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'Marshals' Episode 6 reveals Monica Dutton's fate and the timeline finally puts things in perspective

Monica Dutton previously took the initiative to investigate the disappearance of Indigenous girls

'Marshals,' the latest addition to the Yellowstone universe created by Taylor Sheridan, stars Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton. The former cowboy and US Navy SEAL serves as a US Marshal in Montana in the spinoff, and fans of the franchise were disheartened by the absence of his wife, Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille), from the trailer of the show. Episode 6 of 'Marshals' finally answers the long-standing question surrounding Monica's ultimate fate, and it is quite a tragic one.

Monica was a regular character throughout 'Yellowstone' and was depicted as an honorable teacher who was determined to instill a sense of Native American history among her students. The CBS show previously established that Monica had passed away, leaving Kayce to care for their teenage son, Tate, and that it had been a while since her passing. The sixth episode opens with a flashback to the day of Monica's death. The heartbreaking scene sees a nurse covering Monica's lifeless body with a white sheet at her and Kayce's home on East Camp. The words 'One Year Ago' appear on the screen, finally putting things in perspective. Although footage from this scene appeared in the debut season's trailer, the timestamp had been omitted. 

Later on in the episode, Tate and Kayce are seen grieving at Monica's grave in East Camp. Tate is hurt by the fact that his father will miss the ceremony commemorating his mother's demise at the Broken Rock reservation. "I came out here hoping that Mom would cheer me up. She usually does,” said Tate. Kayce responded by saying, "Hard to believe it’s been a year. I know how you’re feeling. Losing your mom’s put a hole in my heart that will never heal.” Tate eventually confesses that he let Monica down by failing to protect Tate's friend Hayley. 'Yellowstone' had established Monica's drive and initiative to rescue Indigenous girls from sex trafficking rackets. Monica struggled to find and allocate funds for this initiative, and 'Marshals' Episode 5 saw her continuing her fight on behalf of a missing teen. Unfortunately, her cancer diagnosis and subsequent death put an end to her noble cause. 

Hayley is Tate's old classmate, and he crossed paths with her at a gas station in Wyoming in the fifth episode of 'Marshals'. Kayce and his team eventually investigated Hayley's disappearance and discovered that she had been kidnapped by a sex-trafficking gang, one which had also abducted her friend Ava. Although Ava was murdered by the leader of the gang, Bledsoe, Kayce was able to apprehend and neutralize him following a high-speed chase. Finally, Episode 6 saw Kayce reuniting with Monica's grandfather, Felix Long, played by Rudy Ramos, at the Broken Rock reservation during Monica's death anniversary ceremony.