Summary
Marshals gets surprisingly romantic in “Family Business”, with several subplots beginning to percolate among the Marshals.
One could probably argue that there’s an inherent romance in the western genre, something about the sunsets and landscapes and open air. But a show like Marshals isn’t especially romantic, even if Episode 7 intermittently feels like it’s trying to be. For the first time since the idea was introduced, “Family Business” returns Dolly Weaver to the fold as a potential love interest for Kayce, while also hinting at a few other potential liaisons for good measure.
It’s fine, the conspicuous absence of Tate notwithstanding, even though I’m still not wild about the idea of Kayce being with anyone other than Monica. It’ll surely be a slow process, though, as in a very funny bit of on-the-nose dialogue, Kayce gets bucked off his late wife’s stallion, is asked whether he’s getting back on, and responds that he isn’t sure he’s ready. Subtle, this show is not.
Judge, Jury, Weapons Trafficker
Before we get into any of the interpersonal shenanigans, we might as well deal with the relatively rote case of the week. The Marshals are roped in to protect a federal judge when she and her family are almost killed by a car bomb, and the team is split roughly down the middle by their respective responsibilities. Kayce and Andrea go after the prime suspect, since we haven’t had that pairing yet, while Calvin, Belle, and Miles babysit Judge Ayers, her husband, Blake, and their terribly bratty teenage daughter, Fallon.
Following another attack, the team split up again, with Blake and Fallon being separated and housed at Kayce’s ranch, which seems like it probably violates some ethical guidelines, but is probably the least of the legal problems stemming from this particular case. It quickly becomes apparent that it isn’t Judge Ayers who’s the target, but Blake, who’s using his charity to smuggle arms to Equatorial Guinea. When Blake slips away to meet with his would-be assassins, they kidnap him, leading to a daring rescue where Kayce once again goes it alone and once again kills all the suspects that the Justice Department would rather he kept alive.
This is becoming a very funny recurring gag, even though I don’t think it’s intended as one. I’d be a hypocrite if I complained too much, though, since I spent all of the latter seasons of Yellowstone complaining that Kayce wasn’t killing enough people. So, here we are.
Like Father
Blake being the bad guy functions as a kind of springboard for Kayce and Andrea to unpack some of their own daddy issues. Fallon worries that her dad might be a monster, but the Marshals are in agreement that she’s fortunate to be able to have the chance to ask him.
Kayce and Andrea have both lost their fathers, obviously. You don’t need me to tell you how complicated Kayce’s was – I did chuckle at his blasé dismissal of wanting revenge on John’s killers, knowing he definitely won’t be seeing them again after the frightener he put on the guy and his daughter – but the news about Andrea’s dad potentially being corrupt adds welcome layers to her character.
Dolly Isn’t Very Patient
If you recall, the last time we saw Dolly Weaver, she was rather unsubtly asking Kayce for a date, and in Marshals Episode 7, she trots up to East Camp on horseback to make good on it. Sure, it isn’t technically a date, but instead a tour of the land, though we’ve all seen enough TV to know it’s a date.
Either way, it goes well until it doesn’t. But the problems come not from Dolly but her father, who turns up to cook them a nice dinner but promptly reveals that he’s only doing so to make a pitch for East Camp. Kayce is rightly offended by the proposition – remember, the Duttons had a long-time rule about not discussing business over dinner – and Dolly isn’t thrilled that her dad has ruined their date, but she makes matters worse by trying to plant a kiss on Kayce when she’s leaving, which he theatrically recoils from.
Still, this relationship isn’t off the table just yet. Dolly later returns to the ranch for another tour, and she gets it, which shows that Kayce is willing to explore the idea, however guilty it makes him feel. Grief is a process, after all.
Team Building
We might as well talk about Cal, since several of the subplots within the Marshals seem to be going through him. For one thing, he seems to be having some longstanding shoulder issues, which are either the cause of his drug habit or some kind of attendant symptom. For another, while he’s getting that injury checked out, he spots Belle’s husband, Jared, carrying on with another woman.
Later, Cal finally plucks up the courage to tell Belle this, but she’s already well aware of her husband’s infidelity. As it turns out, her undercover work ruined their marriage, and they’re only still together officially for the sake of their son. This rather suddenly frees Belle up romantically, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Cal. The two kiss, but quickly stop kissing, and mutually agree to move on from it as though it never happened. I’m fairly confident that neither will.
In a final twist of the knife for Cal, the girl that Miles is crushing on turns out to be his daughter, Maddie. Of course, Miles had no idea that his new beau was the daughter of his boss, but she isn’t shy about telling him, which is hilarious and sure to cause some problems down the line. As if the domestic terrorists weren’t enough to worry about!
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