Cal’s grim diagnosis in ‘Marshals’ Episode 12 leaves his future uncertain ahead of season finale
'Marshals' Episode 12, the penultimate episode of the 'Yellowstone' spin-off series, has finally put to rest speculations around Pete 'Cal' Calvin's (Logan Marshall-Green) health issues. Throughout the season, the team leader was seen dealing with debilitating pain and secretly taking a lot of pills in the locker room, leaving his teammates in the dark about his situation. In Episode 8, titled 'Blowback,' he received the diagnosis for his health issues during his doctor's appointment, which left him visibly shaken. The doctor advised him to connect with specialists for his treatment and get involved with support groups. Without revealing the exact diagnosis, the clues seemed to point to a possible addiction to pain medication, stemming from his time serving as a US Navy SEAL.
On May 17, the episode, 'The Devil at Home,' disclosed that Cal is not struggling with addiction but rather, dealing with cancer. Co-written by Jim Adler and Tom Mularz, the episode is directed by Ruben Garcia. Cal is seen opening up to his teammate Isabel 'Belle' Turek-Skinner (Arielle Kebbel) about his condition, telling her that he has a Pancoast tumor in his lung, which has been giving him unrelenting pain in his neck and shoulders. "I just want to feel like I'm not staring this down alone," he admits in a rare moment of vulnerability. Belle places her hand on his, assuring him that he is not alone. Cal further adds that he is taking one thing at a time and has not figured out a treatment plan yet. After the episode dropped, actor Marshall-Green told TVLine that, "it would be very hard for a soldier like Cal to release this information and allow people to be privy to his battles," showcasing his willingness to seek help.
Marshall-Green shared that he wants to depict his character's journey as a cancer patient as authentically as possible. "Cancer is too important a topic to dance around. It affects literally everyone, and I hope we get a chance to really break him down the way cancer breaks down humans. It doesn't matter whether you fought for the country or not, it doesn't matter what you do, this thing is not biased. So I hope Cal is put through the wringer with this, because that's the story that needs to be told. Don't get me wrong, there have been great advancements in technology, and I think those are also worthy of the story when it comes to cancer, but from what I know, even with those advancements, there's still a lot of pain," he said.
Since the show is just one episode away from the finale, Cal's cancer treatment will likely be addressed in Season 2. 'Marshals' was renewed for another season back in March due to the show's immense popularity. Tune in next week to watch the finale at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
