Marshals Boss Defends 'Tragic Outcome' Of Season 2 Premiere: 'We Went Back And Forth About It A Lot'

"Marshals" returned to CBS for Season 2 on Sunday with a race against time to rescue Kayce's son Tate from Tom Weaver's land-hungry clutches — and not everyone made it out of the hour alive.

Kayce is blissfully unaware of his son's kidnapping when the premiere picks up, but a visit from one of the Weavers' associates hits Kayce with a dose of reality. A hard one. Not only does Weaver still have his eye on East Camp, but if Kayce doesn't agree to sign it over, his son's future will be "at stake." It's a vague threat, but a threat nonetheless, prompting Kayce to kill both of Weaver's armed guards as well as the slimy lawyer he sent along.

En route to Weaver's ranch, Kayce bonds with Dolly over being raised by controlling fathers, all the while wondering if he can really trust her. To her credit, she never double-crosses him, but the same can't be said for Tom; even after Kayce signs over the deed to East Camp, Tom still tries to shoot him. Fortunately, a convenient lack of bullets in Tom's gun gives Kayce a chance to escape and chase after Tate.

Kayce catches up to Tate, whom he rescues before bludgeoning Weaver's goon Jeb to death with a rock in the river. Meanwhile, the Marshals chase after Tom, who pulls a desperate move and ends up rolling his car down a hill with Dolly inside. He survives the crash, but the same can't be said for Dolly, who dies right there on the scene. Tom begs for death, but Kayce determines that having to live with Dolly's death on his conscience will be punishment enough. 

"It was really hard not to title the episode 'Goodbye, Dolly,'" showrunner Spencer Hudnut tells TVLine with a laugh.

When the dust settles, Andrea still hasn't rebooked her flight to D.C.; Bel promises Calle that she's tagging along for his next chemo appointment; and Kayce crumbles under the weight of this latest ordeal, triggered by the sight of an old family photo with Tate and Monica.

Read on for TVLine's interview with Hudnut, defending the decision to kill off Dolly, and previewing the emotional turmoil still to come for Kayce and Tate in Season 2.

TVLINE | Dolly could have simply left town after her father was arrested, but you decided to kill her off instead. Why was that the better option in your mind?
We went back and forth about it a lot, trying to figure out the best trajectory for her. In some ways, this is a reminder that people who grow close to Kayce Dutton tend to have tragic outcomes. In the back of Kayce's mind, he brings chaos to other people's lives, even though it was really her own father.

TVLINE | I feel bad even saying this, but I don't think the fans ever really warmed up to her. Whether it was too soon after Monica, or they just didn't want him with anyone else, I think Dolly would have had a long road ahead of her to earn the fans' trust.
Yeah, and that's honestly part of it. We knew that whomever we introduced first, no matter who it was, was going to be met with some scorn and would not be fully accepted by this community. We have to give proper distance to the grieving of Monica. Our poor fans find out in the first episode of the series that Monica's gone, and then by Episode 4, this beautiful breath of fresh air shows up and is interested in Kayce. We always knew that this relationship would not have a long shelf life, only because it was going to be hard to get Kayce there, and also to get our fans there.

TVLINE | Do you feel like you learned anything from introducing Dolly that will help you with Kayce's future love interests?
Luke [Grimes] and I have talked about Kayce's love life and progression, and I think there are definitely some markers that we need to hit along the way. We're very mindful that this wasn't just a husband-wife story in "Yellowstone." This was the most important person in Kayce's life, whom he lost, and he will always be grieving her. The question is, will he ever get in a relationship that's anywhere near that? I don't have the answer to that still.

TVLINE | Tom Weaver is behind bars, but is he really gone for good? Or are you sort of keeping him in your back pocket until the time is right?
Much like Randall Clegg, we are starting to collect some really interesting bad guys and villains. We certainly will feel Tom Weaver's impact later this season in some storylines. Chris Mulkey is so great, and I love having him around. So probably not in Season 2, but down the road I think he would be an interesting character for Kayce to have to cross again.

TVLINE | That was an incredibly emotional moment for Kayce at the end of the episode, especially with that photo of Monica. Is this the lowest we've seen him since her death?
Yes. Kayce's concern is that this isn't Tate's first time being kidnapped. The last time, he stayed under his bed for a few weeks, so Kayce is trying his best to step into the role that Monica played. With Monica, Kayce was more of the protector and provider, but now he has to be a parent. He really is trying to fill that void.

OK, let's talk: Were you surprised that "Marshals" killed off Dolly? And what did you think of the Season 2 premiere overall? Grade the episode in our poll below, then drop a comment with your full review.