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Can hay bales really stop bullets? In the world of Marshals, they certainly do, as Team Jock Up finds themselves in a dire situation in Episode 9, titled “In Low Places.” This installment marks the second part of the season’s two-part narrative, and the team’s determination to rescue Andrea Cruz, who remains captive in Randall Clegg’s grim torture chamber, is palpable. The episode highlights the show’s tendency to focus on the US Marshals, often sidelining other agencies. As the team retreats to an aging barn near Clegg’s compound, Miles aptly notes, “We need an army of our own.” Indeed, they do.
Enter Big Boss Gifford, accompanied by an FBI supervisory special agent, to the barn. Inside, Clegg is busy broadcasting his anti-government tirade, accusing Pete Calvin of igniting another Ruby Ridge or Waco scenario. Despite the promise of a hostage rescue team arriving “an hour out,” time isn’t on their side. While Cal is eager to charge in, he’s cognizant of his team’s concerns. They simply can’t afford to wait, and it was clear they never planned to. Fortunately, Kayce proposes a solution: Garrett, their former SEAL teammate, known for his unconventional problem-solving skills. The addition of Garrett could provide the tactical advantage they need while also offering him a chance to reclaim some lost purpose following the loss of his Trident.
Meanwhile, in Clegg’s sinister basement, Cruz finds herself alone but not defeated. Despite the nightmarish conditions, including Clegg’s use of pregnant women as human shields and his armed mercenary platoon, Cruz channels the spirit of her late police officer father. She frees herself from her restraints, overwhelms a guard, and uses a stolen phone to reach 911. Even when recaptured and strung up on a taxidermy truss, Cruz’s tenacity remains unshaken. Her determination is unwavering.
Garrett’s eventual involvement in the Marshals’ operation was almost inevitable, and his synergy with Kayce is evident as they scout the compound’s vulnerable perimeter. Clegg’s aspirations for a supremacist Christian dominion are derailed as the team, including Belle, Miles, and Cal, prepares to breach the main house. However, Belle observes Cal falter, his neck injury now causing debilitating pain. He lets his team take the lead, and after neutralizing a few threats, they confront Clegg, who is poised to martyr himself with a revolver in a live broadcast. Cal swiftly disarms him, ensuring Clegg will face justice from a jail cell rather than on his terms.
The mission to retrieve Cruz was a collective effort, yet for Kayce, it carried personal weight. “The Dutton Curse,” he confided to Cal, referring to Clegg’s longstanding vendetta against his family. Kayce’s past confrontation with one of Clegg’s sons added personal stakes to the mission. His connection with Cruz, which has quietly deepened, might explain his lukewarm response to Dolly Weaver’s advances since Episode 7. In a moment of camaraderie, Kayce invites the team back to East Camp for a celebratory gathering, complete with “special occasion jerky.” There, away from the chaos, he shares a rare moment of calm with Cruz.
At the fire ring, Garrett, aka country singer Riley Green, is playing his new single “My Way” for Belle, Cal, and Miles. “If I had my way,” he sings under the stars” I’d just lean in and kiss your lips right now.” And on the rise nearby, Kayce tells Cruz he had a feeling about her position inside the compound. (Cruz: “Damn, Cowboy getting all cosmic on me.”) When he asks about the breadth of Montana’s field of stars in comparison to the city skies of her East Coast roots, Cruz has an easy smile. And maybe with something more than team chemistry with this Cowboy? “Jury’s still out on this place. But as long as I’m here, I’m glad it’s on a team with you.”
Kayce Tayes for Episode 9 of Marshals (“In Low Places”):
- “Get so far away that none of it, the name, the things they’ve done, can find you.” Here, Belle was talking with Randall Clegg’s estranged daughter. But she was very clearly talking about herself and what she did. Belle, aka “Isabel Turek.”
- We still don’t have a full diagnosis on Cal’s neck, and he’s not sharing, but we know it’s getting worse. Belle takes the high road again with her concern for Pete. “Forget about work boundaries. What is going on?”
- It’s a big thing for Kayce to invite Team Jock Up into his East Camp home. While it’s hilarious that Marshals just again removes Tate Dutton from the equation, even though he lives there, we liked seeing the team hang in their casual togs, and hearing Riley Green play some jams. Kayce Dutton jerky recipe when?
Johnny Loftus (@johnnyloftus.bsky.social) is a Chicago-based writer. A veteran of the alternative weekly trenches, his work has also appeared in Entertainment Weekly, Pitchfork, The All Music Guide, and The Village Voice.