When Marshals wrapped up its first season, basically all of the lead characters were in some form of peril, with Tate getting semi-kidnapped and Kayce’s squad being ambushed by shooters. Despite the potential for two characters to be killed off, the very first Season 2 trailer revealed everyone survived, but that won’t necessarily hold for the entire run. Things are especially stressful for Cal due to his dour pancoast tumor diagnosis, but Logan Marshall-Green temporarily soothed my worries that he’d be a goner soon.
Marshals’ main cast and showrunner spoke with press to promote CBS’ Fall TV lineup, and I had to ask Marshall-Green about Cal’s health journey in the second season, and how it will affect his various personal relationships. Thankfully, his answer didn’t allude to any 21-gun salutes coming into play just yet. Here’s what he did say:
Well, we’re still on it. We're smack dab in the middle of the cancer treatments and, without giving anything away, it's going to directly affect the team. And there are going to be some dominoes that fall because of it, and there are going to be some new leaders on the team.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! A change in leadership makes it sound like Cal has to come clean with his fellow marshals. Which is absolutely understandable, since cancer treatments would require him to miss out on work at times, not to mention all the insurance presumably required. Which is all to say, hiding that kind of medical issue from coworkers will only get more difficult as time goes on, so hopefully he realizes that and opts for honesty over further secrets sooner rather than later.
As far as Cal's inner feelings and his personal relationships go, Logan Marshall-Green notes that it's definitely not all sunshine and rainbows, but that there's something of a silver lining to be found. As he put it:
I think you're going to find that it's not the easiest thing to move through for him. . . . It's going to, you know, close a window for him but open a door for others, and I look forward to it.
I'm going to wager a guess that the door being opened relates to Cal's relationship with his estranged daughter Maddie. During the between-seasons hiatus, actress Morgan Lindholm's role was expanded to become more recurring throughout Season 2, meaning we'll be seeing a lot more of Maddie in future episodes. Which, ipso facto, means she and Cal will likely try and form a bigger bond while there's still time. On the one hand, it's great, but on the other, it'll just make Cal's eventual death that much more emotional. But enough with the doom-saying!
I'm also hoping that the open doorway can also apply to Cal and Belle's potential romance. I definitely don't want them to become the most lovey-dovey couple in existence, but I think both of the characters need the kind of mental health remedy that only passionate trysts can supply.
Outside of Cal’s topsy-turvy arc, Marshals will be bringing in at least one very familiar face to Yellowstone fans, with Jefferson White’s Jimmy returning to Montana and reconnecting with Kayce for a storyline that hasn’t been fully revealed just yet. There may also be love in the air for Luke Grimes’ lead, but don’t expect anything too permanent just yet.
Marshals will kick off Season 2 on CBS with "All Hat No Cattle" airing Sunday, October 4, at 8:30 p.m. ET.
