Image Credit: Paramount+
The new TV series Marshals, the latest installment in the Yellowstone television franchise created and produced by Taylor Sheridan and a direct sequel to the original series, has given Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) the opportunity to leave his troubled and often ambiguous past behind.
With a new team by his side, in the first three episodes of Marshals, John Dutton’s son quickly integrated into this unit of the U.S. Marshals, which also includes newcomer Belle Skinner (Arielle Kebbel)…who, it turns out, isn’t exactly new to Montana. The latest episode, in fact, further revealed Belle’s hidden past as a member of the Bozeman community, but many fans of the series have started to smell a rat: could it be that the show’s creators are trying to build a romance between Belle and Kayce? It would be a big mistake, in our opinion, and a storyline the show should avoid at all costs.
In “Road to Nowhere,” U.S. Marshals takes an interesting turn by delving into the mysterious past of Belle, a native of Bozeman known as “Isabelle Turek.” At this point, we don’t know much about Belle’s life before she joined the U.S. Marshals. Neither she nor her family has ever been mentioned in Yellowstone, although Kayce admitted to recognizing her in the series’ first episode. This brief interaction between the two early on, combined with their struggles to keep their teammates from digging too deep into their family histories, has led some fans to believe that Marshals is steering the pair toward a romantic situation that could eventually lead to a relationship.
Despite what some might hope, this would be a serious mistake typical of mainstream TV series—one the show should absolutely avoid, if only to set itself apart. First of all, it wouldn’t be very narrative-friendly, given that the show’s premise is that Kayce became a widower after Monica’s (Kelsey Asbille) death, which the writers unceremoniously wrote out of the story off-screen following the events of Yellowstone; given that the protagonist’s main goal is to reinvent himself as a person and as a father and to rebuild his bond with his son, Tate (Brecken Merrill), the last thing Kayce needs is a new romance…which would further complicate things with his son.
Moreover, on the contrary, from the very beginning Marshals has made it clear that Belle’s husband and son are her priority, and although her job is demanding and balancing her professional and personal life has proven more difficult than expected (much like what happens to Taylor Sheridan’s other action-oriented women, the protagonists of the TV series Lioness), she is still committed to making things work. In fact, she has Pete “Cal” Calvin (Logan Marshall-Green) on her side, who encourages her to keep prioritizing them, especially since the series has hinted that he didn’t do the same with his own family.
A potential romance between Kayce and Belle would not only feel a bit forced, but it would also ruin Belle’s chances of avoiding the same mistakes Cal has already had to face. Although Marshall (thankfully) hasn’t yet committed to a relationship between them, the clear parallels between their respective troubled pasts and what this might mean as they grow closer could easily open the door to this storyline if the series isn’t careful.
Of course, many fans hope for the opposite, and in any case, the fact that we believe a romance between Kayce and Belle wouldn’t be ideal doesn’t mean the two can’t be close. In an interview with TV Insider, actress Arielle Kebbel offered an interesting analysis of the dynamic between Belle and Kayce: “There’s an immediate unspoken understanding between the two,” Kebbel notes. “Both are afraid of letting their guard down too much.”
If Marshals were to focus on their shared past, their struggle against family expectations, and the notoriety that comes from spending their entire lives in Montana—not to mention the fact that they come from two very wealthy families—then Marshals might have something fascinating and original on its hands with these characters…which might lose some of its appeal if it all ends up as a classic love story.
The hope is that Marshals proves smart enough to avoid such an easy and predictable twist, especially in this early stage when the show is still trying to find its identity.
Keep in mind that Marshals has already been renewed for Season 2, which is extremely rare for a network series after only a couple of episodes have aired.
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