After the prequels 1883 and 1923, the first Yellowstone sequel series is set to premiere on CBS on March 1, 2026. Excitement is high since

the spinoff, Y: Marshals, will center on one of the parent show’s fan-favorite characters, Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes). This time, the former

U.S. Navy SEAL and rancher — who also served as the Commissioner of the Montana Livestock Association — will be part of a specialized group of U.S. Marshals tasked with protecting Montana.

Several other characters from the original series are expected to return. These include Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), chairman of the Confederated Tribes of Broken Rock and leader of the Broken Rock Reservation, and his right-hand man, Mo (Mo Brings Plenty).

However, one name is conspicuously missing from all casting announcements and from the trailer released on November 24. Monica (Kelsey Asbille), the Juliet to Kayce’s Romeo, is nowhere to be seen. This absence is notable, considering that Kayce and Monica’s arcs concluded beautifully in the parent show, with the two giving up wealth for a life of peace.

In Yellowstone’s 90-minute finale, Kayce strikes a deal with Thomas Rainwater and the tribal nation. The Dutton family sells most of the iconic Yellowstone ranch back to the reservation for a mere $1.25/acre, on the condition that it be preserved and never used for business purposes. It’s a poignant moment, considering what the vast land has meant to generations of Dutton family members, but the story concludes in a way that leaves fans content and optimistic.

After the prequels 1883 and 1923, the first Yellowstone sequel series is set to premiere on CBS on March 1, 2026. Excitement is high since the spinoff, Y: Marshals, will center on one of the parent show’s fan-favorite characters, Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes). This time, the former U.S. Navy SEAL and rancher — who also served as the Commissioner of the Montana Livestock Association — will be part of a specialized group of U.S. Marshals tasked with protecting Montana.

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Several other characters from the original series are expected to return. These include Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), chairman of the Confederated Tribes of Broken Rock and leader of the Broken Rock Reservation, and his right-hand man, Mo (Mo Brings Plenty). However, one name is conspicuously missing from all casting announcements and from the trailer released on November 24. Monica (Kelsey Asbille), the Juliet to Kayce’s Romeo, is nowhere to be seen. This absence is notable, considering that Kayce and Monica’s arcs concluded beautifully in the parent show, with the two giving up wealth for a life of peace.

‘Y: Marshals’ Ruins Kayce’s “Happy Family” Arc
Kayce hugs his wife Monica in Yellowstone
Paramount Network
In Yellowstone’s 90-minute finale, Kayce strikes a deal with Thomas Rainwater and the tribal nation. The Dutton family sells most of the iconic Yellowstone ranch back to the reservation for a mere $1.25/acre, on the condition that it be preserved and never used for business purposes. It’s a poignant moment, considering what the vast land has meant to generations of Dutton family members, but the story concludes in a way that leaves fans content and optimistic.

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Kayce and Monica are not left empty-handed. They keep the “East Camp” for themselves, allowing them to start anew. Kayce and his son, Tate, thus attend an auction, buy cattle, and start a smaller-scale ranch operation with Monica. Both parents are pleased, knowing that, even though they have given up all material perks, they are about to live happily and peacefully ever after. “We’re free,” Kayce breathes a sigh of relief, but Monica reminds him that “You’ve always been free.”

This was a perfect end to the violence and all the stress of maintaining the Dutton legacy. Kayce’s return as a lawman in Y: Marshals means he is jumping from one frying pan to another. And with Monica nowhere to be seen, the offshoot doesn’t seem appealing. It makes no sense to leave her out, especially after the heartwarming final minutes, when we see the family on their east camp ranch, happily herding the 300 cows they just bought. Why dismantle the little slice of heaven?

The Y: Marshals trailer compels us to sympathize with Kayce, who appears deeply distressed, as though overwhelmed by an emotional turmoil. But even as his prospects appear bleak, he seems focused and ready to meet numerous social obligations, concealing all his current sorrows stoically. There is Tate, too, who appears briefly in a car with his father.

Kayce mentions “skeletons” in his closet and talks about the need for a fresh start. This implies that a major development has occurred, forcing him to seek a fresh start. Another fresh start? In some sequences, the trailer dispenses with dialogue altogether — the pictures alone tell us everything that needs to be said. Nothing is the same. But why?