On Yellowstone, your favorite character may be your neighbor's most-hated character. Beth and Jamie stand out as two polarizing members of the Dutton family, but their mild-mannered sister-in-law might be the most hated woman on the ranch.

Monica Dutton (played by Kelsey Asbille) isn't vile, and she's not a back-stabber. She doesn't have any destructive habits, and she's never harmed a member of her family. In fact, the opposite is true of Kayce Dutton's wife. Monica is kind and motherly and prone to being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

So why all the scorn from viewers? That is a topic during this week's episode of Dutton Rules: a Yellowstone and 1923 Podcast.

Previously, hosts Billy Dukes kicked around two ideas: Monica represents an ordinary person in a world that's delightfully fantastic. In short, she's a buzzkill even if she responds to events like anyone else would.

The second theory is that her ideology runs across a more conservative ideology held tight by viewers and (if we're being honest) the Dutton family. Listeners didn't bite on either of those theories, however. Here are two responses:

Robin: The way she holds the Dutton family at such arms' length has been a turnoff to those of us who are passionately in love with that rough bunch.

Donna: Because Monica does not love the ranch nor the family life there! Her character has done nothing but try to keep Kayce from the ranch.

In a way, Monica answered this question herself during Ep. 6 of Yellowstone on Sunday (Dec. 11). She explains how Beth has every reason to hate her because she's (in summary) an outsider. She goes on to say how Beth defends her instead, thus doing a little character repair for her husband's sister.

Viewers have no reason to give Monica the benefit of the doubt, as we have nothing at stake. Thus, the unfiltered hate on social media and Reddit.

During Season 5, we've started to see a bit more of her character. The dinner table sequence where she blurts out a laugh as Summer Higgins picks apart the dinner menu was relatable. In saying the whole thing was awkward, she said what we were all thinking.

Then, in Ep. 6, she dressed down Summer with a quip about the environmentalist being from around here. It was simple and on the nose and — while not violent — as effective as anything Beth Dutton has done. Monica shows us there's redemption for just about anyone.

Thank you so much for listening. Find Dutton Rules on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or wherever you podcast. You can also listen at the above player.

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