Why Taylor Sheridan’s Best Yellowstone Spinoff Ended Despite a Perfect 100% RT Score md20

Despite 1923 Season 2 garnering a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, the prequel seemingly ended after two installments, and there’s a simple explanation for why the show concluded in spite of its success. 1923 was Taylor Sheridan’s second Yellowstone spinoff about the Dutton family. It followed up 1883, a prequel about the earliest-known members of John Dutton’s (Kevin Costner) clan as they journeyed a variant of the Oregon Trail, ultimately establishing the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.

1923 checks in with the Dutton family four decades later, introducing Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren to the Yellowstone franchise as Jacob and Cara Dutton. The valiant patriarch and matriarch would see the family through a regional depression and a brutal fight for the Yellowstone Ranch, which was undoubtedly one of the most significant events in the family’s history. The Prohibition Era characters enthralled Yellowstone audiences over two seasons but may never be seen again after the series concluded their stories in the finale of 1923 Season 2.

The Ending of 1923 Explained

At the end of 1923 Season 2, the Duttons reach the end of a brutal battle for the ranch. At the heart of the conflict was the Duttons sparring with Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) and Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn), a wealthy businessman and a jaded sheep farmer who went after the family’s land. Ultimately, Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) arrives with not a moment to spare, successfully defending the family’s land fortune, but not without making severe personal sacrifices.

Spencer’s wife, Alexandra Dutton (Julia Schlaepfer), was also on her way to the Dutton Ranch, having survived a brutal solo journey through America after the couple was separated at the end of 1923 Season 1. After voyaging all the way to Montana, Alex was stranded on the side of the road. While she fatefully ran into Spencer, it was too late to save her life without amputating her limbs, and she died after refusing the procedure. Alex, however, did give birth to her and Spencer’s child, a son whom she named John.

While it was a tragedy for Alexandra, there was also hope on the horizon for the 1920s Duttons. After losing his wife, Spencer Dutton avenged her death by murdering Donald Whitfield. The vengeful act brought Spencer a sense of resolution, and he assumed operations of the Yellowstone Ranch as Jacob and Cara stepped up to help raise his infant son. In the closing scene, viewers learn that Spencer Dutton will live for another 40 years, positioning him as a crucial branch of the Dutton family tree.

The end of 1923 Season 2 also brought a sense of resolution to Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves), after the Crow student’s harrowing escape from a Native American assimilation school. Teonna was able to walk free of the charges brought against her by Father Renaud (Sebastian Roché) and US Marshal Kent (Jamie McShane) after US Marshal Mamie Fossett (Jennifer Carpenter) vouched for her. While it was a bittersweet resolution, costing Teonna everything she loved, Rainwater lived, and her story can also continue beyond 1923.

Taylor Sheridan Always Envisioned 1923 As a Two-Part Story

Image via Paramount+

The truth is that Taylor Sheridan had always envisioned 1923 as a single story told in two parts. Therefore, the finale of 1923 is an expected ending. In an interview with Deadline after 1923 Season 1, Sheridan described the episodes that would follow it as “the second half of the season.” The creator explained that, while 1923 was initially slated for one season of ten episodes, he requested more episodes to complete the story, expanding the last two episodes of Season 1 into another block of eight episodes, which is Season 2, to finish the narrative.

Therefore, 1923, taking place over two seasons, fulfills Sheridan’s plan for the series. While many could have watched the 1920s Dutton family for many seasons to come, there was an endgame in mind, despite his comments that Sheridan “had no idea what [he] was going to do” with 1923’s story, as opposed to 1883, which he “blocked out” ahead of time. That said, while fans won’t get another installment of 1923, the series was already extended by a total of five episodes that wouldn’t have come about if the series had stuck to the original plan.

1944 Will Continue the 1923 Dutton Family’s Story

Image via Paramount

While 1923 has seemingly come to an end, the Dutton family’s story will continue 20 years later in the next Yellowstone prequel, which is titled 1944. The story will take place in its title year, crafting a World War II-era Dutton story that could have war hero Spencer at its center. At the conclusion of 1923, the story’s narrator, 1883’s Elsa Dutton (Isabel May), revealed that Spencer would survive four more decades, until he was 80 years old. Therefore, it’s safe to say that Spencer will run the ranch in the future, probably returning to 1944.

Whatever the next saga holds for the Dutton family, there will be new tribulations on the horizon, and fresh drama to keep the Yellowstone universe spinning. Spencer Dutton had two children after 1923, his son with Alexandra Dutton and an unnamed son with an anonymous widow. These children will likely play a key role in the following story, continuing to put family and legacy at the center of the franchise. While many of 1923’s characters have concluded their stories, others will emerge to fill the void, and the epic saga continues.