I’m almost glad that Kelly Reilly laughed in my face when I told her I couldn’t get over how good her English accent is in new Sky TV thriller Under Salt Marsh. I’m half joking – thanks to Yellowstone, I’d completely forgotten that the actress is British.
Under Salt Marsh marks her return to UK screens since taking on the role of the fiery and outlandish Beth Dutton in Taylor Sheridan’s growing Western universe. It’s only a brief respite, though, as her highly-anticipated spinoff series Dutton Ranch is due to air later in 2026 on Paramount+ (an official release date hasn’t yet been announced).
This means that, short of rewatching Yellowstone from the beginning on Paramount+, Under Salt Marsh is the only new content we’re getting from Reilly before it’s time to saddle up… and that’s a good thing.
Set on the rural Welsh coastline, the story follows former detective-turned-teacher Jackie (Reilly) who finds her young student’s body, reopening a cold case from three years prior involving her missing niece, Nessa.
This means she has to work with her former police partner Eric (Rafe Spall), who divided the town while working Nessa’s case. It’s an understatement to say tensions between the pair are high, and it’s their core relationship that means both actors have “never” done something like Under Salt Marsh before.
Not only this, but both Reilly and Spall think streaming Under Salt Marsh and Yellowstone together is the ideal double bill… and after binging both, I’m inclined to agree.
‘There’s such a love in coming back together to do something like this’
“I think that one of the interesting things about this show is the relationship at the center between Jackie and Eric,” Spall says. “It’s something you don’t see that much, the platonic love story. These were people who worked together as friends, and then something has torn them apart before they’re put back together under these terrible circumstances.
“They can’t help the fact that they love each other, and I think that was a really lovely thing to play. One of my favorite things about doing Under Salt Marsh was acting with Kelly. We’ve worked together a couple of times in the past, and I’ve always loved it. And, you know, best thing about being an actor is other actors.”
You know where else has a core company of actors who love each other (with perhaps the exception of Kevin Costner) and characters who just can’t help loving each other through the bad times? That’s right, Yellowstone. The two worlds couldn’t be more different, but that’s only to their advantage.
You can really see the themes that run through the work Reilly likes to take on, and for her, that extends to off-screen antics.
“Rafe is someone who feels very like he’s belongs to my the roots of me, like he’s part of that group of actors in my life,” Reilly says. “So, coming back to do something like this together, there’s such a there is such a love for each other and an ease. We trust each other.
“You don’t have to go figure out who that person is, because I know. I’ve never seen you play a character like this and knock it out the park. It was lovely to be messy with each other. With the weather and the difficulties of this show, there was someone that you could be a bit grumpy with, you know, and sit in a tent and eat a bag of chips with.”
Dutton Ranch is one of my most anticipated shows of 2026, and after learning more about Under Salt Marsh, my excitement has kicked up a notch. The feeling of subconscious love, family and community have always been at the heart of Taylor Sheridan’s work, and both of these shows embrace the very worst of it.
Fight the FOMO now and be ready when the wild west returns, I say.
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