‘Yellowstone’s Kelsey Asbille on Monica ‘Becoming a Dutton’ & Season 3

Meredith Jacobs August 28, 2019, 11:03 pm

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[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Season 2 finale of Yellowstone, “Sins of the Father.”]

The Beck brothers messed with the wrong family.

Following Malcolm (Neal McDonough) and Teal’s (Terry Serpico) kidnapping of Tate (Brecken Merrill), the Dutton family banded together to get the young boy back in the Yellowstone Season 2 finale. Along the way, Kayce (Luke Grimes) fulfilled a promise he made to his wife: to kill the brothers. (Well, John took out Malcolm, but Kayce did kill Teal even as the man begged him to at least let him leave the bathroom.)

But now that Tate’s safe, what’s next for the family? And how will this change Monica, who just this season moved onto the ranch only to regret that decision? TV Insider turned to Kelsey Asbille for answers.

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What’s next for the family after getting Tate back?

Kelsey Asbille: They’ve been through so much in Season 1 and Season 2, this time around, you actually might see that bring them closer together.

They could probably all use some family therapy at this point.

Yeah, I definitely don’t disagree. I think that they’re all in need of some healing, and the audience is, too, after being with us through all of this. I think that’s what you see in Season 3.

(Paramount Network)

Monica wanted Kayce to kill the Becks when they had her son. Does she stand by that after she has him back?

Yeah. In that moment, you see her change. It’s a very quiet moment, but a powerful one. I remember reading that in the script, because you almost think for a second it’s out of character, but then you realize that with everything this woman’s been through and maybe as the second season goes on especially, she and John Dutton really are much more similar than they care to admit, especially when it comes to family. Maybe that really marks her becoming a Dutton.

So, are we going to see Monica more involved in the family business?

It’s more that she’s always had one foot in and one foot out when it comes to the Dutton family, and you might see her with both feet in.

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Monica really got to make a life for herself this season, especially with her new job. Why was that so important for her to do now, especially after her injury?

Because of her injury last season, she needed to carve out her own life. The Duttons had been such an incredible influence on her family that she needed to gain back control [and] her independence and know she could take care of herself and her son without them.

Monica also got to see what life would be like away from Kayce, with someone else. Do you think she needed that before she could really commit to him and his family in the way she did in these last episodes?

Kayce is endgame for her, and I think she always knows that.

(Paramount Network)

We saw John Dutton and Thomas Rainwater work together to face off against the Becks this season. Did it make it easier for Monica to see they could come together since she’s part of both worlds?

Oh, yeah. The minute that they took her son, there’s no question. I loved the scenes with Gil [Birmingham] and Kevin [Costner] and Danny Huston, especially from last season, being the antagonists. And then seeing the three of them work together are just great scenes to watch.

One of my favorite scenes of the season was Monica and Beth’s conversation in the bar. What happened in the shop and that conversation were real turning points in their relationship, right? Then we saw Beth really be there for Monica when Tate was taken.

We were talking about that as well. To unite these two women and then to see them at the end, when she realizes her son’s taken and to finish off that episode with Monica in Beth’s arms was such a poignant moment of the union of these two women and the friendship. That’s something I look forward to seeing in next season.

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So we’re going to see more of those two? I love that relationship and seeing Monica interact with the family because she has to get along with everyone else, especially living on the ranch.

Yeah, and I think that Beth and Monica really complement each other. They can both learn from each other. Kelly [Reilly] and I feel the same way. When we read that script, we were like, “finally!” We were just so happy to especially explore those scenes.

Before that, you two had the conversation on the porch after Beth’s attack about the family business. For them to go from that to actually being friends …

Exactly. And Kelly’s such a force of nature, especially in this season. She’s amazing, and she, like Beth, looks out for me as well when we’re on set, and I appreciate that so much.

(Paramount Network)

Are we going to get anything between Monica and Rip (Cole Hauser) as the two people involved with members of the Dutton family?

That would be interesting. Actually, I think I do have a scene with Rip this season, but just a brief one. Those two should definitely talk.

And what about Monica and Jamie (Wes Bentley)? I feel like Jamie’s the odd man out even more than people who aren’t related by blood.

Oh, yeah. They almost have no relationship, but I think that’s something that Jamie’s also struggling with within his family.

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Do you think Monica could convince Kayce to leave the ranch and his family behind? Beth wants her to.

When Monica and Kayce first had Tate, it was just the three of them for so long, and she’s always trying to get back to that. That’s really what she’s looking for. Having John Dutton helping to get Tate back, maybe she is all in, but at the heart of it, she’s really looking for it just to be the three of them.

Is there anything you’d like to explore with your character after everything that’s happened these past two seasons?

I just want her to be happy. … It looks promising for now.