The Yellowstone spin-off is already leaning into heartbreak. 

During the March 1 premiere episode of Marshals, previously known as Y: Marshals, Luke Grimes’ Kayce Dutton revealed his wife Monica Dutton, played by Kelsey Asbille, had died when he visited her grave.

“I miss you, baby,” Kayce says in the episode. “I miss my wife—my best friend. My only friend.”

Throughout the episode, Kayce and his son Tate Dutton (Brecken Merrill) alluded to Monica’s death while hinting at her suffering. 

In fact, even in the episode’s opening sequence, Kayce dreams of searching for Monica while running through a battlefield, yelling, “Monica, where are you?” 

Later, Kayce reflects on becoming a single parent to the couple’s teenage son, telling him, “I know your mom was better at all this.”

Ultimately, it is revealed that Monica had died following a battle with cancer, which was presumably caused by toxic levels of pollution on the family’s reservation.