Could Monica really return on Marshals? Showrunner Spencer Hudnut isn’t ruling it out.
Fans of the Yellowstone spinoff know very well that, in somewhat shocking fashion, the wife of Luke Grimes’ Kayce Dutton (played by Kelsey Asbille) was killed off before Season 1 aired its first episode. I’d say “Spoiler Alert,” but we’re already well into Season 2 at this point.
If you didn’t know about Monica not returning for Marshals by now… that’s on you.
As to why Asbille’s character didn’t return, there were plenty of theories. One was that Kayce Dutton needed some sort of catalyst to get back into his violent ways. The more likely reason was shared by Matt Belloni over at the What I’m Hearing newsletter.
According to him, Monica’s absence from Marshals also had to do with avoiding legal issues. There was apparently a need to keep the Kayce Dutton-focused spinoff from simply being a continuation of Yellowstone. Why? Well, that ties back to a deal that was established prior to Paramount+ even existing, and even before Yellowstone was the giant it is today.
Basically, Yellowstone and any continuation of Yellowstone has to stream on Peacock, because that streaming service acquired the streaming rights to Taylor Sheridan’s western drama back in 2020. That’s why the flagship series is still exclusively available to stream on Peacock.
However, that same deal provides wiggle room for Yellowstone spinoffs to stream elsewhere, like on Paramount+. And in an effort to really establish Marshals as a spinoff, and not just as a continuation of the original story, Kelsey Asbille’s Monica was excluded. Even if her schedule would have allowed for her to be a part of the show, the minds behind Marshals probably would have still decided to kill her off… just so Peacock and Paramount+ wouldn’t have anything to bicker about.
Makes sense right?
Now, in Season 2, Luke Grimes’ character is entertaining a new love interest. On plenty of occasions, the actor behind Kayce Dutton has voiced that they are handling the character moving on very carefully. And in a recent interview, he suggested that bringing Monica back for a flashback or two would make a lot of sense for where his character is at.
He admitted there’s been “no conversation” about it yet, but he loves working with Kelsey and would love to make that part of the show:
“If there was a flashback, I’d probably rather it be with Monica than John (Dutton), I think that would be more poignant to the character, but we’ll see. There’s been no conversation, but I sure would love it, I love working with her.”
And the showrunner for Marshals shared a similar sentiment.
Spencer Hudnut told People that he’d definitely entertain the thought of bringing back Kelsey Asbille in a limited capacity (I’d imagine the legal issues mentioned earlier would still limit her screen time). But he thinks there’s a time and a place to do it the right way:
“I’m definitely open (to) that … I think you have to be very careful about the timing of doing that. I have no idea what her point of view would be on that. I would love to work with her… The character of Monica will always be with Kayce. She’s, I think, guiding him still.”
It’d definitely be interested to bring Monica back. When Yellowstone fans initially found out she was killed off, there were mixed reactions (some were crushed… some not so much). I’d love to see the discourse amongst fans if Asbille came back to reprise her role.
Here’s the trailer for Season 2, in case you need to get caught up with the series currently airing weekly on CBS:
