Marshals Boss Breaks Down Kayce's Intense Clash With Tate: 'That Is A John Dutton Moment'

Still wracked with guilt over Tate's kidnapping, Kayce finally makes an important decision about his son's future on Sunday's episode of "Marshals" — and it does not go over well.

Season 2, Episode 3 ends with Kayce informing Tate that he needs to wake up early the next day for his first appointment with a therapist. "It's the last place my father would have taken me, and the last place I would have gone myself, so I'm hoping that makes it right the place for you," Kayce explains, but Tate fights back hard, insisting he doesn't need a "shrink."

Eventually, Kayce is forced to put his foot down to end the argument. "Damn it, Tate, there ain't no disobeying me on this," he says in a voice we aren't used to hearing. Tate isn't used to hearing it either, hence the uncomfortable silence that follows as he lumbers away to his bedroom, defeated.

"Kayce is trying to avoid giving Tate the John Dutton treatment as a father, but the irony is, when he tries to get him to go to therapy and Tate resists, that is a John Dutton moment where he is channeling his father," showrunner Spencer Hudnut explains to TVLine. "He even walks outside and sits on the porch, which is very John Dutton."

It's the beginning of an emotional journey that is "going to force Kayce to have a better understanding of his father," Hudnut says. "The more he tries to not be like his father, he's almost forced to become his father, which is anger masking fear, the control, and really trying to do right by your son. It's tough having two Duttons in a house together, especially when they have competing visions of what's best for one of them."

As always, the Duttons aren't the only family dealing with drama on "Marshals." Season 2, Episode 3 ends with a number of characters facing familial demons, both past and present:

Andrea, who is still experiencing PTSD from her kidnapping last season, is trying to distract herself by diving into another past trauma — her father's murder in the line of duty. Several of the show's stars, including Luke Grimes and Ash Santos, were recently in New York City, where they filmed scenes for an upcoming "Marshals" episode where Kayce and Andrea visit the Big Apple in search of answers.

Meanwhile, Cal thinks he's going to sit through his latest chemo appointment all by himself, a realization that becomes even more painful as he notices that most of his fellow patients have someone there to support them. Right on cue, Belle shows up at the hospital to let him know, "You are not facing this alone, Peter Calvin." 

As Spencer Hudnut tells TVLine, "This season is really about [Belle] taking control of her own happiness, and what's best for her family and for Cal. She knows that when it comes to his cancer fight, Cal needs a partner. Those moments where she'll do whatever it takes to be there for him are really powerful. The two of them together are pretty magical."

Did Kayce and Tate's father-son face-off leave you feeling unsettled? And how excited are you to see the Marshals take Manhattan (and/or the Bronx)? Drop a comment with your thoughts on "Marshals" Season 2, Episode 3 below.