Greenwich Doctor Finds Community On Set Of Hit CBS Show

GREENWICH, CT — What began as an unexpected opportunity to lend her medical expertise to a television show last year has turned into something more for Dr. Karen Soika.

Soika, who moved to Park City, Utah, during the COVID-19 pandemic but often commutes back to her practice in Greenwich, was brought back to work on season 2 of the hit CBS television show "Marshals," which has been filming since May.

Now in more scenes as an extra for season 2, Soika says she has found a community on set, and the experience has changed the way she watches TV.

Soika became involved in season 1 after she was asked to deliver supplies to what she later learned was the show's set at a Park City filming studio last year.

After mentioning that she was a doctor, she was encouraged to meet with the casting department and was eventually hired for brief background roles, including as a nurse. She served as the show's medical scene expert, advising on the accuracy of wounds, patient positioning and medical equipment, and also worked with the props department.

A spinoff of the popular series "Yellowstone," "Marshals" (formerly "Y: Marshals") stars Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton, and follows a "case-of-the-week" structure, similar to Law & Order or CSI.

"With the Yellowstone Ranch behind him, Dutton joins an elite unit of U.S. Marshals, combining his skills as a cowboy and Navy SEAL to bring range justice to Montana, where he and his teammates must balance family, duty and the high psychological cost that comes with serving as the last line of defense in the region’s war on violence," the CBS website says.

The show debuted this past March and set ratings records for CBS.

The casting director contacted Soika for help with season 2, and she has appeared in several scenes as an extra this summer.

"It's easier because since I have experience now, I'm not nervous. I know a lot of the producers and the camera team on the set from season 1," Soika told Patch in a recent interview.

Notably, her car, a Mercedes-AMG C 43 complete with fake Montana license plates, was used in a scene. Soika has also been an extra in a country club scene and in a scene involving pedestrians and a traffic jam.

Some of the scenes have taken multiple hours to shoot, Soika said.

"It's fascinating to see the long hours they put in and the dedication," Soika said. "There are some nights we don't finish until 9 o'clock, and the cast and crew are right back the next day at 6 a.m."

Soika said she couldn't have imagined being involved in the show this much when she dropped off those medical supplies last year.

"Season 1 was definitely a shock," she said. "This does not happen. People don't just stumble onto a studio and then let alone be put into [the show]."

The experience has changed the way she views TV, she said, noting the work that goes into casting, wardrobe, and finding the right filming locations.

"You definitely have an appreciation for it, because it truly is an art," she said. "The actors are playing a role and they do it flawlessly most of the time."

Soika said she has appreciated the friendships and relationships she has established while on set.

"It's become like a little bit of a TV family while you're there," she said. "You're comfortable. I've enjoyed it. I really have enjoyed it."

The second season of "Marshals" is set to premiere on CBS on Oct. 4 at 8:30 p.m.