I’ll start with a rant. Or rather with a callback to a rant I wrote almost a year ago about Jensen Ackles’s show “Countdown”. For those of you who haven’t watched (or heard about it), it was an action show. Obvs., since those are usually what I watch (and expect them to tackle the themes of disability and chronic illness with sincerity and care. oh, well..) So, in Countdown, Ackles’s character was given a brain cancer pretty early on. Can’t really remember if it was the first episode, or, like, the fourth episode? (out of, like, twelve, or ten, idek)
It was a glioblastoma. One of the fastest spreading and deadliest cancers there are. And, whatdoyoukno? Toward the end of the season the MC had some experimental treatment, survived it and got all better! YEY, right?
At least the show got cancelled *sigh*
Some peoples were surprised that it made me upset, but whatever.
Compare it with Marshals (a Yellowstone story). *Spoilers up to 1x11 ahead*
Throughout the season we see hints that something’s up with the US Marshal team leader, Pete “Cal” Calvin. At first—I want to say it—at first I thought it was going to be another character with a drug addiction problem (it *is* a very popular ‘chronic problem’ fictional characters deal with. I agree that The Pitt did it better, but it’s not a rare representation at all).
As you may guess, Cal wasn’t popping pills because of addiction, though. They give more hints and breadcrumbs around the midseason, but nothing concrete. Until, finally, in one of the final scenes of the penultimate episode, the actual diagnosis is revealed.
Similarly as in Countdown, it’s a specific diagnosis, not something vague. Cal’s prognosis isn’t great either, but at least this disease has ‘five years survival rate’, contrary to glioblastoma, that only has ‘typical duration of survival’. In months. This choice is, IMO, much better thought out.
I’m unsure about them revealing it toward the end of the season. Typically I would expect them to do the treatment over the hiatus and have Cal come back all cured, maybe have some small-ish after-effects for an episode or four and then forget all about it. That’s the ‘normal’ of tv-land. (btw, it reminds me about semi-rant I want to write about Will Trent and a similar storyline. maybe i'll write it, maybe i won't)
But then.. Then I saw this article on TvLine. And this quote from Logan Marshall-Green, Cal’s actor:
"Cancer is too important a topic to dance around," he says. "It affects literally everyone, and I hope we get a chance to really break [Cal] down the way cancer breaks down humans. It doesn't matter whether you fought for the country or not, it doesn't matter what you do, this thing is not biased. So I hope Cal is put through the wringer with this, because that's the story that needs to be told. Don't get me wrong, there have been great advancements in technology, and I think those are also worthy of the story when it comes to cancer, but from what I know, even with those advancements, there's still a lot of pain."
Is this what Season Two of Marshals has in store for me?
If it is, I’m sat. I’m thinking, maybe I should try and write some fic for this show, because damn, it deserves. But what if I make myself too invested *again*, what if I’ll go nuts about the show’s first season, like I always do, only to be disappointed by season two? As I always am... (sorry, The Pitt fam)
Ehhhhh. Meanwhile, this season of Marshals isn’t over yet. I guess I’ll see what happens in the finale, right?
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