‘Marshals’ Star Logan Marshall-Green on Why ‘Yellowstone’ Spinoff Is More Than a Process

The Marshals the latest TV series to raise i Yellowstone universe of the story, and it stayed on CBS. The show, inspired by the characters created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson, focus on Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes). In an attempt to make a fresh start, Kayce joins the US Marshals. However, as he tries to move forward, unresolved demons from his past arise in unexpected ways.

Kayce is taken out of his comfort zone with the marshals, but he also finds a place to focus his skills. This group of Marshals is led by Pete Calvin (Logan Marshall-Green) — known to his crew as “Cal” — and includes newcomers to the Yellowstone universe 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, which means the narrative involving the Black Rock Reservation and its community keeps the series tied to Paramount Network’s landmark show.

It feels like a lot of work to strike the right balance between creating a new law enforcement process and honoring Yellowstone’s history. I spoke with Marshall-Green about that challenge, his role as a team leader and how the Marshalls aim to be above the standard CBS process. The transcript below has been edited for clarity.

Read more: Paramount Plus and HBO Max Will Merge into One Streaming Service

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 family, given their shared military background?

Marshall-Green: There’s definitely a history with Cal and Kayce, and from when he left Yellowstone to when he took the Marshals, about, I think, a year, maybe two, but Kayce went through something big. Cal is already in a position to create this team; Kayce was the last person to join it.

I think you saw Kayce’s need for purpose because of what she was going through. The reason he can understand that is because of another relationship they both had. That relationship will be completed, not in a linear, procedural way. Basically, the show will evolve into something almost linear, with flashbacks. We will return to Afghanistan eventually.

But to answer your question, quite simply: Cal needed a kick in the door.

Marshals do an interesting balancing act. On the one hand, it focuses on the narrative of the law enforcement process of the series; on the other, the history of Yellowstone enters. What kind of challenges have you faced, or what are some key conversations you’ve had, about equality?

Marshall-Green: I think the balance between working for Yellowstone and the universe, and then creating this new desire for Kayce was in Spencer’s hands. [Hudnut]creator and producer, and Luke [Grimes]of course.

I’m sure it’s a completely different plan for Luke and Gil [Birmingham] and Mo [Brings Plenty] and Brecken [Merrill]who come from years of acting all over the place and in these roles. For me, I only saw the pilot of Yellowstone, and I quickly realized that I didn’t want to watch it anymore. I wanted to ask questions, not knowing the answers, in front of the camera. I was happy to remain completely ignorant of the story behind these men from this show.

By the end of the season, those questions will begin to be answered. There will be a lot of conflict when Cal realizes exactly who Kayce is, and still is, and what he has done since leaving the SEALs. And it’s not that good.

The Marshalls also stand out from the crowd in the process by being shot on location in Utah. Instead of looking like it was filmed on a backlot or in front of a green screen, the show puts you on horseback in a mountainous area. Can you talk about how that shaped your career?

Marshall-Green: We shot all over Summit County, sometimes outside of it, but mostly in the Thousand Peaks Valley, where the first two seasons of Yellowstone were shot. My experience of it will be much different — and much less surreal — than it is for Luke, Gil, Mo and Brecken to return to these places seven years later.

There is a reason why they chose to shoot there. It’s absolutely amazing. It’s a lot of work to get into those interiors. But, you know, when you’re sitting at 6 in the morning and turning for 8 hours and it’s freezing cold, it’s fun because of the view and the horse you’re riding on. It made it so much easier, and of course the idea of ​​playing cowboys and SEALs on horseback was appealing to me, knowing where we were going to shoot. That was not lost on me. This place was not bad. The places are really nice.

Given the Yellowstone connection thread, I have to ask: Did you have any conversations with Taylor Sheridan about the Marshalls?

Marshall-Green: I have never had a conversation with Taylor about this program. And, you know, there weren’t many — as we say — ducks on the pond in this country. It was a well-oiled machine. It was shot out of a cannon, and everyone was really willing to do their job, so there weren’t a lot of producers looking over their shoulders. Certainly, everyone seemed to really enjoy what we were doing each day.

Considering everything we’ve discussed and the expectations that Yellowstone fans may have for the Marshalls, can you tell me what you hope the viewing audience will take away from watching the show?

Marshall-Green: However, above all, Native stories are my favorites. That’s what I can take away, looking at this. I think there’s a lot of love for the characters from Spencer, who wrote and produced it.

But most of all, the kinds of Native stories we get to tell are important. It’s not just that we are fighting for these communities because they can’t earn — they can earn. These are incredibly strong communities with amazing leaders and amazing people in them. So at the end of it, we fight them, and I love that.

The Marshals airs new episodes on CBS every Sunday at 8 p.m. ET, before being made available for airing the next day on Paramount Plus.