Abhiroop Das
Created by Spencer Hudnut, Paramount Plus’ ‘Marshals’ builds on the story of ‘Yellowstone,’ by focusing its gaze on Kayce Dutton. It has been quite some time since the ranch was sold to Rainwater, and with the Dutton territory down to a few hundred hectares and the Dutton family based there down to two, Kayce has his work cut out for him. However, when his friend and former brother-in-arms, Pete, offers him a position in the elite US Marshals squad that has set up shop in town, Kayce accepts, hoping for a fresh start. While the action neo-Western drama series follows Kayce on this transformative journey, the complete absence of his wife, Monica, from the story is bound to leave fans curious. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Monica Dies Off-Screen Due to Cancer Caused by Industrial Toxins in Broken Rock
Episode 1 of ‘Marshals’ opens with the heartbreaking reveal that Monica passed away after battling cancer. Given that the show is effectively a sequel to ‘Yellowstone,’ and that Tate doesn’t appear to have aged much since his last appearance, it is safe to say not much time has passed since the Duttons sold their land. Within this short span, however, Monica got cancer after being exposed to toxic waste in and around the Broken Rock reservation, and the disease quickly took its toll on her. With the episode showing Kayce having a hard time making breakfast for Tate, it is also likely that Monica died very recently, and has left an irreconciliable hole in the family. While both Kayce and his son struggle to move on from this strange turn of events, they have different methods of dealing with these complex emotions.
As it turns out, Monica is not the only one to lose her life to industrial toxins, as there are several other people, primarily natives, who are victims. With the government refusing to act and the industries refusing to budge from reserved territories, the locals take it upon themselves to protest, and Tate ends up joining them in the process. Kayce, on the other hand, tries to box his grief in, a tendency that we have seen multiple times in ‘Yellowstone’ as well. By locking himself into a routine of tending to the now reduced Dutton ranch, and that of hopelessly attempting to rebuild his relationship with Tate, Kayce hopes to preserve a state of being where things cannot get any worse, all the while mentally withering away due to his unprocessed feelings. His work with the US Marshals, as such, provides a break from this toxic lifestyle, offering him a chance to save lives and find closure.
Kelsey Asbille Reportedly Couldn’t Join Marshals Due to a Schedule Clash
As per reports, scheduling issues are the primary reason why Kelsey Asbille is not reprising her role as Monica Long Dutton in ‘Marshals.’ Given that production of her works, ‘The Technique’ and ‘Adulting,’ possibly began production around the same time as the first season of ‘Marshals,’ it makes sense for Kelsey to step away from the role. In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Spencer Hudnut explained how the creative team reacted to Kelsey’s exit. “It wasn’t like Luke, and I were sitting there saying, ‘We should kill Monica.’,” he explained, before adding that the question they asked was,” ‘If she’s not available for this, then what’s the best way to move on from that character in the least exploitive way?'”
When thinking about the conclusion to Monica’s character arc, Hudnut and the writing team decided to lean into tragedy, showing how, even after finding peace and stability in life at last, Monica and her family were still subject to fate’s whims. In this case, the crew decided to bring in an element of realism by highlighting a greater cause. When describing how the team conceptualized Monica’s death, Hudnut revealed, “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.” The fact that Monica has been written out of the story means that there is very little possibility of Kelsey joining the show, at least for the first season. However, potential continuations of the story can easily bring her back for a flashback sequence, as a story specifically centered around Kayce is bound to dive deep into his and Monica’s past.
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