What Rudy Ramos' Season 4 Return Means For Yellowstone
Monica will be getting a visit from an important family member when Yellowstone returns for season 4. On October 8, actor Rudy Ramos revealed on Facebook that he was flying out to Montana to film his tenth episode of the series. Ramos plays Felix, Monica's grandfather who raised her alongside her grandmother due to circumstances that remain unknown, and his return suggests his granddaughter might need someone to lean on in the upcoming season.
After season 3's (literally) explosive finale, Felix's return could be pivotal for Monica and her son, Tate. The last time viewers saw Monica's husband, Kayce Dutton, he was flipping over a table in his office and returning fire with the men sent to ambush him. Meanwhile, Kayce's father, John, and sister, Beth, were facing similar attempts on their lives. Since someone wants the Duttons dead, Monica and little Tate could end up being targets as well.
That's something Felix would no doubt get involved in, even if it means reigniting his antagonistic relationship with John by inviting Monica and Tate to return to the reservation with him.
Rudy Ramos' Yellowstone return could point toward a renewed rivalry between John and Felix
In addition to being Monica's grandfather, Felix is also an important member of the Broken Rock Indian Reservation, which borders John's land. Over the years, the two men have been at odds about who truly owns the land that the ranch sits on, as well as what kind of legacy their shared grandson Tate should have. Currently, Tate and Monica live at the ranch, but in the aftermath of the attack on the Duttons, it seems possible that they could return to the reservation in hopes of removing themselves from the danger surrounding Kayce and his family.
This surely wouldn't sit well with John, who loves having his grandson nearby, but it could be what's best for Monica and Tate. Assuming everyone survives the attack, the Dutton family is going to need to regroup and assess who had the most motive to orchestrate an organized assassination attempt on their lives. And the top priority for all of the adults in the family should be protecting Tate, who is still dealing with the trauma of being kidnapped in the season 2 finale.
Even if Monica remains at the ranch, Tate could be sent to the reservation, which is itself in conflict with his grandfather John. It would be interesting to see Felix reconnecting with Tate, and perhaps even swaying him to his way of thinking about the land that John feels belongs to the Duttons by rights. That in turn could reignite the rivalry between John and Felix in a deeply personal way as they each attempt to protect Tate and his future in their own way.
Felix's Yellowstone return may be part of a larger story about the reservation fighting to reclaim land for their people
Yellowstone has been praised for its depiction of modern Native American life, and for not centering John's views on land ownership as the only valid school of thought. It would be interesting to see the series focus on the reservation's claim to the land, and to have Felix at the center of the debate. After all, he's an elder within his community, and he has a complicated relationship with John. On the one hand, they both love Tate and Monica, and want them both to have a bright future, but on the other, Felix's grandson Robert killed John's eldest son (and Kayce ended up killing John in self-defense). Their relationship is rich and complex in a way that deserves to be explored, especially after Felix was back-burnered in season 3.
With Thomas Rainwater facing criticism for his friendship with John, now is the perfect time for Yellowstone to really delve into the reservation's claim on the land, and that's a conversation Felix deserves to be a part of. As much as we would love to see Felix reunited with Monica and Tate, it would be equally rewarding to see a character who has spent his entire life on the reservation becoming deeply entrenched in the debate over the ranch once more — even if it does mean Tate may find himself torn between two grandfathers in season 4.