Spoiler alert! We're discussing a key revelation from the ending of "Marshals" Episode 1.
Kayce Dutton is riding solo in "Marshals."
The March 1 two-hour premiere of the CBS prestige procedural (streaming now on Paramount+) confirms the worst-kept secret in the Taylor Sheridan Universe: Kayce's beloved "Yellowstone" partner Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille) did not make the transition to network prime-time. At least not in body.
Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.
RIP Monica Long Dutton, who is indeed, tragically deceased in "Marshals," as predicted when the character didn't appear in trailers or promotional material for the series.
Monica's haunting death from cancer is slowly revealed in Episode 1.
"I like the way we don't address the elephant in the room right away," executive producer and star Grimes tells USA TODAY.
"Marshals" starts with former Navy Seal Kayce calling out "Monica!" during an explosive nightmare flashback sequence, before waking up alone in his bed. Painful discussions with son Tate (returning "Yellowstone" actor Brecken Merrill) and mentions of Monica's funeral are solid indicators of why Kayce's energy is even more burdened than usual.
Luke Grimes calls the 'Marshals' Monica memorial scene a 'gut punch'
But really, it's Kayce tearfully speaking to Monica at her rocky memorial in the Episode 1 climactic scene that seals the deal and propels "Yellowstone" Kayce into "Marshals."
Grimes says he was "brought to tears" reading the "gut punch" final scene in the script, during which Kayce tells his dead wife that he's going to join the U.S. Marshals.
The tearful scene is all the more poignant with Grimes' own song "Haunted" serving as the soundtrack.
"I put pressure on myself to get that scene right," says Grimes. "The scene is why Kayce accepts the 'Marshals' badge. His dream life is gone. He has no choice but to try something else."
A kneeling Kayce speaks to Monica, his black cowboy hat in hand as his hair blows in the wind and golden light.
"I miss my wife, my best friend, my only friend," Kayce says. "The best part of me died with you."
Kayce is leaving the idyllic East Camp rancher life shown at the end of "Yellowstone."
"You always told me to fight for the life I want. I had the life I wanted, it was with you," says Kayce. "I'm changing paths, I'm trying to find a new beginning for me and Tate."
Why did 'Yellowstone' Monica have to die for 'Marshals'?
Executive producer and showrunner Spencer Hudnut says "Marshals" had to destroy the 2024 "Yellowstone" ending, where the couple rode off into the sunset with their child.
"Any hero's journey needs to begin in tragedy," says Hudnut. "In 'Yellowstone,' Kayce and Monica had such a happy ending. We needed to turn his world upside down."
Monica will continue to be "honored" in the series. "We're going to do right by that character even if she's not with us," says Hudnut. "She's guiding Kayce in this new path."
That new path is clear. The protector and righteous killer is back. "Marshals" Episode 1 ends with Kayce spotting a coyote he had previously spared from killing. This time, Kayce pulls out his rifle and shoots the coyote, which is preying on a defenseless calf.
"He decides this time he is going to eliminate it. It's a metaphor for the protector in him," says Grimes. "Kayce is gonna use that skill set again to try to make the world a better place."
The coyote theme will endure, too. In flashback scenes in future episodes, Kayce will take the Navy SEAL nickname "Coyo."
"So you'll start hearing that name a lot more as the season goes on," says Grimes.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Yellowstone' Monica Dutton's fate revealed in 'Marshals' (spoilers)
