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After 6 seasons of watching Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) and his wife Monica (Kelsey Asbille) take on the world in Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone, the new Y: Marshals TV show opened with a truly shocking update on the couple: Monica has died. Showrunner Spencer Hudnut told The Hollywood Reporter the idea to change up the Marshals cast came after he learned Kelsey couldn't do the new show.
“When that happened, it cleared up what that thing was for Kayce,” Spencer said of the new Yellowstone spinoff. “It wasn’t like Luke and I were sitting there saying, ‘We should kill Monica.’ It was more like, ‘If she’s not available for this, then what’s the best way to move on from that character in the least exploitive way?'”
Still heartbroken over that Y: Marshals premiere, and Monica's death? Yeah, me too.
How did Monica die in Yellowstone?
Paramount
In the Y: Marshals premiere, it's revealed that Monica has passed away from cancer because of the toxic levels of living on the reservation.
This is a very real problem, considering "historically, Native American reservations have systematically been targeted as sites for toxic waste disposal," reports BPR. "Toxic exposure has led to devastating and long-lasting health impacts in Native American communities."
Paramount
"It felt like tying her death to a real-life issue that we could shine a little bit of a spotlight on [was right]," Spencer Hudnut says. "Our reservations have really high cancer rates, and it’s because of all the terrible things that have been done to them. So that felt like a way to honor that character, and she is kind of guiding Kayce."
"Tate is at that rally because of his mother, and Kayce’s there to protect Tate. So without Monica, maybe Kayce doesn’t find that path. So we will continue to explore [that]," he continues. "I think Kayce is a little bit behind his son in terms of accepting the loss of Monica, and really embracing his grief. We will revisit that period a little bit and also really explore in the first half of the season Kayce’s journey of trying to let go and really accept that she’s gone."
What did Luke Grimes think about Monica's death?
Paramount
As shocking as Monica's death is for viewers, it turns out that it was one major reason Luke Grimes agreed to come back to the Yellowstone universe.
"My goal was to not undermine that journey in Yellowstone because they do have [the dream] — she says, 'This is a dream come true' at the end of it. They did achieve that. They did get what they finally wanted," Spencer Hudnut continues, "and, unfortunately, life just intervened and disrupted everything that Kayce wanted. So that’s where we find him in Marshals."
Where can I stream Y: Marshals?
Paramount
Y: Marshals is airing every Sunday on CBS and Paramount+.
Who's in the Marshals cast?
Paramount
The Marshals cast includes some familiar faces from the Yellowstone universe, and some brand new characters, including:
- Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton
- Logan Marshall-Green as Pete Calvin
- Ash Santos as Andrea Cruz
- Arielle Kebbel as Belle Skinner
- Gil Birmingham as Thomas Rainwater
- Mo Brings Plenty as Mo
- Tatanka Means as Miles Kittle
- Brecken Merrill as Tate Dutton
- Brett Cullen as Harry Gifford
- Ellyn Jameson as Dolly Weaver
- Chad Michael Collins as Owen Kilborn
- Loren Anthony as Jim Kane
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