Warning: SPOILERS For 1923 Season 2’s Finale - “A Dream And A Memory"Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer) and Spencer Dutton’s (Brandon Sklenar) romantic ending in1923season 2’s finale gives theYellowstonesaga its second version of Heaven. After taking separate arduous journeys to Montana in1923, Spencer and Alex are finally reunited in1923’s epic finale, but only for a brief time. Alex soon dies of complications from frostbite and hypothermia after giving birth to their son, John Dutton II. Spencer exacts revenge on Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) for Alex’s death before inheriting the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.
While Taylor Sheridan’s flagshipYellowstoneseries was a 21st-century Neo-Western,Yellowstone’s prequels,1883and1923,follow more traditional Western genre tropes. However,Sheridan underscores1883and1923with spirituality and philosophical musingsabout the West and man’s place on Earth. In1883’s finale, Elsa Dutton (Isabel May) tragically diesfrom an arrow wound in the arms of her father, James Dutton (Tim McGraw).
1883’s closing moments reveal that Elsa went to her version of Heaven, which is"unique"to each person. Elsa’s eternal joy is riding the boundless West with her Native American husband, Sam (Martin Sensmeier).
Alex & Spencer’s Ending In 1923 Gives Yellowstone Its Second Version Of Heaven
“What Took You So Long?”
1923season 2’s finale provedHeaven in theYellowstonesaga isn’t exclusive to Elsa Dutton. In theTitanic-like final moments of1923, Spencer Dutton is reunited with Alex after his death in 1969 at the age of 80. In Alex and Spencer’s ideal afterlife, they are back on the British ocean liner they sailed on in1923season 1’s finale. Of course, Alex teased Spencer -“What took you so long?"- but the couple are once again young and beautiful, enjoying the happiness in their Heaven that life denied them in1923.
1923also confirms Elsa’s narrationthat each person’s version of Heaven is specific to them in theYellowstonesaga. There’s no uniform version of the afterlife. Elsa and Sam live in their Heaven the way they lived in1883,but without the violence and tragedy that hounded them on the Oregon Trail.Spencer and Alex get a perfect version of the 1920s grand ball that they only fleetingly enjoyedin1923season 1’s ending before they were unjustly separated.
Alex Coming Back In Taylor Sheridan’s Next Yellowstone Prequel Could Work
Could Alex Come Back As A Ghost In 1944?
With1923now over, theYellowstonesaga is moving onto more spinoffs, including the next prequel planned by Taylor Sheridan,1944.Set 20 years after the end of1923, 1944will follow the Duttons during World War II, and will likely center on Spencer and Alex’s son, John Dutton II, who will be about 20. Elizabeth Strafford’s (Michelle Randolph) child with thelate Jack Dutton(Darren Mann) may also be part of1944.Butwill Alex be in1944in some form, the way Elsa Dutton was an ethereal presence in1923?
Brandon Sklenar and Julia Schlaepfer have floated the idea thatAlex could return as a ghost in1944.While it sounds absurd at first, there could be merit to Alexandra continuing to be a presence in Spencer’s life. Alex could replace Elsa as1944’s heavenly narrator and be the omniscient chronicler of Spencer’s life running the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Perhaps Spencer could even have visions of Alex. By introducing Heaven in1883and continuing the afterlife in1923,Taylor Sheridan has the leeway to carefully introduce more supernatural elements into 1944.
Kevin Costner In Yellowstone Didn’t Get His Version Of Heaven
Yellowstone Is Different From Its Prequels
Elsa, Spencer, and Alex Dutton received romantic versions of Heaven that rewarded them for the injustice and tragedy they suffered in life throughout1883and1923. The more grounded, modern-dayYellowstone, however, did not include spiritual elements or a hopeful version of the afterlife. Several Duttons and other major characters died throughoutYellowstone,including John Dutton III (Kevin Costner), butthey didn’t get rewarded with their personal versions of eternal bliss.
It’s also possible that present-day Duttons like John don’t get a version of Heaven like the ‘purer’ Elsa of 1883 and Alex and Spencer of 1923 deserved.
HadKevin Costner not quitYellowstonemidway through season 5, it’s probable that John Dutton III wouldn’t have been killed off. Once Costner exited and Taylor Sheridan opted to write outYellowstone’s lead character with a violent death, they didn’t have Kevin to perform any scenes of John in Heaven, even if Sheridan had scripted them. It’s also possible that present-day Duttons like John don’t get a version of Heaven like the ‘purer’ Elsa of1883and Alex and Spencer of1923deserved because they are more morally compromised than their ancestors.
