“Marshals” is a bit of a paradox. On the one hand, the “Yellowstone” spin-off/sequel series has been a big success, having been renewed by CBS in the same month it debuted and, according to Variety, becoming the most-watched new series of the season. But fans have also been very vocal about their dislike of the show, and the Yellowstone subreddit has no shortage of threads where viewers register their “Marshals” distaste. Now, we have a debate on our hands. One Reddit thread about the “Yellowstone” spin-off, “Dutton Ranch,” finally satiating hungry fans of Taylor Sheridan’s original series has sparked a spirited debate about “Marshals” and whether it is, in fact, a good show.

Redditor Turbo_Chet kicked things off with his comment about how “Dutton Ranch” has “that ‘Yellowstone’ vibe that was completely missing in ‘Marshals,'” alleging that Grimes’ procedural “just feels like generic TV.” If you’ve only glanced at the online discourse around the “Yellowstone” spin-offs, then you might think that most fans are in agreement on these points — that “Marshals” is a poor show easily bested by “Dutton Ranch.” In fact, /Film’s own Kieran Fisher has waded into that very discourse, arguing that “Marshals” is good and that “Yellowstone” fans should stop complaining. But as this Reddit comment and its replies show, the fandom isn’t united in their view of “Marshals” as being an inferior show.

“‘Marshals'” is fine,” writes one user. “Generic? Absolutely, but good.” On the other end of the spectrum, however, we have this observation: “Marshals is godawful dross.” This debate isn’t confined to just one comment thread, either. Fans are discussing the quality level of “Marshals” elsewhere on Reddit, and the question is far from settled.

To put things in context, “Marshals” was always billed as a network procedural. Fans were promised a show in the vein of “NCIS” or “Criminal Minds,” and for the most part, that’s what Paramount delivered. “Dutton Ranch,” on the other hand, is a Paramount+ exclusive that looks and feels much more like a premium drama. But large swathes of the audience were evidently expecting more from “Marshals,” leading to some lively exchanges between fans who seemed to know what to expect and those who wanted more.

In a separate Reddit thread, one user opined, “They are trying to please the ‘Yellowstone’ fan base and draw in fans of police procedural shows,” adding, “I kind of like it so far.” Another writes, “I am a huge Tayler Sheridan fan. Love his shows and movies, but this is off-brand. The plot makes no sense.” Of course, Sheridan isn’t actually all that involved in “Marshals.” Beyond approving showrunner Spencer Hudnut’s idea for the series and earning an Executive Producer credit, he has little input. That, alongside the show’s procedural format, is why the series feels so different from “Yellowstone,” yet many fans can’t get past how uncanny it is to see Sheridan’s characters mouthing network TV clichés.

Still, some at least tried to give “Marshals” the benefit of the doubt. “OG ‘Yellowstone’ had some questionable writing and acting too,” wrote one Redditor. “Let’s not act like Sheridan has a magic pen that makes all his shows perfect.” Indeed, “Marshals” Episode 10 in particular channeled classic “Yellowstone” with a wild plot that was delightfully ridiculous in a very Sheridan-esque way. Yet many fans still can’t seem to get past the overt shift in tone between “Yellowstone” and Luke Grimes’ solo outing.

For now, “Dutton Ranch” has fixed fans’ main issue with “Marshals” by delivering a show that feels much closer to “Yellowstone.” But many aren’t quite ready to dismiss Kayce Dutton just yet. In a Reddit thread discussing the “Marshals” finale, one user urged fans to adjust their expectations. “[‘Marshals’ is] just a cop show,” they write, “and people need to think of it like that,” prompting support from another user who replied, “Agree — while they’re making a lot more connections to ‘Yellowstone,’ people have to stop thinking of it that way.”

This seems to be a more widespread view than you might think, given the backlash. Another Redditor writes, “‘Marshals’ isn’t ‘Yellowstone’ and it isn’t meant to be. It is a cop show. Try watching it like ‘SEAL Team’ or the ‘FBI’ franchise.” Yet another writes, “A lot of people like it despite what’s said on this subreddit. Anyone expecting it to be ‘Yellowstone’ 2 is going to be disappointed.” That said, there’s no pleasing those who, like one Redditor, believe “Marshals” to be “poorly acted crap.”

As eager as some fans are to point to the fact that “Marshals” is a network procedural, such a fact doesn’t excuse the often outright awful writing and the fact that Grimes looks positively bored to be fronting his own spin-off (see the above image in which Grimes has just been told he has to make another season). There’s also the fact that “Marshals” seems to have no idea what it’s actually about. That said, the view of this spin-off as terrible is not as widespread as it sometimes seems. With Season 2 on the way, perhaps it might even win over the doubters.