Marshals Season 1 Episode 12 Shakes Everything Up and Leaves an Uncertain Future — Review

Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0

4

Even though we haven’t spent much time with these characters, one can confidently say that they are a huge part of Marshals’ allure.

Not because they’re perfect or anything; to the contrary, they’re flawed.

Their issues make for a compelling story, and Marshals Season 1 Episode 12 “The Devil at Home” is dedicated to their dirty laundry.

And I love it.

The show has dropped the ball for several episodes as multi-part cases take over, leaving no time to explore the characters.

Now, I have loved the multi-part arcs because they’re better for weekly viewing.

But let’s not forget that Marshals sold itself to us as Kayce’s story, including Tate and Broken Rock.

After the first few episodes of the season, it seemed as if the writers had forgotten about those two.

This hour is dedicated to Broken Rock, though I’m not sure this is the right approach.

Everything is character-centric, so it’s only fitting that our breakdown follows the same format.

Miles

I had to start with him so that I could lower my blood pressure before we get to the other characters. Miles makes my blood boil because he acts like a child with no control over his emotions.

Broken Rock needs people to advocate for it, but the ends do not justify the means.

Whenever the reservation becomes the topic of conversation, Miles loses all objectivity and works purely from an emotional standpoint.

That is almost always a recipe for disaster, as many mistakes can happen.

As Pete tells him, he could put himself and other people in danger for no reason at all.

So when he spends this hour huffing and puffing as if he’s the only one who cares about fentanyl and its effects on communities, I feel like slapping some sense into him.

Broken Rock will always have problems, and so will the world.

A smart person knows which battles to pick and how to fight them. Miles does not, and that’s a real problem.

But one thing I love about Marshals, after spending years with a certain TV show that shall not be named (okay, it’s Fire Country), where consequences don’t matter, is how refreshing it is to see characters face consequences.

Miles’ suspension is not just an administrative function; it’s a safety one.

The show also uses this opportunity to call back to the behavior Kayce exhibited early on.

He set a bad example for Miles, showing him that it’s okay to break the rules if you’re convinced that you’re doing it for the right reasons.

Finding Miles with his weapon trained on a guy who’d already been shot and disarmed gives Kayce a glaring reflection into his own behavior — and he doesn’t like what he sees.

Marshals Season 1 forces Kayce to evaluate what it truly means to move on when the Dutton name and history follow him like a shadow.

And after Garrett’s death, East Camp stops looking like the heaven he’d promised himself.

Kayce

I expected a lot of things, but not Kayce’s decision to sell his ranch.

This was supposed to be a fresh start for him and his son, but it has brought the same problems that plagued Yellowstone.

It has a dark history after Monica’s death and Neil’s arrival showed him that it wasn’t as safe as he thought. So while the decision is certainly out of left field, it’s understandable and is the right one if I may say so.

Could the old rich guy have been manipulating him to get the ranch? That’s possible.

But if it’s the right thing for him and Tate, then it doesn’t matter.

The decision to let go of the ranch reinforces the bond between Kayce and Tate. The father told the son he should never feel obligated to lead his old man’s way of life, but he forgot to tell himself the same.

When Tate says the ranch doesn’t matter as much as his father, Kayce feels ready to let go.

But what becomes of him now is the big question. Without the cowboy rancher identity, figuring himself out is now the challenge.

But Kayce is in a better position than most because people on this team are fighting demons of different sizes.

And for Belle, those demons have a figure attached.

Belle

We knew Belle was hiding something when they went undercover in Marshals Season 1 Episode 6, and she was recognized by some guys.

It turns out she’s an addicted gambler who has racked up 20 grand in gambling debt.

At first, I wasn’t sure what this had to do with anything until drug money came into their possession, and suddenly, she’s a liability to the team.

Like Miles and his anger, Belle’s money troubles are how bad guys get away with heinous stuff because some decided to help themselves to the evidence.

There is no proof that she takes anything, but one can always wonder.

But her problems pale in comparison to what Pete is going through.

Pete Cal

For all his flaws, especially when it comes to Kayce, Pete is a good team leader.

He puts his title into practice and leads them rather than sending them. But his health problems are taking a toll, and I’m afraid he might leave the team.

This is purely speculative, but it feels like Marshals is setting Kayce up to be the new leader for this team. Had that happened in the past ten episodes, I’d have said hell no.

But the character is showing some growth, and that’s literally everything I ask for in these shows. You can’t put an inexperienced wild card as the leader, but Kayce has gained some experience, and he’s more cautious now.

However, there is a concern that whoever leads the team will have to do it without Barbie.

Andrea

I didn’t like her attitude at first, but she’s grown on me. In a place where everyone seems to have been born with jeans and flannel shirts, she adds some fashion to the show.

But her banishment to Montana explains why she was so combative at first.

She’s developed a routine and relationships, and she’s survived a kidnapping, so she has a connection to this place.

I highly doubt she’ll return to DC — at least not yet.

Gut Check

“The Devil at Home” is the closest to perfect Marshals has felt. Everything is finally well-balanced.

Intrusive Thoughts

• See? Now that’s how you do a penultimate episode, The Boys.

• We’re long overdue for some end-of-episode music.

• I understand Pete solely through his scene partners.

Over to you, Marshals Fanatics.

What did you think of the stories this hour? Is Kacey really selling East Camp, or is there more to this deal than meets the eye? Do we really believe that the barn fire was an accident?

Let’s keep the conversation going — it’s the only way the good stuff survives.
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