Fans of Yellowstone have got to see the further stories of Luke Grimes’ character, Kayce Dutton, through the sequel series, Marshals. However, the fate of one character in particular, Kayce’s wife, Monica, was also revealed, which came as a shock to many. Since then, a few of the franchise’s stars have weighed in on the story.
Marshals Continues From Yellowstone, Which Previously Ended In 2024
Marshals serves as both a spin-off and sequel to Yellowstone, making it the fourth series in the show’s franchise. The series follows Kayce Dutton, played by Luke Grimes, as he joins a specialized group of U.S. Marshals to protect Montana.
As a sequel series, viewers have learned the fates of various characters from Yellowstone. However, many fans weren’t too happy about the fate of Kelsey Asbille’s character, Monica Long Dutton, Kayce’s wife.
As fans know, Kayce and Monica remained the center of the show until it ended in 2024. After teaching at a local school, she went on to become a Montana State University professor.
However, when Kayce returned in March 2026 for Marshals, fans were shocked to learned that Monica died offscreen in between the shows. It had been explained that the character had died after a battle with cancer.
Since then, multiple explanations have been given for the shocking decision to kill off Monica. This ranged from Asbille being unavailable to not wanting to see Monica and Kayce endure further drama after the original show’s ending. Since then, however, some of the franchise’s stars have reacted to the decision.
Luke Grimes Also Spoke On Behalf Of One Series Star In Particular
For his part, Luke Grimes admitted that the development was a surprise. However, he expressed sympathy for Asbille, since she would no longer play the character.
However, speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Grimes admitted it made narrative sense. As he explained, “The way that Yellowstone ended for Kayce was literally he rode off into the sunset. Obviously, we can’t just watch this guy have his dream life. There’s no drama.”
As Grimes continued, “Something’s gonna have to happen that gets in the way of him having that. Otherwise, why is he gonna take a badge? The last time we saw him, he was throwing a badge in a field. Is he gonna go pick it up?”
In addition, Grimes also shared that he spoke with Asbille, the actress who brought Monica to life, and discussed the decision to kill off the character. Speaking with TVLine, he shared, “We had a great conversation. In true Kelsey fashion, she handled it like a pro and totally understood.” However, Asbille hasn’t publicly spoken out about the decision to kill off the character at this time.
Mo Brings Plenty, who reprised his role as Mo on Marshals, also expressed shock over the character’s death. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, “Boy. At first, I was like, ‘Why?!’ Because that was our connection to the Duttons. There’s always been a connection between the Dutton family and Broken Rock, but Monica was more of a connection. So, to lose that, at first, my reaction was like, ‘No.’” However, he acknowledged that the new series needed a “story” to tell.
Have you been keeping up with Marshals or other Yellowstone news? What was your reaction to the decision to kill off Monica? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest TV and celebrity news.
John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.
