By MARK KENNEDY
NEW YORK (AP) — Luke Grimes thought he’d said goodbye to stoic Kayce Dutton. The universe of “Yellowstone” had other ideas.
In the hit show’s fifth and final season in 2024, Dutton rode off into the proverbial sunset at peace, building a new life ranching on his own terms with his wife and son.
“I thought, ‘This is it,’” says Grimes. “I love the way this ends for him. He kind of got what he always wanted, which is just a simple life.”
Luckily for fans — somewhat less so for Dutton — that simple life is upended as Grimes once more slips into the role for the prime-time spinoff “Marshals,” which premieres Sunday on CBS and streams on Paramount+.
In an artful piece of writing, showrunner Spencer Hudnut takes Dutton from a neo-Western family drama to a Western law enforcement procedural, giving him a badge and having him join a band of U.S. Marshals in Montana.
“We wanted to make it feel organic and we wanted there to be enough of the sort of ethos of ‘Yellowstone’ in there that the original fans could have something to hold on to getting into the show, but then have it have somewhere to go that felt like its own thing,” says Grimes.
‘Demons to conquer’
During the pilot, Dutton meets with an old comrade from his days as a Navy SEAL who gradually recruits him into their four-person Marshal team.
“May look like God’s country but the devil’s running free out here,” Dutton’s friend tells him. “I’m guessing you got your own demons to conquer, and I could sure use another door-kicker.”
“Marshals” allows the show’s creators to explore the military backstory of Dutton, a combat veteran with Special Forces skills. In the first episode, viewers will see Dutton smartly unlock a cellphone with a dead man’s eyes, a talent that wasn’t exploited on the Taylor Sheridan-led “Yellowstone.”
“We barely scratched the surface of that,” says Grimes. “In a way, it was kind of a blessing because we have all that stuff to explore now without it feeling like we just made some stuff up.”
Grimes says Dutton looks beyond the ranching life to take the job as a U.S. Marshal as a way to come out of his shell, help people and recover from personal tragedy.
“Clearly he’s making an effort to do something different here and change his life and change his son’s life at the same time,” says Grimes. “Because whatever dream that he had is over now, he’s never getting it back.”
A non-traditional procedural
The series also stars Logan Marshall-Green, Arielle Kebbel, Ash Santos and Tatanka Means, as well as familiar faces from “Yellowstone,” including Gil Birmingham, Moses Brings Plenty and Brecken Merrill as Dutton’s son.
This image released by CBS Entertainment shows Moses Brings Plenty, left, Gil Birmingham, background center, and Luke Grimes in a scene from “Marshals.” (Sonja Flemming/CBS via AP)
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This image released by CBS Entertainment shows Moses Brings Plenty, left, Gil Birmingham, background center, and Luke Grimes in a scene from “Marshals.” (Sonja Flemming/CBS via AP)
Hudnut says the show has twists and turns each week but isn’t a regular crime-of-the-week show: “CBS really wanted this to be a non-traditional procedural, which really allowed us to lean heavily into character.”
“Marshals” joins a slate of potential future “Yellowstone” spinoffs, including “6666,” “1944” and “The Madison.” Three other “Yellowstone” spinoffs — including “1883,” “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” and “1923” — have already debuted.
Grimes gets to spend more time inside the mind of fan favorite Kayce Dutton, a watcher and a protector who only speaks when absolutely necessary and, when he does, only speaks the truth.
The actor says creating Dutton’s persona reflects what Grimes liked watching while growing up, namely actors who told a story without overdoing it, with still excellence, like Paul Newman.
“He could sort of just sit there and have a flicker in his eye and you knew what he was saying,” Grimes says. “I just was always drawn to those kinds of actors who could do a lot with a little. And so, maybe, that’s just me trying to sort of emulate my heroes in a way.”
Good and bad
“Marshals” promises plenty of action each week, with the team battling gangs, drug cartels, race warriors, human traffickers and polluters, among others. The pilot kicks off with a bombing.
“This show is some good people going after the bad people. And if you like that sort of thing, it’ll be right up your alley,” Grimes says.
The series also marks both Grime’s rise to lead a prime-time TV network show for the first time and also his debut as a producer. He jokes that he’s a little closer to how the sausage is made.
“I’ve been working professionally as an actor since I was 20 and I’m 42 now, so it’s been 22 years,” he says. “I’ve had plenty of time to think about if I ever do get the opportunity to be No. 1 on the call sheet of something that’s a big investment for some company, then I’ll know how to handle it, not only learning my craft, but by watching professionals be professional.”
Grimes, a new father, also has an album coming out in April, but won’t be able to tour this year due to his commitments. Fans can hear one of his new songs playing over the emotional final scene of the pilot.
Hudnut says he’s proud to extend the “Yellowstone” legacy, which has attracted Old West lovers, whether they’re urban dwellers or rugged, outdoor types.
“Really, at its heart, it’s a show about family. It’s a show about legacy,” he says. “There’s something in there that we can all relate to, whether it’s being the father or being the son or being a sibling.”
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