Understanding the Role of U.S. Marshals: Kayce’s Job in Yellowstone Explained
Yellowstone‘s spinoff has brought Kayce Dutton into a different line of work — but what does a U.S. Marshal do?
When viewers first met Kayce (Luke Grimes) on Yellowstone, he was a livestock agent and commissioner for the Montana Livestock Association, tasked with protecting cattle and enforcing ranching regulations. Additionally, he has a background as a former U.S. Navy SEAL.
Kayce’s past experiences proved beneficial when Marshals, which debuted in March 2026, showcased his choice to become a marshal. This CBS series follows Kayce as he shifts from “ranch life to joining an elite unit” of the U.S. Marshals, blending his cowboy and Navy SEAL skills to deliver justice in Montana. Here, he and his teammates navigate the complexities of family, duty, and the significant psychological toll of serving as the last defense against regional violence.
So far, Kayce has been instrumental in apprehending societal threats — but what does his role as a U.S. Marshal entail? According to their official site, the responsibilities include “apprehending federal fugitives, safeguarding federal judges, transporting federal inmates, overseeing the Witness Security Program, and managing seized assets from criminal activities.”
Grimes, 42, previously shared his thoughts on the concept of Marshals ahead of its release.
“I’m my own worst critic,” Grimes mentioned to Entertainment Weekly in February 2026. “I thought, ‘If you were to take a poll on who people would want a spinoff for, I don’t think Kayce would top that list. I believe there are other characters they’d prefer to see.’”
He used this as a driving force, stating, “So there was a fire ignited within me. It had to be good; if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t want to be part of it. We worked diligently to ensure that original fans of Yellowstone had something to connect with.”
He added: “But if you hadn’t seen Yellowstone, we aimed for this show to be accessible on its own. I believe we achieved that to the best of our ability.”
Despite the opportunity to lead his own series, Grimes was uncertain about the storyline.
“They began mentioning it when we were wrapping up the final episodes of the original series. Offers for a spinoff started coming in, and I hadn’t received one, so I thought, ‘I guess that’s a wrap for me,’” Grimes recalled. “Then I got a call saying, ‘It’ll be on CBS primetime, presented in a more procedural format.’”
Marshals airs on CBS Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.
