'Marshals' Episode 9 teases love triangle as Kayce and Andrea share emotional moment under the stars
The latest episode of 'Marshals' hints at a potential new romance for Luke Grimes' Kayce Dutton. The lead character was seen getting close to Dolly Weaver (Ellyn Jameson) in the last few episodes of the Neo-Western drama. Now, it seems like the show is setting up a love triangle for the much-loved character, injecting some romance into the hard-hitting action-drama series. The 'Yellowstone' spinoff series centers on the life of John Dutton's youngest son, Kayce, following his wife Monica's death. The former Navy SEAL veteran joins the U.S. Marshals in Montana at the start of the series as a way to reclaim his life after the tragedy. There, he meets Andrea Cruz, played by Ash Santos, who arrives from Washington, D.C. with a chip on her shoulder. However, with time, the two lean on each other as they share the grief over losing a loved one.
32-year-old Santos spoke to People on the red carpet at CBS Fest 2026 on April 15 about the 'slow burn' chemistry between Kayce and Andrea. Calling their pairing "unexpected," the actress mused over how the characters found common ground. "They feel so polar opposite when they meet, but then they slowly start finding that they have so much in common. One thing the characters have bonded over is their shared grief — Kayce's over the death of his wife Monica (Kelsey Asbille), Andrea over her father's death," she said.
'Marshals' Episode 9, titled 'In Low Places,' saw Kayce and his team work round-the-clock to rescue Andrea after she was kidnapped by Randall Clegg, the Dutton family's arch-nemesis. After successfully saving their teammate, the Marshals catch a breather with Kayce's friend Garrett, played by musician Riley Green. He sets the romantic tone by singing 'My Way' (Green's new single) by the bonfire. The song about lost love overwhelms Kayce, as he begins to reminisce about Monica. When he steps away to compose himself, Andrea joins him for some stargazing. She concedes that she's still not sure about living in Montana, but adds, "as long as I'm here, I'm glad I'm on a team with you." Furthermore, before the credits roll on the episode, Andrea and Kayce are seen standing together as Garrett sings, "If I had it my way, I would just lean in and kiss your lips right now."
Although it seems like the start of a budding romance, Grimes shared that the series has been deliberate in exploring Kayce's romantic life after his wife's death, which was a big blow to fans. On April 15, he told Swooon at the CBS Fest, "That was something that I wanted to approach very carefully. I had a feeling that if we did it too fast, fans of the original show would be very upset, and it just didn’t feel right." He continued, "It’s hard to have the lead of a show not have some sort of romantic thing going on, but we’re taking our time with it. Hopefully, down the road at some point, when it feels right, he can have something like that in his life again." Follow the latest developments in Kayce's life as 'Marshals' returns with new episodes on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
