal with Mariano (Raoul Max Trujillo) and his men! With Beulah (Annette Bening) and Mariano’s history and a compromised Sheriff Wade (Josh Stewart), Beth and Rip will need more people they can trust on their side.

Writers often need to get extra creative and make big reaches to weave together two wildly different show fabrics for ambitious crossover episodes. We’ve seen recent examples when Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia joined forces, or 9-1-1 responded to an emergency at The Bachelor’s mansion. But other crossovers are inherent to show universes — think 9-1-1 colliding with one of its spinoffs 9-1-1: Lone Star or 9-1-1: Nashville, the One Chicago Event that united Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Chicago P.D., or Law and Order coming together with SVU. With Dutton Ranch and Marshals falling into the latter category, a crossover event wouldn’t just bring a long-distance family back together; it would offer a clever narrative resolution to both finale cliffhangers while strengthening ties between the spinoffs. Plus, with their kids in danger, imagine how badass this particular Dutton family reunion would be! Sheridanverse, assemble!

In Marshals, Kayce has talked a great deal about loss and life without his family. He’s mourning the most important woman in his life, Monica (Kelsey Asbille), and he deserves to reunite with his sister. And with all the talk of how legendary the great John Dutton (Kevin Costner) was on Dutton Ranch, we imagine Beth would welcome the tie to her roots with open arms.

Since Carter arrived in Texas, he’s struggled to make friends his own age and longed to return to Montana, so we’d love to see him and Tate get to hang (and I guess trauma bond!) at this stage in their lives. And the scene partner potential in a crossover feels endless. Let Beth banter wth Kayce’s old pal Cal (Logan Marshall-Green) and hopefully share a moment with Andrea (Ash Santos), who I refuse to believe left for Washington, D.C. Let Kayce find familiar comfort in Azul, Zach, and Everett’s wisdom. Heck, call Jimmy (Jefferson White) and the 6666 folks to help, too. This may be the first time everyone’s in Texas together, but it isn’t their first rodeo!

While a crossover event is still unconfirmed, recent comments from Reilly and Hauser suggest that a Beth and Kayce reunion could be a very real possibility. When asked if the spinoff’s similar Season 1 endings were planned, Reilly reportedly smiled and told TV Insider, “Maybe.”

“What I will say is I’d love to work with Luke. We saw him in New York for the Upfronts, Kelly and I both, and I just love him, man. I miss him,” Hauser told TV Insider. “I miss him too,” Reilly echoed.

“I love people that we’ve worked with over the years in Yellowstone, but the fact that he’s on his show and we’re on this show, if there’s a way to somewhere down the road do something special where he comes and visits us or if we go to Montana, great,” Hauser added.

“Go find our sons,” Reilly continued. “…I think Beth misses her brother, so I would love that to happen. And we were all very close. Wes Bentley, who played Jamie, Kelsey [Asbille], who played Monica Dutton]. We were a family, and we miss them very much. So the more we can get back in, that’s what we’re fighting for, Cole and I. Where we get our wishes, we would love to have as many back in our world.”

Beth and Kayce’s brother Jamie (Wes Bentley) — who fans said goodbye to in Yellowstone’s finale — and Kayce’s wife Monica — who we learned died of cancer in Marshals’ Season 1 premiere — likely won’t appear in a crossover situation (though we know Taylor Sheridan loves a flashback). That said, depending on how deep the writing goes, there’s always room for other Yellowstone stars to get involved, like Gil Birmingham and Mo Brings Plenty, who reprised their roles on Marshals.

Not to be dramatic, but on the off chance this crossover doesn’t play out, I’ll be genuinely disappointed and think a little less of both shows. If not now, WHEN? If not to save the sons, WHY?! The chance to bring these sibling Sheridan shows together couldn’t be teed up more perfectly. So let’s hope Marshals showrunner Spencer Hudnut and Dutton Ranch‘s new showrunner Benjamin Cavell — who worked together on SEAL Team — can team up to make some more Sheridan-verse magic happen.

Stay tuned for more Dutton Ranch and Marshals coverage from Decider.