Marshals Review: Luke Grimes Can’t Save This Soulless Yellowstone Spinoff

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Kayce Dutton isn’t quite like his father, John. While John had his weaknesses, he was a compelling character who constantly fought for power on Yellowstone, until his death in the show’s final season. Kayce started out interestingly, caught between the Dutton family’s rough way of life and the more honorable values of his wife and son. However, the show seemed to lose direction with his character, and his storyline stalled.

Honestly, the 6666 spinoff just feels…flat. Luke Grimes is a great actor – he really nails that mix of vulnerability and toughness in Kayce – but even he can’t save a storyline that feels pretty tapped out. It’s become this basic procedural about U.S. Marshals chasing bad guys in Montana, and Kayce is just…there. To try and force him into this expanding Yellowstone universe, the show is taking some really strange turns with his character and the people around him. It’s doing everything the Yellowstone finale tried so hard not to do with the prodigal son – it’s completely undermining what made Kayce special.

Kayce Dutton Moves Backwards on Marshals

In the end, Kayce’s storyline in Yellowstone saw him selling the ranch to the Broken Rock reservation. He, his wife Monica, and their son Tate then settled on their own land, East Camp, and found peace living a secluded life away from everything – a typical outcome for the often socially awkward characters created by the show’s writer, Taylor Sheridan.

Sometime later, in Marshals, happily ever after isn’t a reality. Kayce is living on his own at East Camp with his teenage son, Tate. Merrill, the actor, has noticeably improved since Yellowstone, and Tate is becoming more involved with life on the reservation while distancing himself from the negativity at home. This situation – the fact that things haven’t worked out as expected – is the central conflict driving the story, and it fuels Kayce’s desire to start over with his son.

Before discussing Kayce’s role on Marshals, it’s important to address the disappointing portrayal of Monica. The show relies on tired and sexist tropes, using her character as a way to create conflict for the male leads – a common tactic in procedural dramas. It’s unclear why Marshals creator Spencer Hudnut chose this path to explain Kelsey Asbille’s departure, unless Asbille herself didn’t want to return. However, even if that’s the case, the way Monica was written out of the show feels unnecessarily harsh.

As a critic, I always felt Monica got a seriously unfair rap on Yellowstone. Fans were so quick to label her a ‘nagging housewife,’ but I saw something completely different. She was one of the only characters trying to do the right thing, desperately trying to shield her son from the Duttons’ constant drama – a drama her husband seemed drawn to. It reminded me a lot of the way Skyler White was treated on Breaking Bad; she was criticized simply because she didn’t fit the mold of a tough, assertive character like Beth Dutton. It felt like she was penalized for not embracing traditionally masculine traits, and it just wasn’t fair.

Throughout its run, Yellowstone has consistently penalized its female characters, and Marshals feels like the final blow. While she might still be mentioned, her presence now feels more like a hindrance to the story than a contribution. This particularly impacts Kayce, making him a consistently unhappy and unlikeable character. Furthermore, the show’s explanation for her absence feels jarring and out of step with its usual storytelling, as certain key events shouldn’t be revealed solely through characters talking about them.

Maybe hoping for a peaceful resolution was unrealistic. But even Kayce is changing in ways that feel out of character. A major theme of Yellowstone was Kayce trying to escape his violent past, a past forced upon him by his father and his experiences in war. Selling the land to Broken Rock represented him finally breaking free, ending a long-standing family conflict that had only caused pain and bloodshed.

Marshals’ New Cast Challenges Kayce’s Stubborn Ways

In the series Marshals, Kayce is approached by a former Navy SEAL friend, Pete “Cal” Calvin (Logan Marshall-Green), who wants him to join a specialized team of U.S. Marshals. Cal believes Kayce’s knowledge of Montana and his ability to connect with both Indigenous communities and non-Native people would be a huge asset. Kayce sees this as a chance for a new beginning with Tate, but he quickly reverts to his combat mindset whenever he’s handling a weapon. Cal frequently has to caution Kayce to stay within the rules, work as part of the team, and avoid unnecessary violence.

Kayce is working hard to change his violent tendencies, trying to be a better person than his father. However, becoming a U.S. Marshal seems like a self-destructive choice. While the show presents it as a positive step towards finding understanding and community, it feels like there are healthier ways for him to cope – things like therapy, joining a support group, or simply finding a relaxing hobby like fishing or a sport.

The community Kayce is attempting to create feels populated with familiar faces often seen in procedural dramas. Besides Cal, there’s Andrea (Ash Santos), Belle (Arielle Kebbel), and Miles (Tatanka Means). Miles is the most compelling so far, as he appears to be struggling with a significant personal flaw. The others simply seem very good at what they do. Recurring characters also include the Broken Rock chairman. The relationship between Kayce and Thomas explores the emotional core of the show, mirroring the complex dynamic between Broken Rock and the Dutton family in Yellowstone.

As for connections to the main Yellowstone series, Marshals occasionally mentions characters from Kayce’s history. Beth and Rip are brought up, but it doesn’t seem like a full crossover is planned, though it’s still possible. More interestingly, Marshals hints at a storyline involving a disappearance that fans have been discussing, and the show might finally reveal how much Kayce knows about what really happened.

The Yellowstone Spinoff Is More of a Flashy Procedural Than Thoughtful Drama

I think most people tuning into Marshals are probably already Yellowstone fans, but what’s really cool is that the show works great even if you haven’t seen the original. They definitely nod to Yellowstone, but it doesn’t feel like you need to have watched it to enjoy Marshals. Instead, those references actually add to the intrigue around Kayce, making him this mysterious, almost shadowy figure – especially if you’re just discovering the whole story.

Viewers might be surprised by how the series is structured. Unlike other Taylor Sheridan shows like Yellowstone and 1923, which have ongoing storylines, Marshals feels more like a standard police procedural, similar to S.W.A.T. or SEAL Team. This isn’t a drawback – many people enjoy this type of show – but it’s a different approach for Sheridan. Each episode presents a new, standalone case – things like drug busts, assassination attempts, and tracking down gangs. While these cases eventually connect to a bigger overall story, each one is largely resolved within the episode itself.

The show Marshals sometimes feels a bit predictable and relies too much on familiar tropes. While it benefits from strong directing and visuals, and it’s commendable for addressing contemporary issues facing Indigenous communities in a rapidly growing Montana, it doesn’t stand out from other network dramas. The show’s standard procedural format actually hinders its ability to fully explore these important, darker themes, prioritizing flashy action sequences instead – even though those sequences are well-done.

It’s hard to get a good feel for a show after just three episodes. Hopefully, Marshals will quickly find something that grabs viewers’ attention. Ideally, that should have happened right away. Currently, the show’s biggest strength seems to be featuring a recognizable character, but it’s lacking the excitement that made Yellowstone so popular.

Marshals premieres March 4 on CBS.

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2026-02-25 09:08