What Happened to Monica in Yellowstone? Does She Die?

Monica Long (Kelsey Asbille) is one of the most divisive characters in the Yellowstoneverse because her loyalties remain unclear five seasons into the show. Some fans hate her for disliking the Duttons, while others see her as the last hope for the ranch. With so many near-death experiences and a seemingly diminished role in the plot, Monica’s exit from the show seems certain. The question remains whether the show kills her off before Yellowstone’s fifth season ends.

Monica Long was still alive and well when Yellowstone’s fifth season took its midseason break, having rekindled her relationship with Kayce. She also agreed to move onto the Yellowstone ranch at John Dutton’s request, meaning she’ll be more involved in the ranch scenes for the rest of the season. However, Yellowstone doesn’t stop killing off characters, and Monica Long is no different.

Monica was supposed to be the bridge between the Duttons and the reservation, but her marriage to Kayce hasn’t helped things on any side of the divide. Her family with Kyace is still the last hope for the Duttons if the end game is for the ranch to be saved by assimilating into the reservation because of her Native American ancestry. With so many options on the table, anything can still happen to Monica, so let’s delve into it.

What happened to Monica in Yellowstone?

She was involved in a car crash while driving to the hospital with Tate, but they both survived, except for her unborn son. The incident led to her second time being hospitalized with life-threatening injuries in the show after an earlier incident that left her in a coma.

Monica married Kayce against John Dutton’s wish, leaving their family alienated from the Yellowstone ranch to live on the reservation. she was born and raised on the Broken Rock reservation and feels deeply connected to it despite losing her parents and brother there.

She loves Kayce deeply and even moved around with him in different military camps while he was serving in the army. The end of his deployment plunged the family into financial struggle, but she wouldn’t allow Kayce to get help from his family. She went on to work as a teacher on the reservation until she nearly died when a student hit her while she was trying to break a fight.

She saw John Dutton as evil and believed that the violence around Yellowstone would put her son in danger, a position that sometimes put her at log ahead with Kayce. Despite her stubbornness, she is a likable, strong female character and a good mother.

She knew the reservation was not the best place to raise her son but was still reluctant to let the family live on the ranch even though her son loved being there. She has been the biggest impediment to Kayce and Tate having a better lifestyle and living like the rest of the Duttons.

After her brother’s death, her marriage to Kayce became troubled, but she changed her mind about leaving him when her grandfather reminded her that their bond was spiritual. Losing her unborn son in a car crash is the worst tragedy she has suffered in the show, but it ultimately brings her closer to her husband.

After burying her son, she accepts John Dutton’s offer for the family to move onto the ranch as Kayce helps him run it. She even shared a father-daughter moment with John as he consoled her. Moving to the ranch points to increased involvement in the show for Monica but also puts her in the line of fire in the Duttons’ future battles, so it doesn’t take her death off the table.

Why does Monica hate the Duttons?

Monica hated John Dutton because he told Kayce to take her to the hospital and abort their son Tate when he heard she was pregnant. John has grown to love Tate and always wants him around, but Monica has never forgiven him. She still considers him a danger to Kayce and Tate.

Her relationship with the Duttons is generally complicated because she likes Beth and has nothing personal against Jaime. She actually got Beth to help her when she was racially profiled and molested by a shop attendant. However, she is always uncomfortable around the family because she feels like an outsider.

Her dislike for the Duttons also stems from her general belief that Anglo-Americans are the cause of the suffering of Native Americans and that the Duttons are not any different. She is actually a low-profile Native American Rights activist, although her marriage to Kayce put her beliefs in an awkward position on the reservation.

She always saw John Dutton as the enemy until Kayce convinced her that there were worse people than John Dutton who threatened the ranch. Her view of the Duttons as land grabbers stems from the general feeling of everyone on the reservation, and getting married to Kayce wasn’t enough to change it.

What did Kayce’s vision mean for Monica?

Kayce told Monica, “I saw the end of us,” regarding his quest in the fourth season that ended with Kayce seeing two paths, one having a mysterious woman that wasn’t Monica in it. After their unborn child died, Kayce said he didn’t see that in the vision, which means there might be more tragedy coming their way in the future.

It is unclear who Kayce meant by “us” because it could be his relationship with Monica or the extended Dutton family as a whole. There were also two paths for him in the vision, so it is not clear whether it means choices he can make to change their fate.

If he meant the end of his relationship with Monica, then it doesn’t look like it will happen in the fifth season of Yellowstone. After his quest, Monica grows closer to Kayce and seems more determined to work on their relationship rather than leave him. Therefore, their end could have another meaning, most likely the death of one or both of them.

Will Monica die in Yellowstone season 5?

Monica is the least likable of the two characters, and if the creators were to kill off one of them, she is likely to be the first one to go. Her stubbornness has made it difficult for Tate and Kayce to live comfortably and fit into the show as Duttons.

Losing their child was actually her fault because Kayce had told her not to drive as he called an ambulance, but she ignored his advice. While her death will be hard for Kayce and Tate, it will be great for the show as a whole.

She was supposed to create a common ground between the Duttons and the Indians, but she has actually made that relationship more strained. Kayce has built a strong bond with Mo and Rainwater on his own; therefore, Monica’s death won’t affect that.

However, the creators have been reluctant to kill her off because she represents an important minority voice in the show. Her renewed understanding of John Dutton could make her an important female voice on the ranch. An improved role could be the only reason Monica stays alive until Yellowstone’s end.

Monica also agreed to try and have another baby with Kayce. If that is a storyline that the show is determined to pursue, then it means Monica will survive a bit longer. Yellowstone characters are not set in stone, though, and Monica’s renewed importance may just be the calm before the storm.