Cam McLeod/CBS
This article contains spoilers for “Marshals” Season 1, Episode 8, “Blowback.”
Some “Yellowstone” franchise fans dislike “Marshals” because it’s a network procedural series with a case-of-the-week format. In other words, the spin-off is safe, predictable, and lacks the types of villains who made life hell for the Duttons on “Yellowstone,” “1883,” and “1923.” Well, that all changes in Season 1’s eighth episode, “Blowback,” which finally lets the wicked Randall Clegg (Michael Cudlitz) off the leash — and he becomes a problem.
Episode 8 sees Randall out for revenge, and he is willing to go “scorched earth” to get it. He has his peeps kidnap Andrea Cruz (Ash Santos) to get back at Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) and the other marshals for killing his kin earlier in the season. Randall is also unhappy about bureaucratic types destroying the land (a problem the Dutton family can also relate to), so he has plenty of reasons to be ticked off.
It’s also clear that Randall isn’t worried about going to war with the law. In fact, he more or less hires a militia to aid him in the fight against Kayce and the gang, and the episode ends with the team feeling outgunned and outmatched. For the first time this season, it feels like Kayce and company could be in genuine jeopardy, and we finally have a villain who feels like a threat.
Randall Clegg has brought some high-stakes drama to Marshals
CBS
“Marshals” introduces Randall as a Dutton family rival in Episode 3. Despite never being mentioned on “Yellowstone,” we learn that the Cleggs are the oldest family in the area outside of the Duttons, and their family rivalry goes way back. There is clear tension between Randall and Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) from the outset, and Kayce killing his foe’s son certainly hasn’t improved that relationship.
It was only a matter of time until the Cleggs made their presence felt again, and their chaos in Episode 8 has added some genuine stakes to “Marshals.” Throwing a Big Bad like Randall Clegg into the mix might not be enough to convert the show’s naysayers to the cause, but the fact he’s a persistent problem who has yet to be defeated makes “Marshals” feel like a “Yellowstone” spin-off again. Every other show in the franchise boasts significant baddies who can’t be defeated overnight, and Randall can now be part of that class.
Until now, “Marshals” has had to contend with some dark trends “Yellowstone” started, but the spin-off often feels removed from the rest of the franchise. That said, a land-obsessed villain with a murderous grudge against the Duttons is as “Yellowstone” as it gets. Hopefully, Randall and his family will stick around for a while, as it’s been too long since viewers have actually felt worried for Kayce’s safety.
