The CBS drama “Marshals,” a spinoff of Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone,” is sending its story east for Season 2, with new episodes built around a trip to New York City and a pivotal scene filmed in Brooklyn.
Star Ash Santos, who plays Andrea “Dre” Cruz, discussed the new season in an interview with Decider, describing how her character’s search for answers about her father’s death leads her back to New York.
“Someone comes up to her at a certain point and says something because they knew the precinct that her father worked in, and it unearths all of this information that she didn’t know before,” Santos said. “As she starts digging into her father’s murder, she finds that there was an entire situation she had no idea about. He was almost leading a double life. It ends up taking her to New York, where she really feels a desperate need to try and get answers and uncover this part of her life that has affected her so much.”
Dre won’t make the trip alone. Luke Grimes’ character, Kayce Dutton, travels with her, and Santos described filming an emotional scene on the water in Dumbo, with the Manhattan skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge in view.
“The other day we were filming this scene on the water, and we’re looking at the Manhattan skyline in Dumbo under the Brooklyn Bridge, and it’s so beautiful. It was an emotional scene,” Santos said.
According to Santos, the New York trip gives Dre a long-delayed emotional release. “She ends up having a moment of deep vulnerability where she finally allows herself to cry and process the death of her father. We didn’t see her cry at his funeral, so we finally see her cry, and it’s in the arms of a certain person,” she said. “It’s really beautiful that she was able to lean on them and feel so safe and seen in that moment to even open up in that way, so I think the fans will really love that.”
Romance developments for Dre and Kayce
Season 1 left many “Yellowstone” fans sensing chemistry between Dre and Kayce, even as the show dealt with the death of Kayce’s wife, Monica (Kelsey Asbille). Santos said the connection surprised her when she signed on.
“To now have him move on with his life, it has to be done with such specific timing and with so much attention and care. Watching them really connect — they both lost their fathers, and there’s such a safety that Andrea feels with Kayce. It’s unlike any person she’s ever met. She also feels deeply protected by him,” Santos said.
Santos confirmed that both characters will see romantic developments in Season 2, though not necessarily with each other. “There will be developments on both fronts, both for Kayce and Andrea. Two people come in and catch the other one’s eye,” she said. “There is a really interesting moment in the bar at the end of a certain episode where they’re each with their respective partners and just trying to figure out, ‘What is this? What’s here?'”
New faces and a familiar one
Marque Richardson joins the cast as Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Barnes, a character Santos said will cross paths with Dre. “I was really excited about having him join, because I loved him in Dear White People. I think he’s an incredible actor, and it’s so fun having him in this world,” she said.
“Yellowstone” alum Jefferson White also returns as Jimmy Hurdstrom. “I only know him as Jimmy, and similar to Luke, he’s so different from his character. He is such a great actor. Jefferson is so sweet and vivacious, and he brings a really bubbly energy to set,” Santos said.
Season 2’s trailer also includes a brief shot of a young man with the Yellowstone ranch’s Y brand on his chest. Santos said it isn’t a new character but a new look at an existing one. “I think when that’s shown, it will feel very familiar. It’s an illumination of a backstory that’s done in a really cool way,” she said.
A family connection on set
Santos said her 10-year-old daughter, Lawson, appears as a young version of Dre in flashback photos for episodes set in the character’s childhood home. “They needed photos of the younger version of me, and I was like, ‘Well, you know, I do have Lawson.’ … In Episodes 14 and 15, it’s so sweet to me, because there are literally scenes where I’m holding a photo looking at myself, but it’s really my daughter,” she said.
Looking ahead to the season, Santos said she expects viewers to see Dre mature. “I’m really excited for the audience to see Andrea reconcile with her past and grow more into herself. She really grows up in Season 2 in a beautiful way,” she said.
New episodes of “Marshals” Season 2 air Sundays on CBS, with streaming available on Paramount+.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login