‘Marshals’ Star Logan Marshall-Green Talks Why ‘Yellowstone’ Spinoff Is More Than Just a Procedural

Marshals It is the latest TV series to expand its reach Yellowstone World of the Story, and was shown on CBS. The show is inspired by the characters he created Taylor Sheridan And John Linson, focusing on Casey Dutton (Luke Grimes). In an attempt to forge a fresh start, Kayce joins the United States Marines. However, as much as he tries to move forward, the unresolved demons of his past resurface in unexpected ways.

Kayce is pushed out of his comfort zone with the Guardians, but also finds a place to focus his skills. This Marshall crew is led by Pete Calvin (Logan Marshall-Green) – known to his crew as “Cal” – and also includes newcomers to the Yellowstone universe Bill Skinner (Ariel Cable), Andrea Cruz (Ash Santos), and Miles Kettle (Tatanka Means).

Yellowstone actors Jill Birmingham, Moses Brings Lot, and Brecken Merrill reprise their roles as Thomas Rainwater, Moe, and Tate Dutton, respectively, meaning a narrative line involving the Black Rock Reservation and its community keeps the series tied to the Paramount Network’s historical show.

It feels like a lot of work to strike the right balance between creating new law enforcement procedures and honoring Yellowstone’s history. I spoke with Marshall Green about that challenge, his role as crew leader and how Marshall aims to be more than just your typical CBS procedural. The text below has been edited for clarity.

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What does Kayce Dutton really mean to Cal? Is he just there to serve as a guard for the team, or does he represent something deeper, something more familial, given their shared military background?

marshall green: There’s definitely history with Cal and Casey, and from the time she leaves Yellowstone until she meets the Marshal, I think it takes a year or maybe two, but Casey has been through something tremendous. Cal was already in the area and created this team; Casey was the last person to join her.

I think he saw Casey’s need for purpose because of what he was going through. The reason he understood this was because they had another relationship in common. This relationship will be distributed, not in a linear and procedural way. In fact, the show will evolve into something much less linear, with flashbacks. We will return to Afghanistan eventually.

But to answer your question, simply: Cal needs a door kicker.

The Marshal strikes an interesting balancing act. On the one hand, it focuses on the procedural law enforcement narrative of the series; On the other hand, Yellowstone’s history comes into play. What kind of challenges have you faced, or what creative conversations have you had about striking that balance?

marshall green: I think the balance between serving Yellowstone and this universe, and then creating this new mission for Kayce, was in the hands of Spencer (Hudnut), the creator and director of the show, and Luke (Grimes), of course.

I’m sure it’s a very different show for Luke and Gil (Birmingham), Mo (Brings Plenty) and Brecken (Merrill), who come from years of acting in this universe and in these roles. As for me, I only watched the Yellowstone pilot, and I quickly realized I didn’t want to watch anymore. I wanted to ask questions, not knowing the answers, in front of the camera. I was happy to remain completely ignorant of the narrative behind these guys coming off the show.

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

Marshals also stands out from the procedural crowd in that it was filmed on location in Utah. Instead of looking like it was filmed on a backlot or in front of a blue screen, the show puts you on horseback through mountainous terrain. Can you talk about how your work has been shaped?

marshall green: We filmed all over Summit County, and sometimes outside of it, but especially in the Valley of the Thousand Peaks, where the first two seasons of Yellowstone were filmed. My experience with it will be very different — and a lot less surreal — than when Luke, Gil, Mo, and Brecken return to these locations seven years later.

There’s a reason they chose to film there. It’s absolutely amazing. There’s a lot of work to get to those interiors. But, you know, when you’re sitting down at 6 in the morning with an eight-hour course and it’s really cold, it’s kind of palatable because of the view and the horse you’re riding. He made it very easy, and the idea of ​​playing cowboys and commandos on horseback was definitely appealing to me, because I knew the area we would be filming in. That never left my mind. The place never got ugly. The locations are so beautiful.

Given the series’ connection to Yellowstone, I have to ask: Have you had any conversations with Taylor Sheridan about Marshall?

marshall green: I’ve never had a conversation with Taylor about this show. And you know, there weren’t a lot of – shall we say – ducks in this pond. It was a well-oiled machine. It was shot out of a cannon, and everyone was ready to do their job, so there weren’t a lot of producers following along. Everyone certainly seemed keen on what we were creating day in and day out.

Given everything we’ve discussed and the expectations Yellowstone fans may have for Marshall, can you tell me what you hope audiences take away from watching the show?

marshall green: Well, more than anything else, Indigenous stories are my favorite. That’s what I would take, if I watched this. I think there’s a lot of love for the characters of Spencer, who wrote it and is the director of the show.

But more than anything else, the kinds of Indigenous stories we tell matter. It’s not just that we’re fighting for these communities because they can’t lead, they can. These are incredibly strong communities with great leaders and great people. And at the end of the day, we’re fighting with them, and I love that.

Marshals airs new episodes on CBS every Sunday at 8pm ET, before becoming available to stream the next day on Paramount Plus.