Fans were surprised to see Luke Grimes stepping into a fight scene as Kayce Dutton on the streets of New York City, but Marshals star Ash Santos has revealed why the CBS series brought its Montana lawman to Brooklyn. The unexpected location is tied to a storyline that will take a much deeper look at Santos’ character, Andrea, and the secrets surrounding her family.

Speaking exclusively to Us Weekly, Santos, 33, laughed about the behind-the-scenes photos that showed Grimes filming in New York.

“With no context, why is Kayce Dutton in Brooklyn?” she joked. “We actually were here in New York because we filmed scenes in New York for Andrea and Kayce ended up coming with her.”

The brief production move from Utah to New York also gave Santos a memorable experience on set. She recalled arriving in Williamsburg and seeing Grimes emerge from a van dressed as Kayce, with the Manhattan skyline in the background.

“The first day we showed up on set on Friday, the Manhattan skyline was behind us. We were in Williamsburg and Luke got out of the van and he’s like in the Kayce Dutton costume just walking,” she recalled. “And I literally just start filming him because I’m like, ‘What do you mean Kayce Dutton is in Brooklyn?’ It was amazing.”

Andrea’s Backstory Takes a Darker Turn in ‘Marshals’ Season 2

Beyond the unusual filming location, Season 2 promises to explore Andrea’s past in greater depth. Santos said the new episodes give her character the opportunity to confront painful experiences she has long tried to avoid.

“She really gets the opportunity to finally confront the demons from her past,” the actress explained. “So I feel really fortunate. The way the show has treated my character and the care and attention to her backstory, it’s been really beautiful.”

One of the season’s central mysteries concerns Andrea’s father, whose death in the line of duty was previously mentioned in the series. Although Andrea believed she knew what happened to him, the truth may be far more complicated than she imagined.

“In the case regarding her father, she was told this entire time that it was something specific that happened and then it turns out that it was something completely different,” Santos teased.

The revelation reportedly uncovers a web of secrets and something resembling a conspiracy, leaving Andrea struggling to reconcile what she has been told with what she discovers.

“And it uncovers all of these secrets and almost a bit of a conspiracy that she’s trying to reconcile with. It’s a lot deeper than what I thought originally,” Santos added.

The storyline could become a major turning point for Andrea, forcing her to question her understanding of her father’s death and confront the emotional consequences of uncovering the truth.

Ash Santos’ Daughter Plays a Special Role in the New Season

Season 2 also brought a personal milestone for Santos: her 10-year-old daughter was cast as a younger version of Andrea.

“Coincidentally enough, my 10-year-old daughter came in to play the younger me. So that was really special for us,” Santos shared.

The experience became even more meaningful when her daughter began showing an interest in acting. Santos recalled watching her get butterfly clips added to her hair, a hairstyle she remembered wearing herself as a child.

As her daughter sat in the makeup chair, she expressed a wish to have dialogue in the scene.

“And as she was in the makeup chair, she was like, ‘Well, it’d be so fun if I had lines.’ I was like, ‘Girl, you know how hard you got to work to get the lines?’” Santos recalled with a laugh.

Despite the playful exchange, the actress was proud to see her daughter enjoying the experience. She described the young girl as confident and said the opportunity allowed her to share a special part of her professional world with her family.

“She’s such a confident little girl. She’s what I wanted to be when I was her age and it was so special for her to be able to be on set and be a part of the show in that way,” Santos said. “We loved every second of that.”

More Episodes Give Andrea Room to Show Her Vulnerability

Santos also praised the expanded episode count for Season 2, which increased from 13 episodes to 20. The additional installments have allowed the writers to spend more time developing Andrea’s emotional journey instead of focusing solely on her strength.

“It just gives you so much more time with your character and so much more breathing room,” she said.

The actress added that she has particularly appreciated the introspective direction of Andrea’s storyline, which allows the character to address issues she has kept buried for years.

“This season has been so deep and introspective,” Santos explained. “She really gets the space to deal with things that she’s tried to keep at bay for a long time and so I’ve had a lot of fun being able to show more of her vulnerability and less of her strength, almost.”

With Kayce joining Andrea in New York, a mystery surrounding her father’s death, and a more vulnerable side of the character emerging, Marshals Season 2 appears set to expand the series beyond its familiar law-enforcement action. Andrea’s past could hold answers that change how she sees her family—and herself.

Marshals airs Sundays on CBS at 8:30 p.m. ET, with new episodes streaming on Paramount+ the following day.

Source: Compiled from various sources