Yellowstone Spinoff "Slowly" Sets Arc For Monica Replacements In Marshals Season 2

Yellowstone franchise. The young Dutton has hardly had an easy time since leaving the Dutton Ranch behind. By the end of Yellowstone, he lost his father, John Dutton, his brother, Lee, and eventually his wife, Monica. Marshals has given him a new professional life, but the death of Monica has remained an important part of his emotional journey.

Kayce's willingness to consider romance again wasn't prevalent in season 1. Now, Grimes is opening up about Kayce's next chapter in the Yellowstone spinoff, including the possibility that he could be ready to pursue a new romance following Monica Dutton's death. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, however, the show isn't planning to rush him into another relationship.

“That’s not to say that Kayce couldn’t get a little bit of joy in season 2," the actor said. When asked if Kayce is more open to romance this year, Grimes says, “Yeah, I think so — obviously slowly and cautiously.” That makes sense for a character who is still carrying an enormous amount of grief, and it makes even more sense when dissecting the fierce loyalty and love Kayce had for Monica.

The series has already begun establishing other people who could become important parts of Kayce's new life. His relationships with his fellow Marshals are expected to become more prominent in the second season, with Grimes revealing that Kayce will spend more time socializing with the team rather than keeping everyone at arm's length.

“He starts to try to invest in his relationships with his teammates, and I think it gets him out of his shell in a good way,” Grimes told EW.

Grimes acknowledged that the series has to be careful about how it approaches Kayce moving on, particularly because audiences spent years invested in his marriage to Monica. He and showrunner Spencer Hudnut have apparently discussed how to introduce the possibility of romance without making viewers feel as though Kayce is simply forgetting his late wife.

“[Showrunner] Spencer [Hudnut] and I have talked about: How we do that in the way that the audience allows it and doesn’t get upset by it,” he says. “Some time has passed, and I think we have to put Kayce in some situations where you don’t blame him for wanting to open up that way.”

Still, the most obvious symbol of that transition may be sitting right in Kayce's hand. “The big question now is more about how long Kayce wears his wedding ring. ‘Is that a moment or is it not? Does it just go away,’ Grimes ponders. "It’s hard because you do want to honor it, even though it’s a fictional character. "

Grimes' comments make it abundantly clear just how much Kayce's history still matters, and how much he cares about his character's arc. “It starts to kind of feel like a real person,” he says. “It’s very confusing sometimes. He’s been in my life for a very long time. I want him to be happy.”

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