If you’re still processing that unexpected death in the “Marshals” premiere, you are definitely not alone. But “Yellowstone” fans might have a partial answer as to why a staple from the flagship series was unceremoniously killed offscreen. It wasn’t the writers trying to shock us — apparently, it had to do with legal issues.
When CBS’ “Yellowstone” spin-off “Marshals” arrived, fans expected to see the continued story of Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) and his wife Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille), but instead, they got a grieving widower. In the premiere episode, it’s revealed that Monica died from cancer linked to toxic waste contamination.
How is Monica dead in Marshals? And why?
Monica is, indeed, dead when we pick things back up in Marshals, having died as a result of cancer brought on by toxins dumped by corporations in the Broken Rock Reservation. The first episode deals with the fallout of this several times, as Kayce feels guilt over her loss, and worries about both how Tate feels in the aftermath, and about his own abilities as a single father. We also see protests against the corporations and pollution that we learn led to her death.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Grimes said that Monica’s death provided a good reason for Kayce to evolve in Marshals and eventually take on the Marshal job with his old friend Cal (Logan Marshall-Green).
“Obviously we can’t just watch this guy have his dream life. There’s no drama,” he said. “Something’s gonna have to happen that gets in the way of him having that. Otherwise, why is he gonna take a badge? The last time we saw him, he was throwing a badge in a field. Is he gonna go pick it up?”
Blame Hollywood’s ongoing streaming wars. According to a report from Puck, the real culprit here is a complex licensing deal that was created before the existence of Paramount+. The simple version is: Because of that contract, NBCUniversal’s Peacock owns the exclusive streaming rights to “Yellowstone” and any direct continuation, while Paramount gets to keep any of the new spin-offs, including CBS’ “Marshals” and “Dutton Ranch” on Paramount+.
Apparently, Monica Dutton was written out to avoid legal trouble
Here is where, according to Puck, it gets tricky: If a new series looks too much like a direct sequel to the flagship show, that can put CBS and Paramount in legal hot water. By taking Monica out of the equation — and shifting “Marshals” into a more fast-paced procedural to further separate it from the flagship — the show has its own identity, and a massive legal headache has been averted … at least, so far.
Puck also reported that Paramount worked with lawyers for months on how to successfully feature flagship series characters Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) in their “Yellowstone” spin-off “Dutton Ranch” without raising any legal red flags.
