‘Yellowstone’ spinoff ‘Marshals’ kills off an original character — that fans hated for years

The first “Yellowstone” spinoff kills off a character from the original show – and instead of outraging the fans, this move may have them cheering. 

Spoilers ahead for the series premiere of “Marshals,” which aired March 1 on CBS (8 p.m.). 

In the new “Yellowstone” spinoff show “Marshals,” (airing Sundays on CBS and Paramount+), Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) takes center stage. And the show starts with a shocker: It axes his wife, Monica (Kelsey Asbille). 

Extra harsh, she doesn’t even get a dramatic on-screen death scene. She’s already passed away when the show starts. “Marshals” begins with Kayce having a nightmare about getting a frantic call from Monica while he’s on a military operation. He wakes up in bed, alone.

Later, he tells her grave, “the best part of me died with you.” The exact details of her death aren’t specified, but he makes vague references to “vengeance.” 

“Marshals” follows Kayce after the events of “Yellowstone,” as he gets back in touch with his military roots, joining an elite team of US Marshals led by his old pal, Pete Calvin (Logan Marshall-Green). 

Airing on Paramount from 2018 to 2024, “Yellowstone” was a hit cowboy family drama created by Taylor Sheridan. The show was about a powerful Montana ranching family, including patriarch John Dutton (Kevin Costner) and his adult children, Kayce, Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Jamie (Wes Bentley).

Kayce’s wife, Monica, was a prominent side character. 

Killing her seems brutal – but it was actually a smart move. “Yellowstone” fans hated Monica for years.  

In 2022, Costner took to Instagram to ask his followers what they wanted from the final season of “Yellowstone.” 

“Monica dies! I’ve had enough of her now,” one irate fan replied. 

A 2022 essay on Pajiba noted that Monica was “not a character so much as she is an obstacle for her husband to navigate.” 

One critic on Reddit complained, “I just can’t seem to like or even respect Monica,” noting how her behavior was “inconsistent” because she chose to be with Kayce with full knowledge of his family background, yet constantly complained about it. 

“She’s made her bed over and over again and refuses to lie in it … At some point you’ve got to come to terms with what you’ve chosen for your life,” the fan slammed her. 

Another person berated her as being “mopey” all the time and playing the “victim a lot.” 

“She’s such a nag, I feel bad saying that as a woman but half of the reason Kayce had no peace was because of her complaining,” another fan noted. 

Even viewers who tried to defend her only did it halfheartedly. “I don’t think she’s bad. She just seems like a half baked character,” one noted. “It’s always a sigh, then some corny remark and same facial expression. I’d like to see her stand up for herself or not sulk around.”

“I cannot STAND HER,” another person proclaimed. 

Well, now those fans can rejoice at “Marshals.” 

To add to the controversy around Monica, the character was Native American – and Asbille alleged that she shared that background –  but a 2017 Buzzfeed report found no record of it.

Page Six reached out to Asbille for comment.

At the time, “Suicide Squad” actor Adam Beach even called for a boycott of “Yellowstone” over the drama. “What got me jolted by it was that I have a lot of Native female actors that need a job,” he told the outlet. “I immediately called it out.”

“Marshals” airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on CBS.