The level of risk is being ratcheted up for the titular character in “Joe Pickett.”
The Paramount+ series is entering its second season. Season 1 introduced us to Pickett, a Wyoming game warden played by Michael Dorman (“Patriot”). The show follows Pickett’s detective work, justice, and overall interesting stories of his town named Saddlestring, which is next to Yellowstone National Park.
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In Season 2, Pickett discovers a hunter murdered in the mountains. He realizes that this is just one of a series of grizzly murders. He must solve the case and get the killer off the streets. Pickett deals with many unique characters, such as a radical anti-hunting activist and some freaky twins, and his own personal issues. Pickett is married to Marybeth (Julianna Guill, “Captain America: Civil War”).
But when they dig too deep, they go on the run and fight for their lives.
Based on Bestselling Book Series
Joe Pickett | Season 2 Trailer | Paramount+
Other stars of the show include Sharon Lawrence (“NYPD Blue”), who plays Missy Vankeuren; Mustafa Speaks (“Landman”) as Nate Romanowski; and Chad Rook (“War for the Planet of the Apes”), who portrays Deputy McLanahan. “In Living Color” alum David Alan Grier, who plays Vern Dunnegan, is also in the cast.
The characters are based on those created by C.J. Box, author of The New York Times’ bestselling book series of the same name. “The Crossroads,” the 26th book in the series, was released in February 2026.
Box is credited as an executive producer on “Joe Pickett.”
In “Joe Pickett,” Dorman plays a highly likable everyman who takes it one day at a time while managing his role as a game warden, his town’s eccentricities, and his family. Guill plays an approachable, real, and grounded wife who also helps the people of the town.
The Picketts’ daughters, who are played by Skywalker Hughes (“Little House on the Prairie”) and Kamryn Pliva (“The Abandons”) deal with the same issues almost everyone dealt with as a child, including schoolyard bullies to challenges at school.
An Engaging Western Drama
Dorman does a strong job portraying a range of emotions and dealing with memories of past trauma. The feelings are visceral with his flashbacks, stressors as a husband and father, and fear during intense situations. Speaks is believable as a man accused of murder and in a fight for his life.
The viewer really feels as though they are in a small Wyoming town. If you are looking for an engaging, interesting Western drama that packs a punch, watch both seasons of “Joe Pickett.”
Note: Paramount+ canceled “Joe Pickett” after two seasons.
