'Yellowstone' Season 3: Tate's kidnapping has shattered Monica, but will she leave the Dutton ranch for good?

Season 2 must have been an excruciating one for the Dutton daughter-in-law Monica
(Paramount)
(Paramount)

The Dutton family may have destroyed most of their enemies in Season 2 but problems closer to home still continue to persist. As the Paramount hit show gears to return for an even more vicious Season 3, there are new enemies that the family will be pit against. But will the family fight their battles together or not?

Season 2 must have been an excruciating one for the Dutton daughter-in-law Monica (Kelsey Asbille). Towards the end of the season, Kayce (Luke Grimes) and her son Tate (Brecken Merrill) - John Dutton's (Kevin Costner) only grandson - was kidnapped by the Beck brothers. Following a very stressful rescue mission that concluded in the deaths of six people, Tate was brought back home. 

Needless to say, he is not going to be sleeping peacefully upon his return. Gripped by fear and PTSD, the young boy is likely to have a hard time back at the ranch, even though he will be amid the entire Dutton family and the ruthless Rip (Cole Hauser). Perhaps this will propel his mother to walk out and raise the child herself, just as she had done for the most part of Season 2. 



 

Monica is also probably the only character on the show to have any kind of moral compass. One of the main reasons that she left the ranch with her son in the first place was because she did not fully agree with John's methods of protecting the land. She had lost a brother and John himself had lost his eldest son to his brutal ways of protecting the land. She did not wish for Tate to grow up in the middle of all the violence, blood and gore. Towards the end of Season 1, she had told Kayce that Tate must be kept away from him and the ranch. And thus she left and only returned after promises of seeing a change. 

But now, with all those promises broken and having almost lost her only son, perhaps Monica will leave the ranch and never return. There are two ways that the finale of the last season can go; Burnt from it, Monica will leave for good and never return or she will remain in the protection of the Dutton household, the family now closer than ever. 

But fans are tired of all the indecisiveness and want Monica to make a decision once and for all. "I try to find ways to understand where they are going with [Monica], but I can't quite figure it out. Truthfully, I kind of get the feeling the writers have very little interest in her. I expect in S3, we're going to get another version of Monica, and we're not going quite know where this one is coming from either," said a fan. 

'Yellowstone' returns with Season 3 on Sunday, June 21, 2020, on Paramount Network. 

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Prime Video’s 'The Greatest' explores Muhammad Ali’s life inside and outside the ring, and now the series has added a former WWE star.
2026-10-23T15:09:43.000Z
Joanne and Noah are married in the eyes of God, but they still need to break the news to their families, who remain at odds
2026-10-23T10:17:27.000Z
Riley’s death in Season 26 marked an emotional moment for viewers, and Episode 3 sees the team navigating through this challenging time
2026-10-23T07:17:55.000Z
Episode 12 opens with a Fiona and Myrtle reunion before a revelation about Constance changes everything
2026-10-23T06:37:10.000Z
Olivia telling Bruno to take some time off has fans speculating about Kevin Kane’s potential exit
2026-10-23T05:55:35.000Z
Its first three episodes averaged 5.06 million viewers after a week, and the numbers have kept climbing
2026-10-23T02:32:54.000Z
Netflix is keeping the newcomers’ roles under wraps as the Brannocks’ story continues in Season 2.
2026-10-22T20:18:00.000Z
Kelly Reilly reflects on Beth Dutton’s new chapter in South Texas as the hit Yellowstone spin-off 'Dutton Ranch' prepares to continue its story.
2026-10-22T19:52:53.000Z
CBS’ November 8 lineup update raises questions about new episodes and where viewers can catch up.
2026-10-22T19:13:30.000Z
The 'Outlander' is set to play a ruthless agent in Viola Davis’ corporate thriller for Paramount+, as the series expands its cast.
2026-10-22T18:34:33.000Z