“Marshals” returned to CBS for Season 2 on Sunday with a race against time to save Kayce’s son, Tate, from the earth-hungry clutches of Tom Weaver – and not everyone made it out alive by the hour.
Kayce is blissfully unaware of her son’s kidnapping when the premiere begins, but a visit from one of the Weavers’ associates hits Kayce with a dose of reality. A difficult question. Not only does Weaver still have his eye on East Camp, but if Kayce doesn’t agree to sign him, his son’s future will be “on the line.” It’s a vague threat, but a threat nonetheless, that prompts Kayce to kill Weaver’s two armed guards as well as the slimy lawyer he sent.
On the way to Weaver’s ranch, Kayce befriends Dolly because she was raised by controlling fathers, while wondering if he can really trust her. To her credit, she never double-crosses him, but the same can’t be said of Tom; even after Kayce signs the deed for East Camp, Tom still tries to shoot her. Fortunately, the lack of bullets in Tom’s gun gives Kayce a chance to escape and pursue Tate.
Kayce catches up with Tate, whom he saves before bludgeoning Weaver’s goon Jeb to death with a rock in the river. Meanwhile, the Marshals pursue Tom, who makes a desperate move and ends up rolling his car down a hill with Dolly inside. He survives the accident, but the same cannot be said of Dolly, who dies at the scene. Tom begs for death, but Kayce determines that having to live with Dolly’s death on his conscience will be punishment enough.
“It was really hard not to title the episode ‘Goodbye, Dolly,'” showrunner Spencer Hudnut told TVLine with a laugh.
When the dust settles, Andrea still hasn’t booked her flight to Washington DC; Bel promises Calle that she will accompany him to his next chemo appointment; and Kayce collapses under the weight of this latest ordeal, triggered by the sight of an old family photo with Tate and Monica.
Read on for TVLine’s interview with Hudnut, defending the decision to kill Dolly and previewing the emotional turmoil still to come for Kayce and Tate in Season 2.
Marshals EP ‘always knew’ Kayce and Dolly’s relationship ‘wouldn’t last long’
TVLINE | Dolly could have just left town after her father’s arrest, but you decided to kill her instead. Why was this the best option in your opinion?
We talked a lot about this subject, trying to find the best trajectory for her. In a way, it reminds us that people who get close to Kayce Dutton tend to experience tragic results. In Kayce’s mind, he was wreaking havoc on other people’s lives, even though it was actually his own father.
TVLINE | I feel bad even saying this, but I don’t think fans ever really warmed up to her. Whether it was too soon after Monica or they just didn’t want him with anyone else, I think Dolly would have had a long road to gaining the fans’ trust.
Yeah, and honestly, that’s part of it. We knew that whoever we introduced first would be met with scorn and not be fully accepted by this community. We have to take Monica’s mourning at a distance. Our poor fans discover from the first episode of the series that Monica is gone, then from episode 4, this beautiful breath of fresh air appears and is interested in Kayce. We always knew that this relationship wouldn’t have a long lifespan, only because it would be difficult to get Kayce there, and also to get our fans there.
TVLINE | Do you feel like you learned anything from introducing Dolly that will help you with Kayce’s future love interests?
Luke (Grimes) and I have talked about Kayce’s love life and progression, and I think there are definitely milestones we need to hit along the way. We’re very aware that this wasn’t just a husband-wife story in “Yellowstone.” She was the most important person in Kayce’s life that he lost, and he will always mourn her. The question is: will he ever have a relationship that comes close to that? I don’t have the answer to this question yet.
Kayce will continue to ‘feel the impact of Tom Weaver’ as season 2 continues
TVLINE | Tom Weaver is behind bars, but is he really gone for good? Or do you kind of keep it in your back pocket until the time is right?
Just like Randall Clegg, we’re starting to collect some really interesting villains and villains. We’ll definitely feel Tom Weaver’s impact later this season in some storylines. Chris Mulkey is so awesome and I love having him around. So probably not in season 2, but later on I think he would be an interesting character for Kayce to come across again.
TVLINE | It was an incredibly emotional moment for Kayce at the end of the episode, especially with that photo of Monica. Is this the lowest we’ve seen since his death?
Yes. What worries Kayce is that this isn’t the first time Tate has been kidnapped. Last time he stayed under her bed for a few weeks, so Kayce does her best to play the role Monica played. With Monica, Kayce was more of a protector and provider, but now he has to be a parent. He’s really trying to fill that void.
OK, let’s talk about it: Were you surprised that the “Marshals” killed Dolly? And what did you think of the season 2 premiere overall? Rate the episode in our poll below, then drop a comment with your full review.
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