ParamountAfter two seasons’ worth of train riding and cruel winters, 1923 has officially come to an end. But don’t worry, 1944 is on the way to continue the Dutton line. (Warning: spoilers ahead!)
The jam-packed two hour 1923 Season 2 finale gave Yellowstone fans plenty to cry about. Spencer and Alex were finally reunited, but at a price: after getting stuck in the icy wilderness, she gets severe frostbite and later dies in childbirth.
We also lost Jack in Episode 6, meaning Liz quickly packs up and returns to city life after a traumatic gunfight at the Dutton ranch.
It’s going to be tough to say goodbye to Jacob, Cara, Spencer and co., but Taylor Sheridan already has another spinoff cooking, and thankfully, the 1923 finale gave us a pretty good idea of what it’ll be about.
1944 should focus on John Dutton II
As explained above, Alex dies in the 1923 finale after giving birth to a premature son. She tells Jacob she wants to name him John, after Spencer’s brother. (Finally, one of the biggest Dutton family mysteries solved!)
There are concerns that the baby won’t make it, but the final scene shows him alive and well, being looked after by Cara. Safe to say, he’s going to make it, and he will grow up and become father of John Dutton III, played by Kevin Costner.
The final moments are also narrated by Elsa Dutton, who tells us what happens in the years following Alex’s death.
Paramount“Spencer never remarried,” she tells us. “Took the comfort of a widow and made another boy. Refused to marry her, and one day, the widow was gone.”
“For Spencer, [Alex’s] memory didn’t fade. Didn’t fray at the edges and didn’t dull. Not one. Alexandra Dutton was born on April Fool’s Day, 1901, in Oxfordshire, England, and laid to rest March 29, 1924.”
“When his old age robbed him of his memories, he simply closed his eyes and dreamed up new ones. And 45 years later, my young brother joined her.”
If 1944 continues focusing on the Duttons and their ranch, Elsa has essentially laid out the entire story arc for the next generation. Spencer will be running the ranch and romancing a widow, have another child, and raise John II.
Since 2024’s John Dutton never mentions an uncle during the Yellowstone run, we have to assume that John II’s brother dies early on.
This, plus the World War II time period, could make for one of the most interesting Dutton eras yet.
For more, check out our guides to other spinoffs coming soon, like 6666 and The Madison. For more great watches, take a look at all the other new TV shows coming out this month.