The first season of Marshals on CBS gave us a lot of highs and lows as we caught up with Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) in the aftermath of the events of Yellowstone. He’s trying to be a father to Tate (Brecken Merrill) and to settle into a new role as a U.S. Marshal. But it hasn’t been smooth. The end of the first season left Kayce and the team in a pickle.
We had an all-out gun fight in the first season finale as men seemed to be trying to get to Chairman Rainwater (Gil Birmingham). But as we discovered, Rainwater wasn’t really the target, or rather wasn’t the only target. The whole thing was masterminded by Tom Weaver (Chris Mulkey), who has his eyes set on East Camp.
As the season ended, Weaver was taking Tate on a fishing trip. Kayce was trying to work things out while spending time with Weaver’s daughter, Dolly (Ellyn Jameson). Meanwhile Cal (Logan Marshall-Green) and Belle (Arielle Kebbel) found themselves in a gunfight, and Cruz (Ash Santos) was mulling taking a new job in Washington, D.C. All that comes to a head in an action-packed season 2 premier, “All Hat No Cattle.” Let’s dive in. SPOILERS BELOW.
A threat revealed
It doesn’t take long for Kayce to learn who is really behind the attacks. As he and Dolly arrive back at East Camp, there are men waiting. The men are from Weaver, who is holding Tate as a bargaining chip until Kayce signs over his property. Dolly is caught off guard, refusing to believe her father could be behind it all. But Kayce has a different idea.
Kayce quickly moves and disarms, then dispatches the three sent to pressure and then kill him. He’s unsure of what to believe, creating tension with Dolly. She claims innocence and of being on his side, but he doesn’t believe she knew nothing. Kayce calls Weaver and agrees to come to his ranch in Wyoming to exchange his property and Dolly for Tate. He feels it’s a trap, but he’s going anyway.
As he heads out to leave, Cruz arrives to say goodbye. It’s an awkward exchange. Cruz gets the feeling that there is more to the story, which provides yet another reason not to head out. She, instead, returns to base.
Uncovering a plot
Cal and Belle are back, as is Miles (Tatanka Means), who successfully delivered Rainwater. His mission was a success, getting the mine moved. Now, Miles is ready to accept his punishment of desk duty. Though, by the end, that won’t be the case. As Cruz arrives, they all begin digging into who might have been responsible.
It soon becomes clear all roads lead back to Weaver. Turns out, he’s had more than a few problems in his business. That’s led him down a different road, using his property and a supposed cattle business to move around money. It’s a cattle-based Ponzi scheme, and it means he’s desperate for money and land. Having Rainwater move the mine on to his land doesn’t help and threatens to undo his scheme.
It soon becomes clear to the team that Kayce is walking into a trap, likely because Tate is being held hostage. So, they decide it’s time to intervene. They hop on a helicopter and make their way to Wyoming.
A showdown
Kayce arrives with Dolly and gets a police escort to the meeting, which means he loses his big guns. He still has one gun and asks Dolly to carry it, as she won’t be suspected. She’s loath to shoot her father, but Kayce asks her to at least be the holster. Kayce signs over his ranch and asks for Tate. But it’s clear Weaver has no intention of letting either Kayce or his son live. Dolly pulls the gun but ultimately chooses her father over Kayce.
Kayce acts quickly and secures his weapon as one of Weaver’s goons takes Tate to have an accident in the river. Kayce makes his way to Tate, with an assist from the team. He is able to save his son, but Weaver is still on the run. So, Kayce joins the fray.
They track Weaver down. He has Dolly in the car, and she urges him to surrender. But Weaver tries to make a break for it. As the bullets fly, he flips the vehicle and crashes. Weaver survives, but his daughter is killed. Kayce tells him living with the death of his child is his punishment as he’s taken into custody.
This was a solid premier. Marshals is at its best when it packs in the action. This brings the Weaver story to a satisfying conclusion and sets up for our team to stay together. We expected it all along, but it’s nice to see. The potential Belle and Cal romance is out there, same with Kayce and Cruz. But those are stories for another day.
Marshals airs Sundays on CBS and streams next day on Paramount+. Check back next week as we recap all the action of season 2.
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