A lot of characters have come and gone over the course of “Yellowstone’s” four-plus seasons. While some, like land developers Dan Jenkins (Danny Huston) and Roarke Morris (Josh Holloway), have left a permanent exclamation point on their roles in the popular series, others, like Mia (Eden Brolin) and Avery (Tanaya Beatty), vanished suddenly from Taylor Sheridan’s neo-western only to return later on.
However, while Mia’s exit was at least foreshadowed, Avery’s disappearance from “Yellowstone” came abruptly out of nowhere. And that was after several episodes of building the character up in Season 2 when, one day, Jimmy (Jefferson White) returned to the bunkhouse only to discover that Avery had packed her belongings and left while he was out.
While some insiders claim to know the real-life reason why the actor behind Avery left “Yellowstone,” the explanation for the character’s absence came later, when it was eventually explained by her having developed feelings for Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes). Though this might not initially make a whole lot of sense as the reason for her to leave the Dutton Ranch, when you examine it from a few different angles, it starts to line up a little more logically.
Avery was at the apex of a love triangle only she knew about
When Avery was introduced to “Yellowstone” at the end of Season 1 and subsequently arrived in the bunkhouse in Season 2, Jimmy immediately had eyes for her. The reluctant cowboy showed it, too, in his own somewhat awkward way, and Avery even seemed to be a little impressed by him a couple of times. Still, it turns out Avery had a more traditional cowboy type in mind — a type Kayce Dutton fit perfectly.
She said as much in Season 4 when she met up with Kayce again, and even Kayce’s wife Monica (Kelsey Asbille) noted the tension between them. While this character development was likely added in order to explain Avery’s absence and return, it does help to make sense of why she may have quit her job at the ranch. From her perspective, someone she lived with clearly had feelings for her, while she herself had eyes for a married man. This means that if she went for Kayce, she could potentially ruin many lives, her own included. Thus, Avery’s decision to remove herself from the whole situation makes a lot of sense.
While we haven’t seen Avery yet in Season 5, it was teased in Season 4 that Kayce would have to make a big choice somewhere down the line. Though viewers aren’t necessarily sure what that choice is, it’s possible that it will be between Avery and Monica. After all, “Yellowstone” clearly enjoys teeing up a good love triangle.