A Disturbing Yellowstone Storyline Haunts Kayce Dutton In Marshals Episode 4

This article contains spoilers for "Marshals" season 1, episode 4, "The Gathering Storm."

Amazingly enough, Brecken Merrill's Tate Dutton didn't die on "Yellowstone." A show that routinely killed off main characters spared Kayce Dutton's (Luke Grime) son, allowing him to appear alongside his dad in "Marshals." But that doesn't mean Tate made it through "Yellowstone" without any kind of trauma. Now, a moment from episode 4 of "Marshals" has recalled one of the most harrowing experiences Tate ever endured when Tatanka Means' Miles Kittle alludes to the youngster's kidnapping ordeal from "Yellowstone" season 2.

Poor Tate should probably be in some sort of facility at this point. Within just a few episodes of "Yellowstone" season 1, Kayce's son had lost two of his uncles and was left to fend for himself in a drainage pipe wherein he was attacked by a rattlesnake while his father chased down sex predators. It wasn't the best start, and things only got worse from there.

In season 2, Kevin Costner's John Dutton faced off against Malcom and Teal Beck (Neal McDonough and Terry Serpico). The brothers went to war with the Duttons over a planned casino build, eventually hiring a militia made up of white supremacists to kidnap Tate. While being held captive, Tate had his head shaved and became so traumatized by the experience that he didn't recognize his own father when he first arrived to rescue him. "Marshals" episode 4 picks up on this dark storyline by suggesting Kayce might even face repercussions for the frontier justice rescue of his son.

When Tate Dutton is finally rescued by Kayce Dutton in "Yellowstone" season 2, the boy initially recoils and fights his own father. It's a disturbing moment that shows just how traumatized the youngster was by his experience. After this, Tate understandably suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, emphasizing just how scarred he was by the ordeal. It was tough to watch and an example of how the Duttons brought pain to everyone in their orbit, including the most innocent. It was also an example of how the Duttons did things their way, rarely by the book.

Now, "Marshals" has seen Tate and Kayce embark on a new chapter, though not without enduring yet more trauma. The show started by killing off Kelsey Asbille's Monica Dutton in the worst way possible, having Tate's mother die off-screen prior to the show's debut. "Marshals" has also implied that one "Yellowstone" character's problems aren't over yet, with Brett Cullen's Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Harry Gifford determined to sift through Kayce's past and uncover the dark history of the Duttons.

In episode 4, Gifford once again prods at Kayce's past after the newly deputized U.S. Marshal is accused of shooting an unarmed victim. In the previous episode, we watched as Kayce took down Carson Clegg during a standoff in the woods. In episode 4, Clegg's father, Randall (Michael Cudlitz), wrongly alleges that Kayce shot his unarmed son, prompting an internal investigation. This gets Gifford fired up. The Chief Deputy pushes the rest of the Marshals team to dig into Kayce's past, leading Miles Kittle to recall the off-the-books operation to rescue Tate back in "Yellowstone" season 2.

In "Marshals" episode 4, Harry Gifford and the Marshals team conclude that Kayce Dutton's former rescue of his son was likely an example of "frontier justice," an illegitimate use of force which could provide grounds for Kayce's dismissal. In fact, for a moment it seems as though it might be what Gifford needs to not only fire, but potentially charge Kayce with a crime. Ultimately, however, Kayce manages to evade any repercussions after video emerges proving Carson Clegg was armed when he was shot.

Oddly enough, this video seems to be enough to immediately make everyone forget about Kayce's frontier justice rescue of Tate Dutton. Gifford immediately drops whatever axe he was trying to grind, and everything seemingly goes back to normal.

"Marshals" episode 3 proved this show has no idea what it's about, and now episode 4 once again suggests the writers are losing direction as they pile on more and more storylines. This episode could have focused solely on Kayce's rescue of Tate coming back to haunt him. It would have been a gripping installment to see Kayce race to cover his tracks as his fellow Marshals come close to unearthing aspects of his dark past. Instead, episode 4 of "Marshals" also revealed more about one of the show's most enigmatic characters, started a whole subplot involving a "serial bomber," and saw Kayce form a bond with a benevolent rancher that shared a lot in common with his father. It was a lot, and that's a shame; reliving one of the most disturbing storylines from "Yellowstone" would have been enough on its own.