'Marshals' Season 2 Trailer Breakdown

The first season of Paramount’s Marshals, set in Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone universe, ended with Kayce Dutton believing that he had dealt with the monsters who were trying to hurt the people of the valley, including Kayce’s longtime ally, Thomas Rainwater. Throughout season 1, numerous private contractors showed up at Broken Rock to eliminate Rainwater, because he was trying to stop the Crestmark Mining Company from digging up their sacred land. As it turned out, Tom Weaver, a former Wall Street man, was in cahoots with the mining company, and had started a ranching business in Montana to purchase the land so he could hand it over to his business partners. In season 1, Kayce and his longtime friend, Pete “Cal” Calvin (head of the Marshals), saved Weaver’s life after his plane crashed in the mountains, and after that incident, Weaver decided to return the favor. He and his daughter, Dolly, got really close to Kayce and his son, Tate, and in the season 1 finale, Weaver took Tate bass fishing in Texas. And even though Kayce was unaware of his true intentions, as viewers, we could see the danger that lay ahead. In the meantime, Cal and his deputy, Belle Skinner, investigating a ranch hand at Kayce’s East Camp, arrived at his location, only to find him shot dead. But before they could enter the house, Weaver’s foreman, Jeb, ordered his men to open fire on Cal and Belle, while Jeb left for Texas with Weaver and  Tate. The finale didn’t reveal whether Cal and Belle survived the gunfire, but the trailer for season 2 sees our beloved characters back on the screen, safe and unharmed, so it seems like Cal and Belle dodged those bullets. Speaking of Andrea Cruz, she went back to Washington at the end of season 1, but the trailer suggests that she has returned to Montana to help her team deal with the old and new enemies, so without any further ado, allow me to break down all the important shots in the trailer and what we can expect from Marshals season 2.

Dutton Legacy Is A Curse

If you have seen the first season, then you must be aware that Paramount’s Marshals is a police procedural, so there are going to be new cases which may or may not be tied to the main story every episode. However, from the trailer, it’s hard to guess what those subplots are going to be, so I am going to limit my predictions to the main plot. The trailer begins with Kayce musing about the fact that his family legacy has never been about the land, but always about having to fight, because he thinks no matter where he lives, someone’s going to be willing to kill for what he’s got. If you remember, at the end of Yellowstone, Kayce and his sister, Beth Dutton, thought that selling their ancestral land would release them from the burden, but after the events of Season 1 of Marshals, Kayce has realized that that “burden” has never been tied to the land. 

Kayce’s dialogue also suggests that the Dutton legacy is to keep fighting, no matter where they go or where they live, and I think this may be one of the reasons why Kayce refused to sell East Camp because, as you can see, the land has never been the only problem. And unfortunately, Kayce’s son, Tate, will inherit the same legacy, whether he wants to take over the land or not. Furthermore, if you want one more example of this said “legacy,” then you can take the example of Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, who left Montana for Texas, but still haven’t been able to run away from this curse, because the Dutton name, and the problems that come with it, keep tailing them even in Rio Paloma.

Nevertheless, this line plays over the visual of Kayce riding through the peaceful valley when suddenly an enemy shows up, and Kayce shoots him down. Next, we see Kayce in the water, with a rifle in hand, searching for an enemy, and in the very next shot, he smashes someone’s head in with a stone. It seems like a former foe has sent men to kill Kayce, and as always, he had to get his hands dirty to “survive.” In the next scene, he asks Dolly, his new girlfriend (possibly), if she thinks he’s a good person, and Dolly, being Dolly, says he’s the best without thinking. I think Kayce finds himself questioning his morality after having killed a few folks in the woods, as he can’t decide whether he’s a good person or is slowly turning into a monster (one willing to kill people for his survival). I think that’s going to be Kayce’s dilemma throughout season 2, as he will try to figure out how long he’ll have to keep fighting to survive like this.

The Team Finds Rudy Carpenter

The next scene starts on a much lighter note, as we see Cal, Belle, Cruz, and Miles, in their tactical gear, sitting in a helicopter. In season 1, Cruz left for Washington to resume her job in the FBI, but it looks like she can’t stay away from Montana, and therefore changed her mind and returned to the valley. In this scene, we hear a voiceover (possibly Cal’s) pointing out that Marshals go where their jobs take them. I think this piece of dialogue may be hinting at the fact that, to hunt down criminals (like Weaver), Marshals can go wherever they want, though I am not sure if they really have that kind of jurisdiction. Maybe the dialogue’s trying to tell us that the team can venture into dangerous terrains to catch the criminals and save civilians. Next, we see the team (including Kayce) kicking down doors and arresting folks, who are most likely drug peddlers, as substance abuse has been an increasing concern in the valley. In the next scene, we see Kayce and Cruz entering a barn looking for a man named Rudy Carpenter, the serial bomber, a fugitive Kayce and Cal have been looking for since season 1 episode 4. Rudy, hiding inside the barn, detonates a bomb as soon as Cruz asks him to surrender. I guess they’ll be able to catch Rudy this time, or maybe he’ll just die in the explosion. Well, thankfully, Kayce and Cruz survive, as Cruz later tells Kayce that he really is a chaos magnet, which once again echoes Kayce’s opening voiceover.

Tate Is Back

The trailer shows a worried Kayce with a gun, entering his cabin at East Camp, where he finds Tate holding a shotgun pointed at the floor. I think someone tried to trespass on the property and attacked Tate, and in order to “survive,” he chose to “fight,” suggesting that he’s being forced to inherit his family’s legacy, even though his father tried his best to protect him from it. Well, the good news is, Tate’s back at East Camp, though the trailer doesn’t reveal how; so I think the first episode of season 2 is going to fill in the gaps. It’s possible that Weaver may have decided not to use Tate as leverage, fearing it may expose him, which is why he brought Tate back safe and sound. This suggests Weaver may have some other plan to fulfil his objectives, possibly using his daughter, Dolly, to do his bidding, who, as you can see, is getting really close to Kayce, potentially making it difficult for him to see the betrayal coming from someone near him. Nevertheless, next we see that there are shards of glass scattered inside the cabin, with Kayce sitting on the floor holding a picture of the family. So, whoever attacked the cabin may have riddled Kayce’s house with bullets, possibly to target him, or at least to send a message. Kayce, with tears in his eyes, looks at his family photograph (he, Monica, and a young Tate), thinking about how he failed to protect his son from the very “legacy” that has haunted him his entire life. Later, in the woods, he tells Tate that it breaks his heart to even think about the things he has been through, to which Tate replies that he’s strong, the way he has raised him to be. And before leaving, he tells his father that it’s the Dutton way. Well, I think I have to repeat myself again, but as you can see, each and every shot in the trailer is tied to Kayce’s opening monologue.

Weaver Shows His True Colors

As the trailer moves forward, we see Kayce telling Rainwater that no Dutton man should become like his father. He’s referring to Tate, and possibly after the attack on the cabin, seeing Tate holding a gun, Kayce fears that his son, fighting for survival, may end up becoming like his father and grandfather. Rainwater says that Kayce is looking for a guarantee that his son will escape death and violence; however, no one can really guarantee him that, because the Dutton legacy will forever be tied to his fate, no matter where he goes. The same thing happens with Beth Dutton, so you can understand what I mean. In the middle of this exchange, we see a young man with a Yellowstone brand on his chest. He seems to be one of the former ranch hands of John Dutton who has returned to the valley, either seeking answers or revenge (I am more inclined to the latter). Nevertheless, as Kayce returns to his cabin, he spots a few cars parked outside and a man sitting on the porch. He’s one of Weaver’s associates who has come up with an offer for East Camp, the same piece of land that Weaver has been eyeing since season 1, but Kayce refused to sell it because he didn’t trust a businessman like Weaver. Kayce tells this associate that his employer knows where he stands, immediately after which one of his men attacks Kayce from behind and pins him to the table. The associate tells Kayce to consider the offer, given his son’s future depends on it.

Earlier, I mentioned that Weaver may have brought Tate back safely from Texas, and I stand by that theory because, as the trailer reveals, when Weaver’s associates pay Kayce a visit, there are shards of glass all around the house, which suggests that Weaver’s goons may have kidnapped Tate after the attack on the cabin. But I know you may be wondering, why bring him home when you can use him as leverage? I think the second season will answer that question, but for now, it’s safe to assume that after Tate returned to the valley, Weaver sent men to attack the cabin, and after one unsuccessful hit, he sent more goons to abduct Tate and force Kayce into selling his land. Dolly is also present while Weaver’s associate threatens Kayce, but she looks a bit surprised as well, so I am not sure if she’s party to her father’s sinister plan or not. 

The Team Comes To Kayce’s Aid

Over the montage shot, we see Kayce’s teammates running by his side, with guns in their hands. It’s likely that Cal and the rest of the team will help their teammate bring his son back to safety, and maybe that’s what Cal meant when he delivered the line that Marshals go where their jobs take them. So, it’s possible that Cal’s Marshals are going to breach some boundaries to save Tate’s life and put an end to Weaver’s menace. The montage continues, and Cal tells his team that Kayce is in trouble, suggesting that he needs their help. Next, we see a few armed men coming out of the woods. I think these are the men who attacked the cabin at East Camp. In the next shot, Belle says that they’ve got a conspiracy on their hands, and Cal says that land is plenty of motive for murder. I am not sure if this dialogue is related to Kayce, or if they are referring to some other individual cases that are not related to the main story. Next, we come back to the cabin, where Kayce fights back Weaver’s men who attacked him under his own roof. Then we see him standing in front of Rainwater, who tells Kayce that he trusts him to do what’s right. If this line refers to selling East Camp, then it matters to the main story, because if Kayce has sold his land, it would give Weaver and the mining company access to the sacred land that Rainwater and his community have been trying to protect from the invaders. In the midst of all this, we also get a shot of Cruz hugging Cal, telling the team that she has never been around people who fight for each other the way they do. I think this is the scene where she returns to the valley, permanently leaving her job in Washington. Next, we see Cal and Belle spending some quality time inside a vehicle, stuck in the rain. In the previous season, Belle told Cal that she would accompany him to Salt Lake for his checkup. Cal had been diagnosed with cancer (allegedly), and Belle didn’t want him to go through the process alone. In one of the shots, we also see Cal lying down on a hospital bed, receiving treatment.

Meanwhile, Belle is approached by a man who threatens to hurt her family if she fails to pay back the 20,000 dollars she owes to a casino. Belle tells him straight that her family is off-limits, and I think if this man dares to go after her family, she’s going to show these thugs their place. Then we see Kayce riding in the valley, stuck between two vehicles. They are possibly hunting him, and Kayce, on horseback, is trying to fight and survive. The trailer ends with Kayce running on top of a train, likely hunting down a fugitive in a case not related to the main plot. Well, the central conflict of season 2 is going to revolve around Weaver, who will keep attacking Kayce and the people around him to get what he wants, and by the end of the finale, Kayce and his team will neutralize the threat and end Weaver’s story for good. Well, those are my theories on the upcoming season of Marshals, but if you have anything else to add, please feel free to drop a comment below.

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