Marshal's Massive Yellowstone Character Death Explained By Showrunner

This article contains spoilers for "Marshals" episode 1.

"Marshals" has killed off a controversial "Yellowstone" character in the worst way possible. The first episode of the spin-off reveals that Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille) died an unpleasant death since we last saw her, but how did it happen? The show's premiere doesn't give away the answers, other than confirming that she suffered, but showrunner Spencer Hudnut spilled all the details at a Television Critics Association virtual press day (via The Wrap). Here's what he had to say:

"She did get sick, got cancer, and passed away. For Luke [Grimes] and everyone involved with 'Yellowstone,' it was important to use that death to [shine] a light on an issue. On reservations, the cancer rate is actually extremely high. This is what actually pulls Kayce [Grimes] into this world. Monica is kind of guiding Kacey to find his new path."

Spudnut and co. might have noble intentions to shed a light on a real-life epidemic, but "Marshals" hasn't made that clear yet. What's more, Monica's death means "Marshals" has continued the "Yellowstone" franchise's depressing trend of dooming romances under grim circumstances. Monica might be a polarizing character among fans, but she deserved better than a throwaway death after all she and Kayce have been through. The upside, though, is that this storyline might be good for Kayce, according to Spudnut.

"Yellowstone" season 5 ends with Kayce, Monica, and their son, Tate (Brecken Merill), getting a happy ending. As soon as "Marshals" was announced, though, we should have known it wouldn't last. Taylor Sheridan's entire "Yellowstone" franchise is shrouded in tragedy, and Spencer Hudnut believes Kayce had to experience yet another loss to find his purpose again — as a U.S. Marshal in Montana. As he told TVLine:

"As we were trying to figure out how to tell the next chapter in Kayce's story, it felt like he really needed to be shaken out of that. Unfortunately, tragedy tends to find Kayce, so something bad was going to happen for him one way or the other. It just sort of played out that it was going to be Monica."

Kayce has already lost his mother, father, brother, and adopted brother, so what's one more tragedy to add to the list? Be that as it may, "Marshals" is an entertaining procedural, and Kayce's sorrow has inspired him to pick up his gun again, so that's something, right? At the same time, Monica's death still feels like a kick in the teeth after "Yellowstone" made a massive deal out of the couple's fight to be together, but the show deserves a chance to justify this shocking creative decision.

New episodes of "Marshals" drop Sundays on CBS.