‘Marshals’: Rainwater Takes a Page out of John Dutton’s Book to Protect the Land

Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) can’t escape judgment of his family’s legacy in Marshals. The conflict in Episode 3, which aired on Sunday, March 15, showed what Thomas Rainwater’s (Gil Birmingham) life is like now that he owns the Dutton Yellowstone Ranch land and showed how he’s willing to go to great lengths to protect the Broken Rock Reservation just like John Dutton (Kevin Costner) protected the ranch in Yellowstone. John was mentioned a lot in this installment, which showed Kayce having to be a peace broker over the land he sold. Warning: Spoilers for Marshals Season 1 Episode 3 ahead!

Kayce spent the episode pulled in two different directions between Montana locals wanting them to defend their side of “progress,” a.k.a. a new mine breaking ground, and the people of Broken Rock expecting him to help protect their land.

White Montana residents in this episode wanted mines, hotels, and airports built to bring jobs to the state. The characters on this side of the argument resented the Duttons for giving the land away to the Broken Rock Reservation, thereby blocking “progress” for them as a result. It’s a concept John Dutton fought against to preserve and protect his family’s land and Montana’s natural resources. Those seeking “progress” in the state are now resentful towards the indigenous people to whom Kayce returned the land. And they’re willing to attack Kayce and the people of Broken Rock to get what they want.

On the other side of the argument are the people of Broken Rock, who came out in big numbers to block traffic on the reservation. The trucks were coming through on their way to the new mine because there was a blockage on the main highway. The blockage was caused by Rainwater’s crew, who set off a bomb to block the road, divert the trucks to their path, block that path, and therefore block the mine from breaking ground.

When the Marshals team came to defuse the tension between protesters and drivers, Miles (Tatanka Means) caught some heat from his people. They called him a traitor for being a federal officer for the U.S. government. It pained him that they couldn’t see his efforts to protect them.

Belle’s (Arielle Kebbel) family history was also haunting her in this fight. As shown in Episode 1, her maiden name is Turek, and she comes from a well-known family that bred cutting horses. The beginning of Episode 3 showed her at a casino betting large, showcasing her family’s wealth. She seems to have a family reputation similar to the Duttons. When a neighbor spotted her at the mine standoff, they spat on her. Another mine supporter was disgusted by Kayce being a Marshal, making clear that he hated the Duttons for controlling that land and giving it away. They said Kayce was only a Marshal now because he wanted to hold on to the power the Duttons lost.

Belle said that between history, grudges, and expectations, “there’s really no safe move for Kayce in this one.” Men who wanted the mine made found Kayce, Rainwater, and Mo (Mo Brings Plenty) on the reservation and shot at them, hitting civilians in the process. Kayce had been trying to find a peaceful solution to the mine standoff with Rainwater and Mo, but they made it clear that centuries of feuding weren’t going to end so easily.

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The Marshals went on a successful manhunt for the shooters, whom Kayce called “Montana’s cockroaches,” but it wasn’t without its explosive moments. Pete (Logan Marshall-Green) apologized for “exploiting” Kayce’s relationship with Rainwater after the dust settled. Later at Kayce’s house, Rainwater came over to clear the air.

Rainwater eventually lost his battle with the mine, but the war is still ongoing.

“Life’s become more dangerous for me since becoming your brother,” Rainwater said. Kayce replied, “I guess being close to me comes at a cost.”

They agreed that they’re family who needs to “stay in the fight together.”

The episode ended with someone leaving a threatening message on Kayce’s porch in the form of a single bullet. The ongoing Dutton resentment, combined with the public visibility of his new job, is going to continue to complicate Kayce’s new start.

Marshals, Sundays, 8/7c, CBS