Marshals Season 1 Episode 8 Review: This Is Getting Way Too Messy

Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0

4

According to Meriam-Webster, Blowback is a noun defined as an unforeseen and unwanted effect, result, or set of repercussions.

The title of Marshals Season 1 Episode 8 is meant to describe the resurfacing of a militia that feels slighted by Kayce and the marshals.

But it also reflects much of what the team is going through right now, as actions from recent or distant past bring unintended consequences.

It’s a cleaner way of saying things get messy on multiple fronts.

Messy can be good for the story, but it can also create unintended consequences for the show, and by the end of the first episode of this two-parter, Marshals is left with both the positive and negative outcomes of some of its creative decisions.

The Back Benchers

Relationships between teammates are almost always a recipe for disaster because of the good ol’ problem of complicating human connections.

That’s why I primarily object to romantic entanglement between coworkers, because it makes things too mangled.

It’s hard to tell where one begins and the other ends, and in high-stakes situations like the ones Marshals find themselves in, there is no time to untangle drama.

So the fact that Pete and Belle kissed and that Miles is in a situationship with Pete’s daughter creates a situation that is not good for the show.

The consequences show up in the episode when Pete sends Cowboy and Barbie to the field and sticks The Back Benchers behind the desk.

They immediately think they’re being punished for their recent actions, and honestly, one can’t say Pete wasn’t doing that, either consciously or subconsciously.

It creates drama that could harm the show, as significant time will be spent addressing these friction points.

Now that’s even the best-case scenario because things can devolve and end up hurting the team.

If matters reach that point, the writers can either go full soap opera or just ignore logic and brush everything under the carpet.

In both scenarios, that’s a terrible outcome for entertainment value.

So part of me hopes that the kissing and dating will be resolved as soon as possible, and it’ll be that crazy thing we recall in later seasons.

“Hey, remember when Pete and Belle kissed, and it was so awkward for a couple of episodes?”

This team is already dealing with significant structural problems; it doesn’t need more added.

The Brotherhood Is Back

Some of those significant structural problems stem from Kayce and Pete’s shared history with the SEALs.

They have reared their head in multiple scenes, but with the arrival of former teammate Garrett, what once felt incidental now drives the conflict.

This is messy too, but the good kind of messy.

Garret’s return exposes the disconnect between Kayce and Pete that I had noticed but wanted to ignore, thinking it wasn’t a big deal.

While Pete is the leader of this group, it has repeatedly become evident that Kayce does not respect him as such.

He breaks protocol, manipulates, or snaps at Pete as if they share the same rank.

And with Garrett, it is hinted that something happened in the SEALs that they covered up. It was so bad that another team member lost their life, and Garrett suffers PTSD from that whole affair.

Tensions between Kayce and Pete flare up this hour, and they threaten to explode if the universe keeps revisiting that thread.

I hope the universe revisits that thread because that’s the kind of juicy drama Marshals should lean into, not secret and not-so-secret office romances.

Another Brotherhood Is Back

The case this hour is also quite interesting because it leans into atypical procedural storytelling that is becoming more common at CBS.

Most procedurals introduce cases and resolve them neatly in one episode, and it can feel anticlimactic and repetitive.

Breaking down cases into two or more episodes allows the show to explore the nuances and twists without worrying about time constraints.

Also, it’s much easier to get invested in a show when it surprises you, and Randall’s return was a major surprise.

But after that exchange with Kayce in Marshals Season 1 Episode 3, I see why he would hold a grudge after the verbal lashing Kayce handed out.

Randall shows up with a vendetta he’s willing to do anything for, including kidnapping a U.S. marshal.

And Michael Cudlitz’s delivery of that creepy manifesto monologue was so chilling.

However, the hour’s true MVP is Riley Green, who, despite primarily being a music star, nails the character.

His role is one of the most demanding I’ve ever seen singers get on procedurals, and he delivers.

Gut Check

“Blowback” was a solid episode of Marshals, but since the show has yet to establish itself, the characters keep flip-flopping in their personalities, which is jarring.

In one episode, Andrea is unbearable, but in the next, she’s a complete angel. The writers need to balance out these characters.

Intrusive Thoughts

• Can anyone at Paramount hardcode subtitles in these episodes?? Garrett, Kayce, and Pete in the same scene sounds like a competition in who can be the least discernible. The Three Mummurers I call them.

• Everyone, support me here. Kayce and Andrea are Barbie and Cowboy; Miles and Belle are The Back Benchers.

• Will they stop telling us about Kayce’s parenting and show it? It seems like Tate has disappeared into the background.

• It’s amazing how Greyhounds can fit in any topography. It looked like a native Montana animal pulling up in that opening scene.

• Hey Riley Green, if you get tired of the music thing, you could have a second career.

Over to you, Marshals fanatics. What do you think of the tensions this hour? Is the show losing direction by including office romances? Are they setting Kayce up to become the new team leader because of Pete’s injury?

Let’s keep the conversation going — it’s the only way the good stuff survives.

Say something in the comments, share if you’re moved to, and keep reading. Independent voices need readers like you.