5 Paramount Plus Shows Way Better Than Dutton Ranch

Fans were happy with the first season of "Dutton Ranch" earlier this year, which essentially acted as a sixth season of "Yellowstone" under a new name, and without any of the baggage that creator Taylor Sheridan's feud with star Kevin Costner brought onto the screen (although there was still some controversy). It was also one of the best reviewed Sheridan series in a hot minute too, with a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score suggesting many of the critics who had started to get tired of the prolific writer/showrunner's output couldn't help but find this an irresistible return to the form of those earlier "Yellowstone" seasons.

A second season is on the way, but until that arrives, fans are probably looking for their next binge-watch obsession — and as they've probably exhausted every spin-off in the "Yellowstone" universe that's premiered so far, they'll probably need to cast their net further. That's where we come in, and we've selected five shows currently available on Paramount + (the home of "Dutton Ranch") with a stronger consensus rating from critics than the continuing adventures of Beth Dutton.

Some of these are shows which started slow but eventually became beloved; others are series buried on the platform that need a second look. The rest are recent hits with perfect or near-perfect ratings that are worth seeking out. We used Rotten Tomatoes scores as our barometer, specifically selecting miniseries or shows whose most recent season has a higher rating than the 89% "Dutton Ranch" has — that way, you can't get angry at us for saying something is better. Art is subjective, but we're going by the data for this one!

If you're reading this article, you're probably well-versed in the Taylor Sheridanverse far beyond "Yellowstone" and all its spinoffs. However, we'd bank on the chance you might have skipped the Jeremy Renner series, "Mayor of Kingstown," due to clunky reviews for its first season in 2021, but ahead of its fifth and final season in early 2027, it's probably worth catching up. It admittedly takes some time to gather steam, but don't just take our word for it being worth the ride. The critic's consensus is that it gets far better as it goes along. Compare the 31% rating for season one with the glowing 100% for its most recent fourth.

Renner stars as Mike McLusky, who takes over as mayor of the fictional Michigan town in episode one following his brother's death. Kingstown is a company town where the family's fingerprints are on everything, and the biggest business happens to be the prison system, with the town only notable for its mega jail. For the family to keep their grip on power, they must act as mediators between both sides of the law, which is a challenge as not only is Mike a former inmate, he was the shot caller for the white inmates — hardly the best resume for someone who is required to keep the peace in a town as divided by race as it is by his family's corruption.

Although not a Western, "Mayor of Kingstown" is a cousin to the "Yellowstone" universe in its examination of shifting power dynamics and the eternal quest for leadership. All of Sheridan's pet obsessions are here, even if the genre has been switched up.

One of the most talked about Paramount+ premieres that hasn't arrived courtesy of Taylor Sheridan is this all-star thriller set in the upper echelons of London's criminal underworld. "MobLand" stars Tom Hardy as Harry Da Souza, a fixer for the powerful Harrigan family (led by Pierce Brosnan's patriarchal Conrad) who is tasked with cleaning up all the messes, keeping the peace with rival syndicates in the city, and ensuring that the police don't start sniffing around their activity. The first season sees Harry navigate an escalating turf war with a South London enterprise, as well as acting upon all evidence of betrayal from inside the Harrigan family walls, with the gangland thrills a perfect fit for anybody wanting another epic tale of a dynasty in disarray after "Dutton Ranch."

The second season makes those internal power struggles the main driving focus, with various members of the family turning ruthless in their attempts to sit at the top table. It's been regarded as an improvement on an already well-liked first season, with a glowing 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with director Guy Ritchie elevating the scripts by showrunner Jez Butterworth with his familiar blend of dark comedy and sinister, nail-biting violence. It isn't a stretch to say it's the best Ritchie project since "Lock, Stock" and "Snatch," with the juicy, soapy gangland saga making for weekly appointment viewing.

Next up, one of the highest rated original dramas on Paramount+, boasting a perfect 100% rating from critic reviews. This Australian six-part series only premiered in August and has been overlooked outside of its homeland despite those rave responses, probably because it doesn't have anything resembling a hooky elevator pitch. 

Hugo Weaving stars as Billy Brennan, a retired cameraman in his early 60s who first meets Dani (Heather Mitchell) after she helps him hide from a brother berating him about their inheritance. As a thank you, he puts a bet on a long-shot contestant in a boat race, with a new friendship formed after it wins. He's married and she immediately hits it off with his wife, although the relationship between Billy and Dani is complicated after a drunken night they can't remember.

The positive reactions to "Dalliance" from critics all celebrate the fact that this is a well-observed, warmly funny portrayal of characters in an age bracket we rarely see onscreen. Rather than a stereotypical drama about old age, the show is better approached as a coming-of-age show for older viewers, who still haven't got their lives figured out like they assumed they would. 

It's lighter on the melodramatic flourishes of the other titles on this list, which is likely another key reason why it's been embraced by those who have sought it out. If you need something more laid back to watch after the intense high drama in the Taylor Sheridan universe, this comes highly recommended.

Another international import with a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, "The Guest" tackles similarly juicy terrain as the recent blockbuster "The Housemaid," although this BBC series digs deep into richer themes of social class amid all its delightfully over-the-top twists and turns. Ria Powell (Gabrielle Creevy) is a cleaner barely making ends meet, often having to resort to shoplifting to eat as her deadbeat boyfriend won't work, and she can barely cover the rent as it is. This all changes when the businesswoman Fran (Eve Myles) arrives in her life, not only offering her a job cleaning her mansion, but positioning herself as a lifestyle guru, ready to feed her new employee inspirational speeches about knowing her worth.

Soon, Fran is giving more money, offering Ria clothes, and even letting her move into the guest house. But none of this covers up the obvious mysteries, such as what happened to the previous cleaner, why there's a permanently locked room in the mansion, and why the gardener is telling her to leave at the first obvious opportunity. "The Guest" differs from "The Housemaid" as it leans into a more haunting, gothic style instead of becoming a steamy, campy thriller, although there is still plenty of that on the table here. It's not a show that offers you anything you haven't seen before, but it's a thrilling take on a tried-and-tested formula that'll keep you on the edge of your seat throughout all four episodes.

We've managed to get through this entire article without naming another Western series for "Dutton Ranch" obsessives to dig into next, so what better place to go next than this neo-Western conspiracy thriller, set in the wilderness surrounding Yellowstone National Park? 

Unfairly cancelled after two seasons, "Joe Pickett" stars Michael Dorman as a game warden who believes he's moved to Wyoming to tackle a straightforward job weeding out illegal hunters and other criminal goings-on. Shortly into his tenure, he discovers a poacher's body in his backyard, and investigating it pulls him further into a wide-ranging conspiracy involving a wealthy family who have invested in this land as part of a pipeline deal. Getting involved risks Joe's own family, tearing him between their safety and that of the natural world he was hired to protect.

Both seasons have perfect 100% ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, and an equally impressive 79% audience score, with many of the glowing critic reviews singling the series out as one of the best modern Western shows. This is largely thanks to a less heightened storytelling approach, with many of those reviews highlighting how the warm humor helps make the darkness of the conspiracy drama go down a lot easier. 

Michael Dorman's performance has also been highlighted for praise, with Joe feeling like a far more realistic in-over-his-head lawman than many other Western protagonists of late, thanks to a grounded portrayal. It may no longer be on the air, but it could very well be your next small screen obsession.