While Beth and Rip may have a history that dates back to their teenage years, Monica and Kayce have something special. Like his sister and Rip, Kayce Dutton found one of those once-in-a-lifetime loves with his wife, Monica. Though the beginning of their relationship had a rocky start with her unexpected pregnancy and the rift it caused between Kayce and his dad, they have managed to stick together through some serious rough patches. Their son Tate is the center of their universe, and together, despite the dangers and drama they’ve endured, they have managed to make a happy family life.
This Yellowstone couple might have been put through more trials than any other on the series. In four seasons, they have survived a separation, multiple near-fatal attacks, and even their son’s kidnapping. All odds are against Kayce and Monica, yet they manage to pull through every time. Based on the season 4 finale, Kayce had a vision of seeing “the end of us,” and we don’t know if that means the Dutton dynasty, his relationship with Monica, or something worse. But I’m continuing to pull for these two. Here are some of their best moments so far on the popular series.
7. When Kayce has to confess the worst
It’s been a while since season 1, but in the series premiere, there were quite a few devastating losses. The reservation held some of John Dutton’s cattle hostage, so they planned a takeback at night, led by his eldest son Lee. Now, remember, at this time, Kayce was still pretty estranged from his family and was fully devoted to living with the Long family on the reservation. But he ends up pulling the trigger on Monica’s brother after he sees him shoot his brother Lee. Not only does this bring him back into his father’s life, but it gives him even more emotional baggage to carry.
Eventually, he has to tell Monica what happened and despite this being pretty much one of the most unimaginable things you could go through, it doesn’t break them as a couple. Their love is so strong that they simply persevere.
6. When they reconcile after separating
After Monica is gravely injured trying to break up a fight at the reservation school she works at, she and Kayce end up at a crossroads. She needs a break and doesn’t want to be around him. She and Tate move into an apartment together after she starts her new job at the university, and Kayce is left pining for her while she figures out what she really wants. There was a moment there where we probably all thought she would leave him for her handsome PT, but after a lot of patience on Kayce’s part, they finally come back together in an emotional scene at Monica’s apartment, and it really was worth the wait. Absence does make the heart grow fonder.
5. Monica agrees to live at the Yellowstone
This was actually a really big deal for Monica. As a reminder, after John Dutton found out that she was pregnant with their son Tate, he branded Kayce with the Yellowstone ‘Y’ and nearly damaged their relationship forever. Kayce spent years wanting to escape his father and then decided he wanted to get back in his good graces after John expressed interest in forming a relationship with Tate. Monica had heard horror stories for years about how horrible and toxic Kayce’s upbringing was, but she could tell how important it was for him to try this and give Tate a chance to know his grandfather. She doesn’t want to live at the ranch but does it anyway because sometimes you make hard choices for the ones you love.
4. Monica crashes the camping trip
Understandably, Tate had a hard time after traumatically getting kidnapped by a local militia in season 2. In the aftermath, he’s having trouble sleeping and dealing with nightmares which makes sense. The kid went through a lot. Monica suggests that Kayce and John take him with them on a camping work trip up in the mountains and the fresh air and wide open skies really do the trick. Monica ends up joining as well, and she and Kayce have some really sweet moments together after seeing their son finally able to relax and sleep through the night. Monica even tells Kayce that all she wants is for them to stay out there together forever, away from the rest of the toxic world.
3. Kayce agrees to leave the Yellowstone
While it was a hard choice for Monica to come to the ranch, it was a big decision for Kayce to agree to leave. But they both realized that not only after the trauma of the kidnapping but the attack on the ranch that resulted in Tate shooting a man to save his mother’s life, they probably needed a fresh start. Maybe not the best place for an already traumatized kid to keep living. Kayce made the right choice for their family, and you could tell everyone felt good about it.
2. When they find their new home
It’s a pretty immediate connection for Kayce and Monica when they go see a house on the reservation and realize they’ve found their new home. Especially because there was a wild dog on the property who Tate instantly formed a connection with. It seems like the first time in a while, they’re both able to breathe a collective sigh of relief and move forward in a positive direction together as a family.
1. When they celebrate news of a new baby
Yellowstone is so frequently full of trauma that whenever a glimmer of hope comes, it’s incredibly exciting. In a world of death and chaos, Monica reveals to Kayce on the porch of their beloved new home that they have a new baby on the way. Thank goodness for some good news following the seemingly unnecessary storyline of Monica’s jealousy over former ranch hand Avery coming back into the picture. Let’s all hope that gets shelved in season 5, so we can let this family continue on their positive trajectory.