'Marshals' Season 1 Finale: Kayce and the team hunt down dangerous gunmen as Tate faces possible danger
'Marshals' Season 1 finale left the fates of many characters unclear. The episode titled 'Wolves at the Door' picks up immediately after the previous installment. Kayce (Luke Grimes) is seriously considering selling East Camp to Tom Weaver (Chris Mulkey) in an attempt to move on with his son, Tate (Brecken Merrill). On the other hand, Cal (Logan Marshall-Green) is dealing with an unexpected cancer diagnosis, with some help from Belle (Arielle Kebbel). The other two members of Kayce's team are also not in high spirits, as Miles (Tatanka Means) has been handed a suspension, while Andrea Cruz (Ash Santos) is planning to shift bases to Washington, D.C. The finale introduces a new villain who threatens to upend all of their already fragile lives.
The finale kicks off with Kayce taking a walk around East Camp. The Dutton patriarch reminisces about his time at the establishment. He ends up at his wife Monica's grave, and hears a wolf howling in the distance. This supposedly gives him the clarity he needs about the facility's fate. Kayce comes back home and, in the face of an elated Tom, delivers the disappointing news. “My family’s had this land for almost 150 years. A lot of blood, pain, and heartache came with it. Lord knows I’ve had my share. Clearing out the ashes of the fire that killed my friend, standing in the shadow of a house where my wife died. There’s definitely been a dark cloud over East Camp. But come spring, grass will grow, calves will start hitting the ground, and this ranch will be full of life again. My life’s been defined by losing the things I love. And East Camp’s one thing I can hold onto,” Kayce shares, revealing the Dutton legacy will continue in Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.
The news clearly disappoints Tom, but he does not hold any grudges. Kayce decides to transform a part of the property into an equine therapy center for veterans, in honor of his friend Garrett (Riley Green), who lost his life due to a fire in the facility. His relationship with Dolly Weaver (Ellyn Jameson) is also blossoming. Kayce decides to stay put in Montana, but Cruz decides to move. She takes the Washington offer and bids farewell to her team. Kayce requests that she take Garrett’s cowboy hat as a souvenir, as Belle appreciates her tenacity. However, it is Cal's message that seemingly moves her. He advises her to “make sure you’re running towards something you want and not away from something you don’t." The closing moments show Cruz heading towards the airport, looking forward to a new beginning away from Montana.
Most of the finale focuses on the assassination attempt on Chief Thomas Rainwater. After being ambushed by unknown mercenaries, the tribal leader, along with Mo and Miles, takes refuge at East Camp with Kayce and Tate. Even though everyone suspects Councilman Nathan Irons (Gary Nohealii), Rainwater doesn't agree. As the group is immersed in these discussions, East Camp is attacked by experienced gunmen, possibly with the intention of killing Rainwater. Mo takes down a man, but another manages to reach Rainwater's quarters, and just as everything seems lost, Tate saves the day by shooting the gunman. The Marshals immediately head towards the Councilman's home to apprehend him, but to their surprise, he is dead.
An investigation points the team towards an East Camp ranch hand. Cal and Belle track him down, but surprisingly find that he is dead too. They spot Jeb, the Weaver’s ranch foreman, speeding away from the site, painting him as the prime suspect. Moments later, two mercenaries pop up and begin shooting at the Marshal duo. The shock arrives in the last few minutes of the finale when Tom arrives in the facility and takes Tate on a bass fishing trip to Texas. Right before Tate and Tom get on their plane, Jeb arrives and informs his boss, “It’s handled, sir.” Will Cal and Belle make it out alive? What are Tom's intentions with Tate? All this and more will be revealed when 'Marshals' returns for its second season on CBS.
