Kayce (Luke Grimes) and Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille) have been tested as a couple ever since the first season of Yellowstone. With a recent tragedy befalling Monica at the beginning of season 5, however, whatever sense of security viewers had about what's next for the couple may have gone out the window. That, coupled with the return of the somewhat mysterious ranch hand Avery (Tanaya Beatty), could mean the pair are essentially doomed for the foreseeable future. It's just a fan theory at this time, but let's look at where we are right now — and be advised, there will be spoilers.
It's no secret that Kayce is a loyal, reliable character compared to some of the Yellowstone-centered clan. He's been at his wife Monica's side unwaveringly, from excusing her errant kiss with physical therapist Martin to processing son Tate's kidnapping. And, for the most part, they've been able to weather the rocky moments time and time again. Even when Monica told Kayce outright that she hated him, somehow they soldiered through.
But it seems as if the writing could very well be on the wall now that the two may be over for good soon. The return of former horse groomer Avery, who seemed to spell trouble for Kayce and Monica's relationship, already had Monica on edge in season 4. After some harrowing events with Kayce, it seems that Avery's re-emergence could mean that the formerly solid Dutton relationship is fated to end.
With all that in mind, fans are wondering: Will Avery's return to Yellowstone mean the end of Kayce and Monica? What is the cast saying about Yellowstone season 5? We've put together everything we know to help make sense of it all. So whether you're just now jumping into the show or you've been watching Kayce and Monica since Day One, you'll know a little more about what to expect in the coming days.
Will Avery's Return Cause Kayce and Monica to Break Up in Yellowstone?
Paramount
Right now, there's no way to answer that question definitively. However, we do know that the seeds of relationship discord were sown once Kayce and Monica began having difficulties in their relationship — potentially even when Avery came into the picture and worked on the Yellowstone ranch after previously working as a stripper. She was introduced as a strong, confident woman who could always hold her own, even in a bunkhouse full of men.
Her sudden disappearance and reappearance, though never confirmed outright, could have everything to do with falling in love with Kayce while on the ranch. Because Avery disappeared ahead of all of the problems that befell Kayce and Monica's marriage, it makes sense that her coming around again might very well spell disaster for what appeared to be one of Yellowstone's most stable couples, even with all of their recurring problems.
Avery was already getting a little flirtatious with Kayce when she first came to work on the ranch. But with her big reappearance in season 4 after Rainwater asked Kayce for help with an investigation, things started to blow up a bit. Avery, the very person who clearly had chemistry with both Kayce and Jimmy, working with Kayce once more? It's no wonder Monica got a little jealous. With the two together, more than a little flirting was going on.
And in private, Monica kept dwelling on the fact that Avery came back into the picture again. When your son is calling this random woman who seems to like your husband's presence a "hot tamale" and you're wondering if there's anything going on between them, that does cause problems. And that's to say nothing of Kayce seeing the end of his relationship with Monica following his ayahuasca ceremony.
Fast forward to season 5, and Monica's pregnancy loss in the first episode could very well spell out some major issues for the pair's marriage. Considering Kayce's character, however, it might be a little hard to see him as a cheater or as someone who'd consider an affair outside of his marriage to Monica after building a family together.
But there's no concrete evidence just yet to support all of that — everything is circumstantial and hearsay right now. But if that happens to change, we'll of course let you know.
What Has the Yellowstone Cast Said About Kayce and Monica?
Omar Vega/Getty Images
It seems that the actors themselves want a future for Kayce and Monica. Luke Grimes told Showbiz Cheat Sheet in a recent interview that he believes Kayce and Monica are "soul mates."
"Yeah, I think so. I mean, it's gone from the very first scene that I read of them," Grimes said. "It's like, they're just like twin flames. They're meant to be. They're soul mates." It certainly sounds like he wants them to stick together.
"And that's my favorite thing about playing these characters. I love Romeo and Juliet, grown up. And this sort of feels like that. You know, they kind of have that vibe, if you will."
Grimes also spoke about some of what Kayce saw during his ayahuasca vision that seemed to foretell the end of his marriage to Monica. In an interview with ET, he said the "whole point" is that no one knows what the vision meant.
"Was it about them breaking up? Was it about them dying?" Grimes said. "We don't know what 'the end of us' really meant. I think in season 5 there's a little more clarity on what that was all about."
And fans concerned with Monica's loss, which we saw at the beginning of the season, may be assuaged by Asbille's words on the matter. Fans took note of Monica's shorter hairstyle in a trailer for season 5, and latched on to that as a way to interpret the character dealing with a tragedy.
"That is true," Asbille told ET. "I think you're on to something there. I'll try to dance around this spoiler, but yes, I think it does mean more than just a new 'do."
"What they go through changes them [in a] really immense way that I think will inform their place in the family and what's next for the Dutton Ranch," she added. She also mentioned to Us Weekly that season 5 is her favorite so far, especially when it comes to filming scenes with Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton. And while she's happy with the way the story has gone so far, at the end of the day, she wishes Kayce and Monica had a better life together overall.
"I love that when you meet them, they're both kind of outcasts and they've given up so much for each other and the fact that they choose each other every time," she told Us Weekly. "But Lord have mercy, I would love for them to have an easier go at life."
Yellowstone season 5 is currently airing on the Paramount network on Sundays.
READ MORE: Josh Lucas Is Back as Young John Dutton in 'Yellowstone' Season 5
