8 Burning Questions We Have About the ‘1923’ Finale

After the bombastic two-hour season finale of 1923, we’ve seemingly been given confirmation that season three is simply not happening. Taylor Sheridan may have confirmed this long before season two even came out, but after such an explosive and emotional season, it’s normal to want to know more about this particular generation of the Dutton family.

Sheridan created an elaborate universe that started with Yellowstone and John Dutton III (Kevin Costner). Just that name, “the third,” raises questions where people become curious about the lore of the family. Who is the second John, if we know, the first was Spencer’s (Brandon Sklenar) brother John (James Badge Dale)? This and other burning questions we have about the 1923 finale have been part of the collective fandom’s brains since the finale aired.

Is Elizabeth Dutton Still Pregnant?

And Will Her and Jack’s Baby Be a Part of Yellowstone?

The first – and major – question in my mind is, is Elizabeth (Michelle Randolph) still pregnant? She lost a baby at the start of the season but then realized she was pregnant again in later episodes. She and Jack (Darren Mann) mended their relationship over this news and seemed happy and joyful to be together. However, in the penultimate episode, Jack is shot and confirmed dead in the finale, and Elizabeth, finally having no more reason to stay at Yellowstone, packs up and leaves. She barely mentions her and Jack’s child, only saying goodbye to Cara, who tells her she’ll forget about Jack quickly.

Initially, I was adamant that John Dutton II was their child, because John I was Jack’s father, and it would be kind of nice to name the baby after him. But now that Alex (Julia Schlaepfer) gave birth to a premature baby and named him John, I really can’t wait to find out who the second John is that creates the polarizing John Dutton III. Furthermore, will Elizabeth have any sort of role in future spinoffs? She was collateral damage of the ranch life, but it seems like she could be a bigger character.

7What Will Happen to Whitfield’s Plans?

Is There Another Threat to the Ranch?

Obviously, Yellowstone is intact, which we can see in Yellowstone, the series. But Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) had major plans to turn the area into a ski resort and the earliest ideas of a shopping mall. He can’t have been the only man vying for the land when a million-billion-dollar idea is sitting on the doorstep, waiting to be swept up. Someone will likely take credit for Whitfield’s ideas one day, but will they try to take Yellowstone again?

This seems unlikely, considering how Whitfield died in the season finale and the amount of resistance Yellowstone residents put up. Still, there must be someone who will consider themselves better and wiser than Whitfield; most rich men think they have a life-changing idea when all they have is cold, hard cash. The spin-off titled 1944 is as good as ongoing, and there’s no doubt there will be more people who think they can step up to Spencer and take away his land. I’m just curious about Whitfield basically inventing the concept of a shopping mall and everyone just being chill about it.

6Will Banner Creighton’s Son Return to Avenge His Murder?

Some People Think This Is An Indication of Another Spinoff

In the season finale, we see Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) reach the final act of his redemption arc by making peace with Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford) while dying. Still, Banner had a young son and wife who boarded the train to Portland without him; he sent them there for a better and more fulfilled life. Banner’s son, Henry (Justin Stella), was angry about leaving Montana and there’s a theory that he might feel vengeful over his father’s death, leading to the question: will young Henry return to avenge Banner’s murder once he’s older?

This could be a great antagonist for 1944, when Henry is in his 30s and likely establishes himself in Portland. A lot depends on his character and whether he’s vengeful and willing to pursue justice against the Duttons; Banner definitely wouldn’t want that, but we wouldn’t have many heroes and villains on film and TV if they just listened to their parents. This would be an interesting turn of events, as long as Sheridan is ready to revive old feuds in his prequels.

5Who Is the Widow Spencer Later Meets?

Some Fan Theories Speculate It’s Elizabeth

In the 1923 finale, Isabel May does a voiceover as the narrator of events, and she mentions that Spencer, after Alex’s (Julia Schlaepfer) death, didn’t have a wife until his death. He did, however, meet a widow and fathered another son, meaning he had John II and another child. Some fans speculate that this widow might be Elizabeth and that the other son is Jack’s, raised by Spencer; still, May’s voiceover says at one point that only one of her brothers lived to see his own sons grow up, and it’s clearly Spencer, since John I dies in the first episode.

Why I think fans might be wrong on this one is, first, Elizabeth will definitely not step foot on Yellowstone ranch ever again; she seems done with it, not only because of the harsh living and economic conditions, but because the place carries a deep sadness for her. Second, it would be kind of weird, let’s face it. Elizabeth and Spencer coming together would be bizarre; there’s a massive age gap, Spencer is Jack’s uncle, and I don’t think they would ever be interested in each other like that. More than anything, if it’s not Liz, we all really want to know who the woman is that Spencer meets, and we hope it’ll all be revealed in 1944.

4Will Spencer Be In the Following Spinoff?

Teasing 1944 Might Open the Door For Us to See Spencer’s Later Years

Of course, the announcement of 1944 made us all giggle with excitement about what was next. Everyone’s favorite character, Spencer Dutton, left a huge mark in 1923 and a lasting impression on the fans; Spencer was likely the glue and the foundation for the success and endurance of Yellowstone in the following decades. To find out more about Spencer, everyone hopes his character will return to the newly announced spinoff, 1944.

While there are plenty of speculations, I will feel free to throw out my own, too. I believe Spencer isn’t just the heart and soul of the ranch and the Duttons, but also a strong favorite for both the fans and Sheridan. I don’t believe Sheridan would make Spencer as ideal and flawed as he did if he didn’t want him to stand out and win; while tragedy and death are inevitable parts of the Sheridanverse, I firmly believe he has favorites in his characters and puts more love and adoration into them, even through their flaws. I think that’s pretty obvious with Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) in Yellowstone, as much as it is with Spencer in 1923. Let’s hope this speculation proves correct and Spencer returns.

3Why Did Alex Have to Die?

Yes, It Was Realistically Made, But It Was Still Sad

While this is a bit logical – Alex had to die so we all understand life isn’t fair and that things don’t always have happy endings—it’s also very depressing and awful. Alex and Spencer had so much chemistry and love between them, crossing oceans together and apart just to be together. Their love was the driving force of the series and a big formative experience for Spencer, who probably never expected to have another one after his time in the war. A fated, star-crossed meeting of lovers as perfect as between Alex and Spencer was only going to have one outcome, and it was heartbreak.

Though they loved each other and accepted each other for who they were, I believe Sheridan killed Alex to show that love hurts and whirlwind romances (theirs was pretty whirlwind) usually don’t have a happy ending, whether because of outside forces or what’s within the lovers. Despite it all making sense, Alex went through hell in season two, so much that we just wanted her to have a break and, finally, a happy ending. Even worse, she went from being just a woman Spencer met to a heroine and a force of nature that showed selflessness and conviction. Having her become an inspiration made her death hurt a lot more, so why, Mr. Sheridan? WHY?

2Will Teonna Rainwater Return to Montana?

Her Surname Indicates She is Thomas Rainwater’s Ancestor

Watching 1923 was additionally painful because every time someone mentioned Teonna’s (Aminah Nieves) surname, Rainwater (often written as Rain Water, too), I would exclaim, “Rainwater, like Thomas!” Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) is the chairman of the Confederated Tribes of Broken Rock and, in the Yellowstone finale, one of the recipients of the Yellowstone ranch. Teonna’s surname is the same as his, and I fully expected her to come to Yellowstone, where Cara and Jacob would likely hire her to work with them or allow her to settle down nearby; that was my ideal storyline for Teonna.

In the 1923 finale, Teonna gets taken to court for killing her abusers from the Indian School, but because of a lack of witnesses for the prosecution’s side, Teonna is released. US Marshal Mamie Fossett (Jennifer Carpenter) and her officer Two Spears (Dougie Hall) give Teonna a horse and a gun, and Two Spears tells Teonna to go to California. Well, California is way on the other side of Montana, so will she go back to Montana or not? I don’t believe Teonna wants any more contact or connections with Montana, so she will likely go to California and settle down there. So, how does Thomas Rainwater connect to her? Maybe through Teonna’s child or children? Hopefully, this too will be covered in 1944, since the Native American characters are just as interesting as the Duttons in the Sheridanverse.

1Is Spencer’s Son the Father of John Dutton III?

Will We Finally Meet the Parents of Kevin Costner’s Character?

Teasing John Dutton III’s parents is like waiting for the credits to end so we can watch a post-credits scene. The credits are long here, and everyone’s trying to make sense of the Dutton family tree, which is as elaborate as it is confusing. We don’t really choose to enjoy the ride but focus on theorizing instead, all while Sheridan is tweaking in his writing room and writing the 17th spinoff for a series he himself invented, laughing in our faces while we talk about John Dutton’s parents.

Jokes aside, I believe 1944 will be the definitive introduction to the direct lineage of John Dutton III, and maybe his birth will be announced in another flash-forward at the end of 1944. There is an indication that Alex and Spencer’s prematurely born son, John II, is the father of John III, but we’re still left to see how John II grows up, considering his complex birth. The Yellowstone universe is very giving, but there’s always a fine line between milking it and taking it for a deep dive; so far, we’ve seen great examples of Sheridan connecting the story, because it’s more about the ranch itself than just the Dutton family. Let’s hope we soon find out whether Spencer is John III’s direct grandfather.