Marshals' Kayce Is Still 'Wrestling' With John Dutton's Ghost In Season 2, Episode 2 — Will He Ever Tell Tate The Truth? Showrunner Weighs In

Tom Weaver may be behind bars, but that's nothing compared to the mental prison Kayce builds for himself in this week's "Marshals" (Season 2, Episode 2), as he begins to seriously worry that his worst nightmare is coming true — he's finally becoming his father.

And that fear is only compounded by this week's fugitive, a former deputy who's now scratching names off his hit list after getting fired from his job. But it's his fiercely loyal son whom the Marshals ultimately have to take down, and Kayce is able to deescalate the situation by speaking from the heart. "He was flawed, but you loved him anyway," Kayce tells the man's son. "There's no shame in being loyal to family, but just because he marched through hell, that doesn't mean you have to become the Devil. Let today be his legacy, not yours."

In case you couldn't tell, Kayce is really talking to himself here — or at least he should be — as he remains haunted by John Dutton's ghost. The only comfort Kayce is able to find this week comes from Thomas Rainwater, who assures him that he's nothing like his father. And even though Tate will likely never "escape unscathed from all the death and despair" that comes with being a Dutton, Rainwater tells Kayce, "Just guide him to the road you think will be best for him."

Well, that's easier said than done, according to showrunner Spencer Hudnut. Kayce is having to make decisions for Tate's future while simultaneously coming to terms with his own past, which will make finding a path forward much more complicated. The question is: Will Kayce ever tell his son the truth about the grandfather he idolizes so much?

"It's a really good question," Hudnut tells TVLine. "I think Kayce is still wrestling with his own relationship with John. Also, the more Kayce gets away from John's death, the more Kayce has to struggle as a single father, the more he actually understands John. This season, while Kayce is wrestling with how to guide Tate into manhood, he's also wrestling with his own relationship with his father. Tate has endured so much, so to come clean and sort of drag down one of Tate's heroes is something Kayce would never do."

That said, expect lots of father-son tension in the coming weeks. As Hudnut reminds us, "Tate's a senior in high school. He's a 17-year-old boy who is about to become 18, and he thinks that turning 18 automatically makes him a man."

At Belle's behest, Cal tells the rest of the team about his cancer diagnosis and course of treatment: chemo, radiation, and a "pretty invasive" surgery. Rather than making a big deal out of it, as he explicitly does not want to do, Cal keeps the announcement lowkey, delivering the news matter-of-factly and without emotion. 

"I think Logan [Marshall-Green] is such a great actor," Spencer Hudnut tells TVLine of Cal's big scene. "Cal's instinct is to take this on alone. He's this team leader who talks about how 'one is none,' but in his personal life, he doesn't want to drag anyone down. He doesn't want to burden anybody with his illness. A big part of his arc this season is realizing the value in having people there to help you, and having people by your side. You can't take everything on on your own, which opens him up to this bigger realization that there is more to life than the badge. Part of this illness journey for him, as much as it is physically damaging, will open him up emotionally in ways that will benefit him in the long run."

The team is definitely surprised, and we can see a tear or two welling up in Andrea's eyes, but what's really conveyed in their subtle, respectful reactions is that they all have Cal's back.

The Duttons aren't the only family on this show with a complicated history, as we're reminded in this week's episode when Andrea is seen reading through files about her father, a police officer who was killed in the line of duty. She has always wanted to know more about his death, but this marks the beginning of an intense personal journey for her.

"It's important for her to get vengeance for her father, as she talked about last season, but it's also a symptom of something else that she's dealing with," Spencer Hudnut teases, alluding to something that will become more apparent in next week's episode. "Andrea is still dealing with the fallout of some things that happened in Season 1. She's trying to shut off parts of her brain that are spiraling, and she's trying to use that energy in a positive way, which is diving back into her father's murder."

In fact, Hudnut says that Andrea's journey is going to take her and Kayce all the way to the Big Apple. "Andrea and Kayce are on the loose in New York City, which will be fun, and we'll definitely step into learning more about her father and figuring out what happened to him," Hudnut says.

OK, let's talk: Are you appreciating the direction in which Kayce and Tate's story is going? Are you intrigued by Andrea's quest for vengeance? Drop a comment with your thoughts on "Marshals" Season 2, Episode 2 below.