After Marshals revealed that Monica died off screen, another Yellowstone OG addressed if they are worried about their own character getting killed off.
Gil Birmingham weighed in on Yellowstone fans being worried about his character’s injury in the Marshals premiere, exclusively joking to Us Weekly, “I’m going to make sure they put that in my contract [that Thomas Rainwater can’t get hurt].”
Birmingham recalled how “dramatic” the reveal about Rainwater was.
“It still makes me laugh when people think I got shot,” he noted. “I took on shrapnel from the explosion.”
Despite Rainwater surviving the accident, the moment was meant to set the scene for something bigger, with Birmingham explaining, “What we’re letting the audience know is that the responsibility of Rainwater now has increased to the point where he’s now a target exactly where John Dutton was.”
He continued: “So anybody that’s going to be a hindrance in terms of these outside forces that want to come in and utilize extract resources — be they people or minerals. That’s the politics and that’s the violence of the West. I’m glad I survived but it’s a new story line for Rainwater.”
The actor was interested in seeing how showrunner Spencer Hudnut evolved the stories introduced in Yellowstone.
“Spencer is entering — in terms of the Native communities — as not quite as familiar with it as Taylor [Sheridan] was. He didn’t live on the reservation with the Native community when he was younger like Taylor did. So kudos to him,” Birmingham said. “It’s a realistic portrayal too. There is a lost and there’s a lot of grief on our reservation and some of these things are very much tied into toxins that are being allowed to be dumped on to the reservation.”
Birmingham recalled being “crushed” when he found out that Monica was dead in the spinoff, adding, “At the same time, these things really hit you in the heart and they’re real things in real life.”
Paramount Network’s Yellowstone, which aired from 2018 to 2024, introduced Us to Kayce (Luke Grimes) and Monica (Kelsey Asbille), who remained at the center of the show until the finale. After teaching at a local school on the Broken Rock Indian Reservation, Monica went on to become a professor at Montana State University while navigating life with Kayce, who moved them back to the Yellowstone Ranch following his past tension with dad John (Kevin Costner).
Following John’s death, Kayce, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, became the new owner and operator of the Yellowstone Ranch. Kayce and Monica ended the show alive — and were still together — before Marshals began.
When the series premiered in March, fans were shocked to learn that Monica died after battling cancer.
“Kayce really needed — not that it wouldn’t have been great to have Monica back — but it kind of isolated him more akin to what his father was. He’s a single father trying to raise his family,” Birmingham said. “The kind of emotional trauma that must have been there for Kayce sets up not knowing what his purpose in life is. It was a great setup for going down that trail of how Kayce is going to redeem himself or find purpose in his life, which very much allows the integration of Rainwater and Mo.”
Birmingham also told Us about how Marshals has attempted to platform the Native community, saying, “It’s a delicate balance to run because we don’t want to be a show of messages. We really want to engage an audience and we want to entertain.”
He concluded: “But let’s use the opportunity to educate so it’s being handled so respectfully and honorably. Mo [Brings Plenty] is the Native consultant and he really has a hand in guiding it that way. He brings in his brother Joe as well. It’s important that we portray the importance of what traditional grievance is for us and how we honor those that have passed on.”
Marshals airs on CBS Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.
