Updated October 5, 2026, 3:54 p.m. ET
Warning: This story contains spoilers from the Season 2 premiere of “Marshals,” currently streaming on Paramount+.
LAS VEGAS – The love life of Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton on “Marshals” is failing miserably. But fans’ love for the Taylor Sheridan-produced hit CBS series is exploding as Season 2 gets underway.
Grimes kicked off the new season in a pretty big way — with an NFL game, a Las Vegas tailgate and a premiere celebration all in one — alongside co-stars Arielle Kebbel, Ash Santos and Brecken Merrill on Sunday, Oct. 4, at Allegiant Stadium.
At the end of Season 1 last year, Kayce’s romantic life was finally starting to look up after the death of his beloved “Yellowstone” wife, Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille). Kayce had developed a budding relationship with Dolly Weaver (Ellyn Jameson), the daughter of crooked farmer Tom Weaver (Chris Mulkey).
But for Kayce, happiness never lasts long.
Stream Marshals on Paramount+
“Obviously, Kayce has been unlucky in his life,” Grimes, 42, told USA TODAY. “He opened up a little bit and he got hurt. Hopefully that won’t stop him from opening up in the future.”
A major contributor to Kayce’s romantic misfortune was the fact that Dolly’s evil father, Tom, had kidnapped Kayce’s son, Tate (Merrill). When Kayce discovered Tom’s plot to use Tate to extort him from his East Camp property, he left a trail of death in his efforts to get his son back – even using Dolly as “leverage” against his loathsome father.
It all ended tragically at the end of the Season 2 premiere, when Tom and Dolly rolled uncontrollably down a hill in their Jeep Cherokee — a classic TV stunt that appealed to executive producer Spencer Hudnut, who saw a lot build up as showrunner of “Seal Team” for seven seasons.
“It was one of those days where he was hoping to get maybe 25 percent out of this accident, but it all worked out perfectly,” Hudnut says. “It was as bad an accident as I’ve ever been involved in. It involved a working Jeep Cherokee.”
By the time Kayce reached the wreckage, Dolly was dead, leaving Tom to face the fact that he had lost everything. Kayce even spared his life, deciding that for Tom, living with the consequences would be a harsher punishment than dying.
“Obviously we’ve seen Kayce get back at people before,” Grimes says. “But at the end of the day, the worst thing he could have done to Tom was sit and think about what he did for the rest of his life in prison.”
Kayce Dutton still wears her wedding ring in season 2, but love could return to Cruz
Kayce was “unsure” about the relationship as it was, the first love budding after the death of beloved Monica Dutton. The sensitive former Navy SEAL still wears his former wife’s wedding ring. This group is going to stay through season 2, Grimes says.
“That’s another conversation we’ve had a lot,” Grimes says of the alliance. “It’s like, ‘When do we take it off?’ We just didn’t feel like it was time. And I’m sure we’ll enjoy it for a while. »
But there’s still hope for Kayce’s romantic future, as he and fellow US Marshal Andrea Cruz (Ash Santos) continue to show signs of mutual attraction, and Kayce will travel to Cruz’s hometown of New York later in the season.
“They are two people who are polar opposites but very attracted to each other,” explains Hudnut. “In the first half of this season, they’re going to get closer. But there are going to be things that are going to make that relationship more complicated.”
Gn entert
