Yellowstone might be drawing to a close following the release of Season 5 Part 2, but Taylor Sheridan’s flagship neo-Western series has been enjoying new life over on CBS after it started airing from the very beginning.
With CBS unable to produce its own scripted shows amid the actors’ strike, it is focusing on unscripted television and acquiring dramas to air repeats. And it looks like the Yellowstone decision has paid off, with the 2018 pilot drawing in 6.6 million viewers when it aired last month.
As fans new and old journey back to the Dutton Ranch, the fate of Monica Long-Dutton – the granddaughter of Native American elder Felix Long and wife to Kayce Dutton – has come into question. Warning: Yellowstone spoilers ahead!
Does Monica die in Yellowstone?
No, Monica hasn’t died in Yellowstone – but she’s come close numerous times, hence why fans might think she’s met her untimely death.
In Season 1, she is accidentally punched in the head while teaching and falls to the ground. Although she appears to recover, Monica later collapses, with fans fearing her death after Kayce’s attempts at CPR don’t bring her back.
We later learn that she underwent an emergency surgery for an epidural hematoma, a collection of blood that forms between the skull and the outermost protective membrane covering the brain.
What follows is a long road to recovery, with Monica requiring a cane and physical therapy in Season 2.
Fast forward to Season 4, Monica and her son Tate are attacked by a home intruder and she is injured. Just as the assailant is about to kill Monica, Tate grabs a rifle and shoots them, saving his mom’s life.
And that’s not Monica’s only brush with death. In the Season 5 premiere, she is heavily pregnant with her and Kayce’s second child. With just a few weeks until her due date, she starts experiencing intense cramps.
As Kayce’s at work, she drives herself and a concerned Tate to the hospital. But since it’s night and she’s driving fast and in pain, she fails to see a buffalo in the middle of the road before it’s too late.
Monica crashes and we later see her unconscious in hospital. While Tate is okay and Monica pulls through, the unborn child doesn’t make it, leaving the family devastated.
Despite nearly meeting her demise numerous times, Monica is a survivor. She’s involved in various dramatic and dangerous situations and plays a crucial role in several key plot points, often acting to protect her loved ones.