Yellowstone fans will finally get to see Luke Grimes’ Kayce Dutton more in action mode than ever thanks to the new CBS spinoff Y: Marshals, which is confirmed to arrive during the 2026 TV schedule. The country singer is co-starring with quite a few new faces, as well as a handful of familiar ones. A pair of well-established characters do indeed appear in the latest trailer for the militaristic western drama, but I can’t deny that the coolest draw in the video may very well be a motherfluffin’ bear!l On the flipside, my biggest takeaway after watching is that we’re almost definitely being set up for the death of Monica Dutton.
Okay, so let’s kick things off with the biggest question that fans have had during the entire stretch that Y: Marshals was in production without any updates about Kayce’s marital status: wassup with Monica?
Y: Marshals’ Trailer May Have Just Convinced Me Monica Is Dead Now
To be sure, this idea is hardly a new one in the realm of Yellowstone spinoff theories, with Luke Grimes himself sparking a ton of death-infused speculation with comments about Kayce’s time being freed up due to a big event. Of course, some theorized that she and Kayce would get divorced, while others also assumed that Tate would be dying with her. (I can see how the idea of raising Tate alone would be the antithesis of living free.)
Beyond the complete absence of actress Kelsey Asbille, whose time on Yellowstone was somewhat marred by claims about her ancestry, two other moments seem purposefully inserted into the trailer to tip a hat to Monica’s fate. For one, we hear several snippets of Kayce’s dialogue early on in the trailer that serve as like a character mission statement.
“I’ve lost my teammates, my parents, even my brothers. . . . I know that sometimes good men have to do bad things. . . . But I’m trying to find a new beginning.” – Kayce Dutton
It’s unclear if any audio was clipped out that indicated he also lost his spouse, or if perhaps Kayce thought of Monica more as his teammate. Either way, it’s set up to make it sound like he’s only experienced lost in the most recent past, without any acknowledgement of successfully selling off the ranch and getting a permanent home out of it.
By all means, everything said thus far could also imply that Monica and Kayce split up and got divorced. Only there’s then this shot, in which the character’s wedding band is on pretty prominent display.
Sure, there are some people who continue to wear their wedding rings even after relationships have ended, sometimes as a reminder, and sometimes as a way to avoid unwarranted attention from other singles. So we can’t call this one definitively solved just yet, but we’re close!
Y: Marshals Features A Big Ol’ Angry Bear
I hope Kayce Dutton packed up a bunch of extra pic-a-nic baskets, because he and his squad are apparently going to have to deal with the threat of a wild bear. Will we get to see some kind of hyper-violent attack with bodies left in the bear’s wake? Probably not, given this is a CBS show, but I really hope we get to see some kind of action-geared sequence with the animal.
For the record, I am aware that’s a CGI beast and not an actual bear that the Y: Marshals team keeps around to traumatize crew members. But it looks awesome, and not at all like the kinds of awkward digital creations that sometimes pop up in network series that ran out of budget. Hope nobody gave that thing any cocaine, or even a small espresso.
Rainwater And Tate Dutton Also Pop Up
Gil Birmingham’s tribal leader and Brecken Merrill’s teen could almost be related with the similar ways they both look at Kayce during the trailer. Perhaps tellingly, neither one of them has any smiles to share. (The only OG cast member confirmed for the spinoff who didn’t appear was Mo Brings Plenty.)
Thomas Rainwater’s message to Kayce is one preaching non-violence, reminding Grimes’ character that even though all Duttons are born with killer instincts, he’s meant to be a protector instead of a killer. Which, if Monica IS dead, might come across as a giant face-smacking insult. Or maybe he’s just talking about keeping Tate and the ranch protected.
Tate, meanwhile, doesn’t get to say anything (which is probably for the best, given the character’s mostly garbage dialogue), but the look on his face doesn’t convey that he’s gearing up to get a warm hug from his mom. There are plenty of other potential reasons for his dismay, but only one that lines up with the rest of this article.
Whatever the answer ends up being, I really hope CBS and the creative team don’t wait until the show actually debuts to shed light on this, since I can’t think of a clear advantage to continue keeping viewers in the dark for months on end. Of course, if the series premiere features Kelsey Asbille living and breathing and surviving beyond the end credits, it just might be the biggest TV twist of the year.
