Spoilers for the series premiere of Marshals are ahead! You can stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription, and then catch new ones every Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
As our first post-Yellowstone spinoff kicked off on the 2026 TV schedule, we got to see the returns of Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton, Gil Birmingham as Thomas Rainwater, Mo Brings Plenty as Mo and Brecken Merrill as Tate Dutton. However, one notable Yellowstone cast member who was missing from this lineup was Kelsey Asbille, who played Kayce’s wife, Monica. Now, Grimes has opened up about why her character isn’t on the show, why it’s good for it and his personal reaction to the development.
In the lead-up to Marshals' release, comments from the showrunner and Kayce and Tate as well as the trailer for the Yellowstone spinoff, had me theorizing that Monica was dead. Plus, with Asbille never confirmed as part of the cast, it seemed like something bad could happen to her character. Sadly, it’s revealed that she died in the premiere, and while speaking with the LA Times, Grimes explained how he reacted to this development, saying:
I think fans will be upset — and they should be. Kayce is very upset. It’s the worst thing that could have happened to him. But as much as I’m really upset not to work with Kelsey, it’s a good idea for the show.
Throughout Yellowstone’s entire run (you can stream that show with a Peacock subscription, but you can watch Marshals on Paramount+), Kelsey Asbille and Luke Grimes shared the majority of their storylines. Monica and Kayce were always very close, so taking her away was a big shock. It makes sense that Grimes was upset that he couldn’t work with his longtime co-star anymore.
However, killing off Monica does create brand new (and deep) problems that Kayce will have to solve. Grimes noted all that too, as he explained why his character’s loss of his “dream life” will propel him forward in Marshals:
His dream life is no longer available to him. Now the only thing he has is his son, who is not so sure he wants the same life as Kayce. A big part of the season is Kayce learning how to manage all these new things — new job, being a single father.
By having Monica die, Kayce is forced to take on life in a new way. They really worked together to raise Tate, and now he is a single father with a brand new job. Overall, that makes for a captivating story, and it helps Marshals set itself apart from Yellowstone.
However, just because Monica isn’t physically there does not mean her presence will be totally absent. Speaking about how Asbille’s character still impacts the series, showrunner Spencer Hudnut explained:
She is guiding Kayce, and their relationship is moving forward. His dealing with his inability to confront his grief is a big part of the season. It became clear that something horrible had to happen to put Kayce on a different path.
I get what both men are saying. Kayce had to lose something major to be forced down a totally new path in life. When we left him on Yellowstone, he was content at East Camp with his family. However, losing his wife makes him reassess what he wants and what he and his son need. And that's what helps him get to the marshals.
Now, I’m looking forward to seeing how all this unfolds as Marshals continues airing every Sunday on CBS.
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