Yellowstone‘s Kelsey Asbille was “unavailable” to Luke Grimes‘ The Marshals spinoff, which eventually led to Monica’s off-screen death.
The Marshals runner told The Hollywood Reporter after the first episode of the month that Asbille was “not available for the new series,” he added, “When that happened, it became clear what that Kayce thing was. [that would drive him].”
Hudnut clarified that it was not the intention to kill Monica.
“It wasn’t like Luke and I were always saying, ‘We have to kill Monica,'” he noted. It was like, ‘If he’s not available for this, what’s the best way to get away from that character in a small way?'”
Paramount Network Company Yellowstonewhich is spread from 2018 to 2024, is presented Us to Kayce (Grimes) and Monica, who stayed at the center of the show until the end. After her time as a local school teacher on the Broken Rock Indian Reservation, Monica went on to become a professor at Montana State University while accompanying Kayce, who brought them back to the Yellowstone Ranch following her disagreements with her father John (Kevin Costner).
After John’s death, Kayce, a former US Navy SEAL, became the new owner and operator of Yellowstone Ranch. Kayce and Monica ended the show alive – and together – before the Marshals started.
“The original conversation was that it should be something. There was a thought that, “Maybe we get him and he’s just bored because he was protecting his family and he was a Navy SEAL, so actually a quiet life is not for him, which is the way,” Hudnut said about the motivation for the spinoff. “But it’s probably not a satisfying enough way for Kayce. Then, in fact, as we were trying to find out, Monica was not part of the ingredients that I had.”
Hudnut clarified that he didn’t talk to Asbille before it was decided that Monica would be fired, adding, “No, I wasn’t a part of that, so I can’t really talk about how that happened or why that played out the way it did. But when that happened, it made it clear what that thing was for Kayce.”
He continued: “And I think about the way we did it, my intention was not to belittle that Yellowstone trip because they have it.” [the dream] — he says, “This is a dream come true” at the end of it. They accomplished that. They got what they wanted in the end, unfortunately life intervened and interfered with everything Kayce wanted. That’s where we find him at Marshalls.”
The first series of Marshals revealed that Kayce’s wife had previously died after developing cancer from toxins dumped on the Broken Rock reservation.
“It was important for me to honor his death and give it more meaning. Of course there is a version where you exploit and you have just been killed, and you need [Marshals] a badge to get revenge,” Hudnut explained. “But Kayce Dutton doesn’t need a badge to go out and do something like that. It felt like it was going to come in at a different temperature than what we wanted.”
Hudnut defended the narrative choice.
The spinoff Marshals of Yellowstone killed off Kelsey Asbille’s character Monica, but what was the reason for her on-screen death? On Sunday, March 1, an episode of Luke Grimes’ new CBS show revealed that Kayce Dutton’s wife had previously died after developing cancer from toxins dumped at the Broken Rock reservation. Among the strongest reactions […]
“So when I started thinking about the provocative incident, it was as if I connected his death with a real-life story that could shed some light on it. [was right]. Our reservation has high rates of cancer, and it’s because of all the bad things that have been done to them.” So that feels like a way to honor that character, and it’s to direct Kayce. Tate is at the rally for his mom, and Kayce is there to protect Tate. So without Monica, maybe Kayce doesn’t get that way. So we will continue to explore [that].”
He concluded: “I think Kayce is a little behind her son in terms of accepting the loss of Monica, and really accepting her grief. We’re going to revisit that time a little bit and really explore in the first half of the season Kayce’s journey of trying to let go and really accept that she’s gone.”
As for whether love is on the cards for Kayce?
“I think the first half of the season is trying to figure out how to let Monica go,” he said. More than a year has passed. So I think if he can achieve that, it will open up some opportunities for him.”
The Marshals airs Sundays on CBS at 8 pm ET.
