Marshals: The Devil at Home

Usually, Kayce Dutton is the Deputy Marshal most likely to go rogue. This time it will be Miles Kittle. Ironically, he will go “off the reservation,” by going onto the reservation. Learning belatedly of a friend’s fentanyl death, Kittle wants to administer some frontier justice, but Chief Deputy Gifford insists on differing to the DEA. Dutton keeps busy, but he largely gets a week off from his usual angsty brooding in “The Devil at Home,” the latest episode of creator Spencer Hudnut’s Marshals, premiering tonight on CBS.

Having been hyped as a hero after the standoff with the Cleggs, Deputy Cruz’s next assignment will be schmoozing political bigwigs with Gifford. However, she has to admit the “whisper-quiet” combination helicopter-airplane, displayed at the conference by real-life Archer Aviation founder Adam Goldstein (playing himself), is really cool and potentially super useful. Maybe they can take it for a test spin in next week’s season finale.

Chairman Rainwater wants to use Kittle in a similar fashion to stop the adjacent mining project. However, the news of his friend’s death quickly ends his effectiveness schmoozing. Of course, the Marshals are all for taking down fentanyl traffickers, but the DEA claims jurisdiction. Kittle just cannot accept the stand-down order. In fact, his girlfriend Maddie Calvin grows so concerned, she calls her semi-estranged father, Deputy Pete Calvin, for a status check.

Again, “The Devil at Home” sets up a lot of drama that will presumably be resolved next week (hopefully, or they become cliffhangers for season two). Regardless, it either represents the end of the road for many Deputies, or possibly yet more new beginnings. Although Grimes doesn’t get the really heavy stuff this installment, it is another good example of the appealing chemistry developing between him and Ash Santos (as Cruz). Unlike other “set-up” episodes, “Devil at Home” builds to a big, guns-blazing action climax.

Arguably, this episode might equally satisfy fans of the mothership Yellowstone series, thanks to the Rainwater subplot and viewers of CBS procedurals, because of the extended shootout. Seriously, the Deputy Marshals look pretty cool when they gear-up and purposefully stride into harm’s way. Recommended for the things this series does best, “Devil at Home” airs tonight (5/17) on CBS.