The theories are sadly true: Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille), one-half of Yellowstone’s most star-crossed couple, has died. The series premiere of spinoff sequel Marshals — which follows her husband, Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes), as he works as a member of an elite squad of U.S. Marshals — reveals that Monica died of cancer in the year between the end of Yellowstone and the start of Marshals.
It’s a shocking and devastating loss for Kayce and his and Monica’s son Tate (Brecken Merrill) — and for fans, who followed Kayce and Monica’s love story through all five seasons of Yellowstone.
Marshals creator Spencer Hudnut says that even though Monica is gone, her memory will be carried throughout the show. “Kayce's dealing with the grief and the loss. I mean, this is the person who really kept him anchored the entire run of Yellowstone. This is the love of his life,” Hudnut tells Parade. “Her presence and her loss is definitely a big runner throughout the first season, and she'll be with him throughout the show.”
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How did Monica die in Marshals?
Monica was an important character on Yellowstone. A Native American woman who grew up on the Broken Rock Reservation, she always reminded Kayce that he was more than just a Dutton. They had ups and downs in their relationship, but they loved each other and their son Tate with all their hearts.
When Marshals’ cast was announced and Asbille’s name wasn’t on the list, fans suspected that something had happened to Monica. Then the series’s first trailer heavily implied that Monica had passed away. Marshals’ premiere episode, “Piya Wiconi,” confirms the tragic loss.
The episode starts with Kayce having a nightmare where Monica calls him while he’s fighting in a gun battle and he asks, “Monica, where are you?” When he wakes up, Monica isn’t there. Then a conversation between Kayce and Tate further implies that Monica is gone. Tate identifies more with the Native American side of his heritage than the Dutton side. He would rather fight the power than work the ranch.
Against his father’s wishes, Tate goes to a protest against the opening of a new mine that will dump toxins into Broken Rock’s water supply and make the reservation’s already high cancer rate even worse. At the protest, Kayce — who is there working for the Marshals — asks Tate to go home before things get violent. Tate refuses, telling his father, “After how much mom suffered, you should be leading the charge here, not waving the white flag.” He holds up a framed picture of his mother, confirming that she got sick from exposure to toxins at Broken Rock and passed away.
At the end of the episode, Kayce goes to visit her grave. He’s accepted a new job with the U.S. Marshals and had a heart-to-heart conversation with Tate about allowing the boy to choose his own path, not forcing him to carry on the Dutton legacy, and he has something he needs to tell her. “You always told me to fight for the life I want. But I had the life I wanted; it was with you,” he says through tears. “I’m changing paths. I’m gonna try to find a new beginning for me and Tate.” His old life is mostly gone, and Marshals will follow him as he embarks on a new one.
Kelsey Asbille as Monica Dutton in 'Yellowstone'Paramount Network
Related: Luke Grimes Explains Why He Almost Didn’t Return After ‘Yellowstone’ for New Spinoff ‘Marshals’ (Exclusive)
Why isn't Monica in Marshals?
Hudnut says that the decision to end Monica’s story had already been made by the time he was hired to run Marshals. “Truthfully, that was a decision that wasn't really in my hands, and so I kind of baked the pilot cake with the ingredients I had,” he says. “But it was important if she wasn't going to continue with the show to really have that loss mean something.”
“There were thoughts of, like, we could do something really hideous to her that would then send Kayce on a sort of Man on Fire thing,” he adds, referencing the 2004 revenge thriller. “But it felt important to use her passing as an opportunity to really shine a spotlight on an issue that is plaguing that community, which is a very high cancer rate.” (According to the CDC, Native Americans have higher rates of certain kinds of cancer than other ethnic groups, and often have less access to healthcare.)
“I really wanted to treat her with respect,” Hudnut says. “We didn't want to exploit this loss in a way that felt too cheap. We also wanted to find [a time where] there's enough distance from it where it's plausible that Kayce is in a place where he's just kind of stuck” — and therefore open shaking up his life when the opportunity presents itself in the form of a U.S. Marshal badge.
Hudnut understands that fans may have strong feelings about Monica’s death. “Kayce and Monica had such a great ending to Yellowstone, but unfortunately, real life intervened,” Hudnut says. “I don't think this decision alters the ending of that show in any way. They still ride off into the sunset and have what they thought was their dream. But she's gonna be with Kayce throughout the series. We're just trying to honor this great character that Kelsey and Taylor [Sheridan] created.”
Marshals airs Sundays at 8/7c on CBS and is available to stream on Paramount+.
Related: What Makes New ‘Yellowstone’ Spinoff 'Marshals' So Different, According to the Creator (Exclusive)
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