“Marshals” Episode 8 finally delivered what the “Yellowstone” spin-off has been missing by giving Luke Grimes’ Kayce Dutton a formidable villain. The show has a penchant for incorporating new characters, having originally introduced this powerful new Dutton family rival back in Episode 3. Now, Episode 8 has debuted another new addition in the form of Kayce’s old friend and former SEAL teammate Garrett. The character is played by Riley Green, a popular country singer-songwriter who makes his acting debut in “Marshals.”

Episode 8, “Blowback” begins with Kayce, his son Tate Dutton (Brecken Merrill), and Pete “Cal” Calvin (Logan Marshall-Green) riding horses on Kayce’s ranch. After Tate leaves, he soon returns to let his father know about a “sketchy” character walking up the driveway. This mystery man turns out to be Garrett, who previously served alongside Kayce, Cal, and a fourth team member in Afghanistan as part of their Navy SEAL team. We soon learn that the fourth member, known only as “Roner,” passed away during a military operation gone wrong, and Garrett hasn’t been handling the aftermath all that well — especially after being kicked out of the SEALs over some as yet undisclosed debacle. One thing that does seem to have helped the ex-soldier, however, is music, with Garrett talking passionately about playing and writing songs.

Green makes the transition from singing to acting with “Blowback” and is reportedly set to appear in four episodes of “Marshals.” His addition to the cast continues the CBS series’ trend of showcasing country artists, with previous episodes featuring prominent singers performing at the Bullet n’ Barrel bar. (Channing Wilson, Ashley Cooke, and Adam Sanders have all appeared.) Of course, outside of his acting career, Grimes himself is an accomplished musician, and it seems this was actually the genesis of Green’s “Marshals” casting.

“Marshals” has fought against dark “Yellowstone” trends but with Riley Green’s casting, it’s actually carrying on a less controversial tradition of casting country musicians. Singer Ryan Bingham played ranch hand and country songster Walker on the mothership series, while John Dutton himself, Kevin Costner, has performed with his band, Kevin Costner & Modern West, since 2007. Meanwhile, Luke Grimes has been releasing music since 2024, and the “Yellowstone” spin-off “1883” featured Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. Now, while “Marshals” continues some depressing “Yellowstone” practices, it has also added to the property’s impressive roster of country musicians with Green.

The 37-year-old has been making music for more than a decade, releasing his self-titled EP back in 2013. More followed before Green was signed to Big Machine Label Group in 2018 ahead of the release of his debut album, “Different ‘Round Here,” in 2019. Since then, the Alabama native has released two more albums: 2023’s “Ain’t My Last Rodeo” and 2024’s “Don’t Mind If I Do,” which earned him four nominations, including Best Male Artist and Album of the Year, at the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards.

It was his music career that led him to “Marshals,” with Green and Grimes teaming up for a songwriting session during which the seed of Green’s casting was sewn. As the musician told USA Today, “I mentioned I had some interest in acting. I didn’t know it would turn into a job so quickly. [Grimes] certainly threw me a bone getting me on this show.”

At this point, details surrounding Riley Green’s Garrett are sparse — we don’t even have a last name yet. A serious heart-to-heart between him and Kayce Dutton in Episode 8 revealed that Garrett’s post-military career has been rough, with the ex-Navy SEAL even sleeping on the streets at one time. We also saw him suffering from an intense nightmare involving Roner, and with some lingering hostility between Garrett and Pete Calvin, there’s sure to be a clash between the two coming (and perhaps an even more serious personal crisis). As Green told USA Today, “He’s a really kind of damaged guy.”

That said, we’ll also get to see Green doing what he does best and performing, though in a less formal setting than a stage. According to USA Today, Green will play his song “My Way” during a campfire sit-down with Kayce in an upcoming episode. The singer also teased future Garrett storylines beyond his four-episode run. “There’s the possibility that [Garrett] could be back,” he told the outlet.

As it stands, Ash Santos’ Andrea Cruz is being held by Michael Cudlitz’s Randall Clegg, and it’s unclear whether she’ll make it out alive. Of course, this isn’t “Yellowstone” where characters get killed off left and right (though “Marshals” did start by killing a controversial “Yellowstone” character off-screen). But let’s say Cal and Garrett bury the hatchet… could we see another one of Cal’s former SEAL teammates joining the Marshals? Someone as conflicted and troubled as Garrett in the crew would surely make things more interesting in a show that often feels like it’s still struggling to build consistent momentum. For now, we’ll have to wait and see.