Summary
Marshals gets very action-heavy in “In Low Places”, focusing on the team’s efforts to rescue Andrea from the grip of Randall Clegg.
On the plus side, Episode 9 of Marshals is probably the most straightforwardly action-packed outing of the season, which doesn’t leave much room for any weaker subplots or wavering focus. Problematically, though, at least for me, the abundance of action means there isn’t a great deal to talk about in a recap. I could quite easily say, “The good guys shoot the bad guys,” and that’d sum up “In Low Places” fairly accurately.
Unfortunately, I can’t get away with that kind of thing. And to be fair, there is a little bit more going on than point-and-shoot action, especially in the subtler character dynamics between Kayce, Cal, and Garrett, who was introduced in the previous episode just in time to suddenly be involved in the dramatic rescue of Andrea from the compound of season Big Bad Randall Clegg.
Guilty Conscience
In case you haven’t guessed, rescuing Andrea comprises basically the entire episode. “Blowback” ended on quite the cliffhanger, and that’s where things pick up here, but since the Clegg property is so jam-packed with redneck gunmen, the Marshals are forced to beat a retreat, which leaves Kayce in a foul mood.
The mood is on account of what Kayce describes as the “Dutton curse”, which isn’t a new concept. A lot of the Clegg family’s animosity comes from a longstanding rivalry with the Duttons, and it has mightily upset Randall that it was Kayce who put down one of his boys. As a result, Kayce feels personally responsible for Andrea’s plight, even though her being snatched was technically nothing to do with him, and he’s determined not to let the rescue efforts get mired in red tape and bureaucracy.
Easier said than done, though. Clegg is live-streaming the siege to sway people to his cause and create a media firestorm that keeps the Marshals and the FBI, who are represented by one individual, for some reason, on the back foot.
Black Sheep
It quickly becomes apparent that the key to winning the day might be outsiders. Kayce suggests deputizing Garrett and bringing him into the operation, since his convenient special SEAL skill is reconnaissance, and the entire back side of the Clegg property is a bit of a mystery. Cal’s reluctant, but needs must, and Kayce has basically made the decision already.
Elsewhere, Belle has managed to track down the black sheep of the Clegg family, Randall’s estranged daughter, Stacy, who is mad enough with her kin to hopefully provide some insider information that’ll help to lay out the property and the plan of attack.
If you were wondering why Stacy would hate her family so much, “In Low Places” tries to clarify by including a deeply weird scene in which a woman wearing an old-timey dress tries to force a similar number onto Andrea so that she’s disguised among the compound’s women and children when the Cleggs use them as human shields. Nothing about this makes a great deal of sense, since Clegg is supposed to be the voice of the working man, and yet he apparently keeps his womenfolk around in cosplay and wants to use them to soak up bullets? It’s just a bizarre lurch. Luckily, it never comes up again.
Plan Of Attack
As I mentioned at the top, most of Marshals Episode 9 is about planning and executing the raid on the compound. Kayce and Garrett perform a little close-target reconnaissance, which naturally almost goes badly wrong, while Andrea attempts to facilitate her own escape, getting recaptured just as she’s about to reach the front door. She does, however, manage to place a 911 call on the phone she stole from a guard, allowing the Marshals to listen in on her dialogue with Clegg.
Thanks to a camera Kayce and Garrett planted, and Andrea’s leading comments about the local scenery, the Marshals are able to come up with a plan of attack. However, thanks to Clegg’s demented ranting about revolution and execution of one of his own guards, it’s obvious that there’s no time to wait, especially given that the officially approved tactical team is still almost an hour away.
Despite some reservations from Gifford, who finally relents and agrees to provide overwatch, Cal agrees to take responsibility for any mishaps and marches the team, including Garrett, into the fray.
The Rescue
Pretty quickly, it becomes clear that Garrett isn’t up for active duty, and Kayce orders him back to base to support Gifford on overwatch. The rest of the gang heads in, though, and thanks to a distraction from Kayce, manages to break into the main house.
Given how much of a fuss was made of Clegg’s forces, it’s surprising how easy all this turns out to be. Cal, Miles, and Belle sweep the main house, taking out goons left and right, and put a bullet in Clegg’s arm before he can martyr himself. Kayce, meanwhile, spots some blood on the tanning shed door from Andrea’s latest escape attempt and heads inside to free her.
Despite being a little shaken up, Andrea is fine, as is everyone else. The success of the mission means there’s no political blowback, which has to constitute a job well done, given the stakes. But Clegg remains adamant that his actions will begin some kind of uprising. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Team Building
It’s handshakes and apologies all around at the end of “In Low Places”. Cal and Garrett seem to be closer to patching things up, and Gifford even offers a handshake to Kayce, despite having treated him like garbage for most of the season.
The Marshals team gets together at Kayce’s place for a bit of cowboy charcuterie and, unavoidably, given the casting of Riley Green, a song. While he sings, Kayce and Andrea drift away a little, having a private moment together under the beauty of the stars that, if I didn’t know any better, would seem very much like yet another potential romance is developing for Kayce.
Is this why Tate is never at home?
