Marshals is the latest TV series to expand the Yellowstone story universe, and it’s landed on CBS. The show, inspired by the characters created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson, centers on Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes). In an effort to forge a new beginning, Kayce joins the US Marshals. However, as much as he tries to move forward, unresolved demons from his past resurface in unexpected ways.
Kayce is taken out of his comfort zone with the marshals, but also finds a place to focus his skills. This Marshals crew is led by Pete Calvin (Logan Marshall-Green) — known to his crew as «Cal» — and also includes Yellowstone universe newcomers Belle Skinner (Arielle Kebbel), Andrea Cruz (Ash Santos) and Miles Kittle (Tatanka Means).
Yellowstone actors Gil Birmingham, Moses Brings Plenty and Brecken Merrill reprise their roles as Thomas Rainwater, Mo and Tate Dutton, respectively, meaning a narrative throughline involving the Black Rock Reservation and its community keeps the series tethered to Paramount Network’s landmark show.
It feels like a lot of work to strike the right balance between creating a new law enforcement procedural and honoring Yellowstone’s history. I spoke with Marshall-Green about that challenge, his role as the crew’s leader and how Marshals aims to be more than a typical CBS procedural. The transcript below has been edited for clarity.
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What does Kayce Dutton really mean to Cal? Is he just there to be a door kicker for the team, or does he represent something deeper, something more familial, given their shared military background?
Marshall-Green: There is definitely history with Cal and Kayce, and from when you leave Yellowstone to when you pick up with Marshals, it’s about, I think, a year, maybe two, but Kayce has gone through something massive. Cal has already been in the area creating this team; Kayce was the last person to join it.
I think he saw Kayce’s need for purpose because of what he was going through. The reason he could understand that is because of another relationship they both shared. That relationship will be doled out, not in a linear, procedural way. Actually, the show will evolve into something much less linear, with flashbacks. We’re going to go back to Afghanistan, eventually.
But to answer your question, simply: Cal needed a door kicker.
Marshals is performing an interesting balancing act. On one side, it focuses on the law enforcement procedural narrative of the series; on the other, Yellowstone history comes into play. What sort of challenges did you face, or what creative conversations did you have, about striking that balance?
Marshall-Green: I think the balance between serving Yellowstone and that universe, and then creating this new quest for Kayce was much more in the hands of Spencer [Hudnut], the creator and showrunner, and Luke [Grimes], of course.
I’m sure it’s a completely different show for Luke and Gil [Birmingham] and Mo [Brings Plenty] and Brecken [Merrill], who come from years of acting in this universe and in these roles. For me, I’ve only seen the pilot of Yellowstone, and I quickly realized I didn’t want to watch any more. I wanted to be asking questions, not knowing the answers, in front of the camera. I was happy to stay completely ignorant of the narrative behind these men coming from the show.
By the end of the season, those questions are going to start getting answered. There’s going to be a lot of strife when Cal realizes exactly who Kayce is, and has become, and what he’s done since leaving the SEALs. And it’s not so pretty.
Marshals also stands out from the procedural crowd in that it’s shot on location in Utah. Instead of looking like it’s filmed on a backlot or in front of a blue screen, the show puts you on horseback riding through mountainous terrain. Can you talk about how that shapes your work?
Marshall-Green: We shot all around Summit County, sometimes outside of it, but especially in the Thousand Peaks Valley, where the first two seasons of Yellowstone were shot. My experience with it is going to be very different — and much less surreal — than it is for Luke, Gil, Mo and Brecken to return to these locations seven years later.
There’s a reason why they chose to shoot there. It’s absolutely stunning. It’s a lot of work to get into those interiors. But, you know, when you’re sitting at 6 a.m. with an eight-hour turnaround and it’s freezing cold, it’s somewhat palatable because of the view and the horse you’re on. It makes it pretty easy, and certainly the idea of playing cowboys and SEALs on horseback was appealing to me, knowing the area that we were going to be shooting in. That was never lost on me. The place never got ugly. The locations are quite beautiful.
Given the series’s connection to Yellowstone, I have to ask: Did you have any conversations with Taylor Sheridan about Marshals?
Marshall-Green: I’ve never had a conversation with Taylor about this show. And, you know, there weren’t a lot of — as we say — ducks on the pond on this one. It was a pretty well-oiled machine. It was shot out of a cannon, and everyone was really up to doing their jobs, so there weren’t a lot of producers looking over their shoulders. Certainly, everyone seemed keen on what we were making day to day.
Considering everything we discussed and the expectations Yellowstone fans may be carrying into Marshals, can you tell me what you’re hoping the viewing audience will take away from watching the show?
Marshall-Green: Well, more than anything, the Indigenous stories are my favorite. That’s what I would take away, if I were to watch this. I think there’s a lot of love for the characters from Spencer, who wrote it and is the showrunner.
But more than anything, those kinds of Indigenous stories we get to tell are important. It’s not just that we’re fighting for these communities because they can’t lead — they can. These are incredibly strong communities with incredible leaders and incredible people in them. So by the end of it, we’re fighting with them, and I love that.
Marshals airs new episodes on CBS every Sunday at 8 p.m. ET, before becoming available to stream the following day on Paramount Plus.
